Micro Frontends - Master Module Federation with React & Vue

Introduction

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The micro front end is a potent architectural approach that divides monolithic front-end code into more manageable chunks. This approach brings the benefits of micro services to front- end development, enabling scalability, independent deployments, and a more efficient organization of teams and projects.

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Exploring Micro Frontends

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In a micro front end architecture, individual front-end applications that can be delivered on their own are combined to form a single unit. This approach allows different teams to work on different parts of an application, each using their preferred technology stack. As applications scale, this approach becomes increasingly beneficial, reducing the complexity associated with maintaining a monolithic application.

Micro Front ends (MFEs) take the micro services philosophy to the front-end world. Each team can build and deploy features independently leading to faster development cycles and better scalability.

Think of MFEs like building blocks—each with its own framework, logic, and deployment pipeline.

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Module Federation: Revolutionizing Frontend Integration

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Module Federation, a feature introduced in Web-pack 5, has revolutionized the way we implement the micro frontend. It allows a JavaScript application to dynamically run code from another bundle or build while maintaining separate build processes. This means that applications can share dependencies, reducing the overall size of the application and avoiding duplicate code.

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Why It Matters?

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• Load parts of an app only when needed (e.g., lazy-loaded admin panel).
• Teams can update features independently without version conflicts.
• Apps can share libraries (e.g., React, Lodash) to reduce bundle size.

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Building Micro Front-ends with Module Federation

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Implementing the micro front end with Module Federation involves exposing and consuming modules across different applications. Let’s see how we can do this in React, and Vue.React, and Vue.Vue.

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React

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In a React application, you can expose a component in a similar way:

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And consume it in another application:

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Vue

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In a Vue application, you can create a component and expose it using the Module Federation Plugin in your Webpack configuration:

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This component can then be consumed by another application:

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Merits of Micro Front End

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Adopting a micro front end approach brings several advantages:

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• End-to-End Feature Architecture: This strategy enables local feature development and deployment, negating the need for expansive deployment infrastructures.
• Optimized Bundle Size: Micro front-ends provide an overall better developer and user experience due to shared components and dependencies that can be lazy-loaded.
• Technology Stack Freedom: Teams can choose their preferred technology stack without worrying about compatibility issues with other teams’ code.

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State Sharing in Micro Front-ends

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State management is a crucial aspect of any application. With Vuex, Redux, and Module Federation, you can share states between different micro front ends. This allows for a unified state management system across different applications, enhancing the user experience and making state management more efficient.

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React

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In React, you can use Redux for state management:

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Vue

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Then, in your main Vue instance:

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Conclusion

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Micro Front-ends and Module Federation allow modern front-end teams to scale like back end micro services did years ago. You can iterate faster, reduce risk, and build more flexible user experiences. With support for all major frameworks, this is a must-learn architecture in 2025. The micro front end architecture, coupled with Webpack’s Module Federation, offers a powerful approach to building large-scale web applications. It simplifies the architecture, improves scalability, and allows for a more efficient organization of teams and projects. However, it’s important to note that this approach might not be the best for small applications or businesses. It truly shines when working on large projects with distributed teams.

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