Monorepo vs Multirepo: Which Is Better for Modern Development?

As software projects become more complex, developers are faced with the challenge of how to structure their code in the most efficient manner. One of the most important architectural choices that software developers have to make today is whether to use a Monorepo or a Multirepo.

Both of these systems are used by some of the world’s biggest tech giants, but both have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages. In this guide, you will learn what a monorepo and a multirepo are, and which one is best suited for software development teams in 2025.

What Is a Monorepo?

A Monorepo (Monolithic Repository) is a code repository that holds multiple projects, services, or packages in one place. This means that instead of having multiple code repositories for the frontend, backend, and shared libraries, it’s all in one place.

Example Structure

/apps
  /frontend
  /admin-panel
  /backend
/packages
  /ui-components
  /utils

Companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Uber rely heavily on monorepos to manage large-scale applications.

What Is a Multirepo?

A Multirepo (Multiple Repositories) strategy involves maintaining each project or service within its own repository. Each codebase has its own lifecycle, versioning, and deployment pipeline.

Example Structure

• frontend-repo

• backend-repo

• auth-service-repo

• shared-utils-repo

This pattern has been the norm in the industry for several years and remains so to this day.

Key Differences Between Monorepo and Multirepo

1. Code Organization

Monorepo

• All projects in one repository

• Easy code and utility sharing

• Unified project structure

Multirepo

• Each project has its own repository

• Clear separation of responsibilities

• Less clutter in each repository

👉 If your projects are highly interdependent, monorepo is the cleaner approach.

2. Dependency Management

Monorepo

• The common dependencies are in sync

• There are no version discrepancies between the internal packages

• Refactoring is faster across projects

Multirepo

• Each repository is responsible for the dependencies

• There is a possibility of version conflicts

• The internal packages must be published

👉 Monorepos make dependency management easier.

3. CI/CD and Testing

Monorepo

• Monolithic CI/CD pipelines

• Can be complicated without proper tooling

• Tools like Nx, Turborepo, Bazel help optimize builds

Multirepo

• Separate CI/CD pipelines per project

• Faster pipelines for small services

• Easier to isolate failures

👉 Multirepos are simpler, monorepos are more powerful.

4.Team Collaboration

Monorepo

• Improved collaboration between teams

• Easy changes across projects

• All teams view the entire codebase

Multirepo

• Teams work separately

• Less chance of unintended changes

• Tight ownership for each repo

👉 Large teams working together are helped by monorepos.

5.Scalability

Monorepo

• Scales well with proper tooling

• Repository can become heavy

• Requires discipline and automation

Multirepo

• Naturally scales with microservices

• Easy to add new repositories

• Maintenance overhead increases over time

👉 Without tooling, monorepos can feel overwhelming.

Advantages of Using a Monorepo

✅ Single source of truth

✅ Easier code sharing

✅ Atomic commits across projects

✅ Simplified refactoring

✅ Better visibility for developers

The modern JavaScript ecosystem has made monorepos more accessible than ever.

Popular Monorepo Tools in 2025

• Nx

• Turborepo

• Lerna

• Bazel

• Rush

Disadvantages of a Monorepo

• ❌ Large repository size
• ❌ Slower Git operations without optimization
• ❌ Complex CI/CD setup
• ❌ Steeper learning curve

👉 Monorepos require planning, not shortcuts.

Benefits of a Multirepo

✅ Well-defined project boundaries

✅ Easy Git history

✅ Independent deployments

✅ Easy onboarding for small teams

✅ Good isolation

This model is very well suited to microservices and open-source projects.gh erg etg

Disadvantages of a Multirepo

• ❌ Code duplication
• ❌ Dependency version conflicts
• ❌ Harder cross-repo refactoring
• ❌ More DevOps overhead

👉 Managing many repositories can become messy over time.

Which One Should You Choose in 2025?

There is no single overall winner. The choice depends on the size of your teams, the complexity of your projects, and the maturity of your tools.

Choose a Monorepo If:

• You share a lot of code between projects

• You want consistent dependencies

• Your team collaborates closely

• You use modern build tools

Choose a Multirepo If:

• Your services deploy independently

• Teams work in isolation

• You prefer simpler pipelines

• You manage microservices

Real-World Recommendation

The current trend in many organizations is a combination of:

• Monorepo for frontend applications and shared libraries

• Multirepo for separate backend services

This is a good mix of flexibility and maintainability.

Final Thoughts

Both monorepos and multirepos can be very powerful if used appropriately. Rather than following the trends, it is important to focus on the developer experience, scalability, and maintainability.

In 2025, tools have removed many of the monorepo headaches, making them more appealing than ever before. However, multirepos are still a great option for distributed and independent teams.For more blogs https://flymingotech.in/

👉 Select the approach that scales with your team, not against it.