When you get an idea of a new app, the fact that it’ll be mobile-present is predetermined. But since the choice between a Mobile App and Web App is no easy task.
The definitions of these two app types are commonly confused. It’s understabdable because, from an end-user point-of-view, the results are quite similar.
The difference is that a mobile app is specifically developed for the platform it will run on. For example, it will be built specifically to run on iOS for Apple’s iPhones. Then, for the same app to run on an Android device, it has to be re-developed from scratch as an Android app.
Meanwhile, a web app is developed independently from the device it will run on. Since it uses the phone’s browser, the same app can be launched on different devices with different operating systems (iOS or Android).
Basically, web apps are like a website, developed to render smoothly on a phone/tablet screen.
Now that we know the definition of each concept, let’s list the differences between them.
1- Web App can’t live without internet
Since a web app is not “installed” on the device, it always needs an internet connection for the browser to go fetch what to render.
On the other hand, a mobile app can offer offline features and then connect to the internet on-demand.
2- Mobile App requires platform-specific programming skills
Mobile app development depends strongly on the platform it’s destined to run on.
Each different platform calls on specific programming languages, Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and other development tools, which makes it difficult to be a one-man job.
Meanwhile, developing Web Apps only involve Web development skills, and the programmer is free to choose his most convenient programming language and tools to use. Usually, web apps are developped using HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript frameworks.
That said, mobile apps development can be more expensive than web apps. Since the decision of adding a new platform can mean restarting the project from scratch with another architecture and technology.
3- Accessing device resources
If developing Mobile apps costs more, it comes when its benefits.
When using platform-specific development tools, you gain access to more of the device’s resources. A mobile app is more compatible with the hardware, allowing it to make use of equipments such as the accelerometer, camera, gyro and so on.
Meanwhile, a web app has very limited access to the device’s native features.
4- Installing and updating
To install a mobile app, you usually have to go through the store (App store for iOS and Google Play for Android). Then, whenever a new version of the app is available, the users need to install the update.
When dealing with a web app, things go more smoothly. Since no installation is required, the updates take place without needing a user intervention.
Conclusion
Even if the final results are smoothly different between Mobile Apps and Web Apps, the work behind them is quite different.
The decision to choose what type to develop can be based on the following criteria:
- How many time/budget you’d like to invest in the app?
- Does your application offer offline features?
- Does your application need accessing the built-in features such as accelerometer and GPS?
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