# The Difference Between SOA and Microservices Architectures

SOA was not about SOAP and microservices are not about REST.


In theory there is no difference. The SOA definition could be also applied to microservices architecture as well:

"Services are unassociated, loosely coupled units of functionality that are self-contained. Each service implements at least one action, such as submitting an online application for an account, retrieving an online bank statement or modifying an online booking or airline ticket order." [SOA definition from wikipedia]



Also a microservice architecture could be challenged (often killed) with the same questions as a SOA.


In practice SOA was applied to expose, reuse and expose business services at enterprise level. Microservice architectures are used to structure individual applications. Because it is easier to control a single application than a whole enterprise, microservices are less ambitious and more pragmatic.



See you at Java EE Workshops at MUC Airport, particularly at the Java EE Architectures workshop!