Evaluating Development Velocity: A Systematic Comparison of Monorepo and Polyrepo Architectures

In the dynamic realm of software development, efficient management of source code is pivotal for maintaining productivity and expediting release cycles. Version control systems, essential in this process, offer structured management of code changes. Among the various strategies for organizing repositories, Monorepo and Polyrepo configurations are particularly notable due to their distinct approaches to source code management. Despite their widespread adoption by leading technology enterprises, a definitive academic consensus on which configuration yields superior efficiency remains elusive. This research paper aims to address this gap by conducting a detailed comparative analysis of these configurations within the software development lifecycle, emphasizing development speed and operational efficiency. The study engaged 10 developers, divided into two groups, each alternating between Monorepo and Polyrepo setups. The tasks involved intricate updates to the logic determining maximum credit limits for students post-study leave, reflecting real-world software development challenges. Our empirical findings reveal that Monorepo configurations significantly outperform Polyrepo in terms of development speed, with Monorepo setups completing updates faster by an average of 14.3 minutes. This efficiency is attributed to the integrated structure of Monorepo, which facilitates simultaneous updates across services and minimizes the complexities associated with sequential deployments typical in Polyrepo setups. Moreover, the involvement of a researcher with direct experience in the project from its inception to the writing of this paper provided deep insights into the practical implications of each setup. This study not only underscores the operational efficiencies of Monorepo over Polyrepo but also highlights how familiarity with the project can influence development speed. These findings provide crucial insights for organizations looking to optimize their software development practices through strategic repository management and suggest areas for future research, including the long-term impacts on team collaboration, code quality, and maintenance overhead.