The biggest difference between web apps and mobile apps is that web apps can be accessed from desktop or mobile web browsers, and mobile apps are installed natively on smartphones or tablets. Unlike native mobile apps, a web app does not require any installation to use. While this is the most obvious distinction between the two, there are plenty of other key differences and similarities between web apps and mobile apps—all which will be covered in this in-depth guide.
Understanding Web Apps
A web app is an application program that’s stored on remote servers and delivered through web browser interfaces over the internet.
Common examples of web apps include Google Docs, Netflix, and even Facebook. You don’t need to install any software on your devices to use these tools—as all three of these can be directly accessed from any web browser.
While using these types of apps through a web browser doesn’t necessarily deliver the optimal user experience compared to a native app (which we’ll cover later), they still work and function as intended through browsers.
For web apps, progressive web apps, and hybrid apps to work, they simply need a web server, database, and application server powering it on the backend.
Web apps and websites are not the same thing, even though web apps are accessed through websites, and the average user may not necessarily notice the difference. But websites are static, and web apps are dynamic—meaning web apps are more interactive and allow the user to perform more tasks.
Understanding Mobile Apps
As the name implies, mobile apps are designed specifically for mobile devices—like smartphones and tablets. To access the app, users must first install it on their device.
Mobile apps leverage the native features of a device, like a smartphone’s camera, Bluetooth, or GPS. This drastically improves the features, performance, and usability compared to its web app counterparts.
Within this category, there are also native mobile apps and hybrid mobile apps.
A native mobile app is built for a specific type of operating system, like iOS or Android. Hybrid mobile apps can run on multiple operating systems.
Conclusion: In comparing a mobile app vs. web app, you’ll quickly notice some significant differences. Depending on your goals, these differences could definitely sway you in one direction over the other
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