Architecture Comparison: NGINX Only vs NGINX + API Gateway

Overview This document compares two common microservice architecture patterns to help you decide which approach best fits your use case. Architecture Diagrams Option 1 — NGINX Only Client ↓ NGINX ↓ Microservices Option 2 — NGINX + API Gateway Client ↓ NGINX ↓ API Gateway ↓ Microservices Comparison by Category 1. Complexity Aspect NGINX Only NGINX + API Gateway Infrastructure Simpler More complex Number of services Fewer Additional gateway service Configuration Easier More layers Debugging Easier