Single Spa vs Iframe Based Micro Frontends

Developers should use Single Spa when building large-scale web applications where multiple teams need to work on separate frontend modules without tight coupling meets developers should use iframe based micro frontends when they need to integrate legacy systems or third-party applications without refactoring, as iframes provide strong isolation that avoids style and script collisions. Here's our take.

Single Spa

Nice Pick

Developers should use Single Spa when building large-scale web applications where multiple teams need to work on separate frontend modules without tight coupling

Pros

• It is ideal for scenarios requiring incremental upgrades, such as migrating from a legacy monolith to modern frameworks like React or Vue, or for enterprise applications with complex, modular architectures
• Related to: javascript, react

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Iframe Based Micro Frontends

Developers should use Iframe Based Micro Frontends when they need to integrate legacy systems or third-party applications without refactoring, as iframes provide strong isolation that avoids style and script collisions

Pros

• It is particularly useful in large organizations where multiple teams work on distinct parts of a web app, allowing for independent development cycles and technology choices
• Related to: micro-frontends, web-components

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Single Spa is a framework while Iframe Based Micro Frontends is a methodology. We picked Single Spa based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Single Spa wins

Based on overall popularity. Single Spa is more widely used, but Iframe Based Micro Frontends excels in its own space.