Chapter 5 - Sales & Commercialisation
IN THIS LESSON
Web vs Web App vs Mobile App
If you plan to develop apps, it’s important that you know the difference between web apps and mobile apps. They are very different in many ways, whereas a web app and a website are more similar. The bulk of this look at web vs web app vs mobile app will examine the pros and cons of web apps vs mobile apps. These distinctions may help you in future product development.
The web is the system of Internet servers to connect documents, videos, audio, and other content, formatted in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). The web allows people to visit websites, accessible through a browser. Millions of websites exist, ranging from static web sites to dynamic, interactive websites. When people refer to “the web,” they are usually referring to the Internet, even though technically the web is a service that sits on top of the Internet – a network of networks.
A web app is a website designed to be viewed on a smartphone. A web app acts as a downloadable app, but it’s still opened through the device’s browser. When a website is not in the form of an app, the website may be seen on a smart device in a disjointed way or with the font too small or jumbled. A web app is specifically formatted for the specs of smart devices.
A mobile app is a software program developed for mobile devices. A mobile app is developed for a specific platform, such as IOS for iPhones or Android for Google devices. A native mobile app needs to be downloaded from an app store, such as Apple’s App Store or Google’s Google Play. An example of a mobile app is Facebook Messenger.
Snapshot of Differences between Web Apps and Mobile Apps
The following are 5 key differences:
Web apps run on a browser on the mobile phone, while mobile apps run on the device itself.
Web apps need an active Internet connection, while mobile apps work (or can work) without an Internet connection.
Web apps do not have access to a device’s resources, such as camera and GPS, while mobile apps do have access to these resources on a device. The feature gap here is shrinking too as web apps can access device resources more and more.
Web apps are environment-independent, while mobile apps are made for a specific environment (i.e., IOS) and cannot be replicated to other environments (i.e., Android).
Web apps show the most current version each time a user visits, while mobile apps require the user to regularly download updates.
Now, let’s look at them from the viewpoint of “pros” and “cons” so that you can form your own opinion about them.
Pros and Cons of Mobile Apps
Pros
Cons
Faster than web apps
More features and functionality than web apps
Availability of developer tools and SDKs (software developer kits)
More secure (less vulnerable to hacks compared to web apps)
Capable of working offline (no Internet connectivity)
More expensive to build and maintain.
Limited to each platform, requiring a new mobile app to be developed from scratch.
Must get the mobile app approved by the app store
Pros and Cons of Web Apps
Pros
Cons
Easier to build than a mobile app.
Cheaper to make a web app than a mobile app.
Users always experience current version.
No need for app store review and approval
Cannot work offline.
Slower than mobile apps
More vulnerable to hacks
Not as many features or functional richness as mobile apps
May be more difficult for users to find, compared to availability in a centralized app store.
No standard software development tools available for building web apps
Different Languages, Different Tools for Developers
Specific programming languages and Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) are used to build native mobile apps. Apple apps are built on either Objective-C or Swift and the XCode IDE. Android apps use Java and are usually built using the Android Studios or Eclipse IDE. Developers can use the development tools, interface elements and SDKs from Apple and Google to build native mobile apps. For web apps, developers only have access to templates.