Difference between Microservice and API

1. Microservices :
Microservices Architecture is an architectural style that structures an application as a collection of small autonomous services modeled around a business domain. In a Microservice Architecture, each service is self-contained and implements a single business capability. It is a popular way where we build web applications now, for those reasons we outlined above. To recap, an architecture makes it easier and faster to build and work on individual parts of an application, and thus the application as a whole. 

2. Application Program Interface (API) :
Application Program Interface (API) is a way through which you can make sure two or more applications communicate with each other to process the client request. 

Important points –

• It is incorrect to say that microservices are like web services but more fine-grained.
• APIs are not microservices.
• Microservices are not implementation of and API.

Difference between Microservice and API :

SR no	MICROSERVICE	API
1	Microservice are components.	APIs are interface.
2	Microservices can be used to expose one or more APIs.	APIs is one of the means to build and expose microservices architecture.
3	Not all Microservice components expose APIs.	API architecture and Microservices architecture is different.
4	Microservices are small in size.	API is large in size with complex implementation cases.
5	Microservices are quick to build.	APIs take longer time to build than Microservices .
6	Easy and discrete connection of building blocks.	Highly formatted APIs.