Microservices can act as stand-alone services or can be integrated within web services, giving you the best of both worlds.
An API is a software framework that allows multiple applications to communicate and interact with each other. Web services, however, are online protocols that enable the exchange of data between software.
Successful examples of microservice integration include Amazon, Netflix, and Uber.
The JSON protocol and XML interface are two examples of widely used web services.
Windows uses a collection of several small autonomous services within defined boundaries, meaning yes, Windows services are microservices.
Microservices are the more cost-effective option as they generally require fewer licenses and permissions to operate.
This depends on which microservices you use. There are several open-source services freely available, however, the best-maintained services are typically paid.