Understanding Web App Vs. Website to Find the Right Fit for your Organization

Web application or Website? What does your business need?

The dilemma of understanding the difference between both is still present in the IT sector, and the reasons are apparent. For one, they both are accessible from the browser, and to access both; you need an active internet connection. Also, they are responsive.

These were the parameters of similarities, but the main challenge was understanding the difference.
As a product development organization specializing in web and web app development, we frequently discuss your client’s requirements, their purpose, and how to make a distinction.

Well, most people get confused with these two terms, and if you are also one of them, this blog post is essentially for you!

What is a Web Application?

A web application is a software accessed from a browser and stored on a server. You need an internet connection to access web apps from anywhere!

A significant difference between a mobile application and a web app is that you can access it easily via a link and don’t need to download it from a store and install it on your device.

A web app is usually responsive and adjusts well to the screen you access, such as a smartphone, a laptop, a desktop, etc. A web app also requires a web hosting solution that manages the requests and stores information.

When do we need a Web App?

The need for a web app or web application development generally arises when you are setting up several processes that are associated with the same. For instance, if you are developing an e-commerce store, a web app would work better than a website. Because then you would have multiple processes running simultaneously in a single system.

Pros of having a web app

• It can be accessed on multiple platforms irrespective of the Operating system.
• Get access to uniform and consistent user experience across all mediums.
• Comparatively easy to customize & scale
• Can be accessed from anywhere via an internet connection

Cons of having a web app

• Less secure & vulnerable to unauthorized access
• Access to limited device features
• Limited browser support at a moment

So, this was all about web apps. You might have gained a fair amount of knowledge to hop onto the next section and start building a foundation for the web application vs. website comparison table.

What is a Website?

A website is a vast collection of web pages interlinked and placed on a unique domain name. While most of the websites are publicly accessible, a few are private and only accessible through the private network.

Websites are accessible from various devices, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

When do you need a website?

A website efficiently serves the purpose if your business processes are simple and require minimum features. This could be needed when you require an online presence and just for showcasing your services. A simple CMS website development service will work for you in such a case.

Pros of having a website

• You can showcase your products and services and all the relevant business information.
• The right place for marketing and placing advertisements.
• You can get access to all the marketing and placing advertisements.
• Increase your visibility, accelerate your growth and gain more customers.

Cons of having a website

• Excessive traffic can crash your Website, which can remain utterly inaccessible until it is fixed.
• You can get a lot of junk and unwanted email from the internet.
• Data can be exposed to scrapers which can misuse the same.

Understanding the definition, pros and cons would enlighten you on how websites function and why you need them. And when do you need it?

To answer the central question of comparison and choose the right fit for your business requirements, you need to have a clear vision of the comparison between both.

In the next section, we did the same for you!

Website Vs. Webapps- A comparison table

Without much talking, let’s get straight to the point and understand the comparison between both:

Use-Cases of Websites & Web Apps

Websites and Web applications have a variety of applications. Here we have listed some of the most common ones for you:

For Website:

A website can be used in several different ways for your business. Let’s have a look at the most common ones for the same:

1. Information delivery: This is a website’s most common use case. Businesses may create websites to showcase their products and services to their audience.
2. Entertainment: Magazines, news, and video streaming service websites are created to entertain their visitors.
3. Education: Certain websites are created solely to entertain their users. This kind of Website includes web blogs, tutorials, and courses.

Some of the most common examples of Websites are

• Yahoo
• Wikipedia
• Google
• Netflix

For Web Application:

There are unlimited use cases of the web application. Some of the most common ones are

1. Document creation: Web applications are used to create documents such as Office 365.
2. Client Email: With the help of a web application, you can also produce documents such as Yahoo and Gmail.
3. Software complexity: You can quickly run the most complex software on any device using web applications.

Some of the best examples of web apps are:

• Freshbooks
• Dropbox
• G Suite
• Facebook

Which is the right fit for you?

At first, understanding the difference between web apps vs. websites may not look like a big deal. Understanding their differences may help you plan for the future, communicate better with your team, and ensure scalability and extended functionality for your users.

Unfortunately for company owners, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to your Website or web app choice. The decision-makers in your organization must take time to efficiently examine the business goals to define the best option for their specific needs.

Are you still needing help deciding on the proper framework? Hire a suitable web application developer with Netsmartz today!