Monorepo vs Submodules

Developers should use a monorepo when working on interconnected projects that share common code, such as microservices, frontend and backend applications, or libraries with tight integration meets developers should use submodules when working on large, modular projects that require integrating external codebases or libraries while preserving their independent version histories. Here's our take.

Monorepo

Nice Pick

Developers should use a monorepo when working on interconnected projects that share common code, such as microservices, frontend and backend applications, or libraries with tight integration

Pros

• It simplifies dependency management, reduces duplication, and facilitates large-scale refactoring and code reuse
• Related to: version-control, git

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Submodules

Developers should use submodules when working on large, modular projects that require integrating external codebases or libraries while preserving their independent version histories

Pros

• Common use cases include managing third-party dependencies, separating core and plugin components, or collaborating on multi-repository projects where changes need to be synchronized
• Related to: git, version-control

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Monorepo is a methodology while Submodules is a tool. We picked Monorepo based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Monorepo wins

Based on overall popularity. Monorepo is more widely used, but Submodules excels in its own space.