What Is A Web App?

Advantages of a web app

Speed of development & deployment

Building a web app is a much faster process than developing a mobile app. It’s a more straightforward, more widely used and understood technology and you are building a single platform as opposed to a native app where you are often using multiple code bases.

Cost

Developing a web app is much more cost effective than building a mobile app. Although you can build highly complex functionality with a web app, development of that functionality is not going to cost as much as if you were to build using native app technology. And you can often multiply the cost of native app development by the number of platforms you are launching on. So web apps generally cost much less than native apps to build.

Maintenance

Maintaining a native app is difficult. Phone technology changes regularly and suddenly your app may not be compatible with the latest iOS update. You then have to spend time and money updating your app to just get it back to performing how it was before the update. You also have to get the most recent update approved by the app store and may even have to make further revisions to keep the app stores happy. And once you have done all of this you are often reliant on the user to download the most recent update.

With a web app you do not have these same problems as the application is based on the browser not the phone’s technology. Any maintenance updates with a web app are loaded to the platform and then live as soon as the browser refreshes, making it a far easier process.

Flexibility

When building a web app you have a great deal more flexibility than a native app simply because you are not governed by the app store’s rules on what you can and can’t publish. As an example iOS have in the past rejected apps that ask directly for gender, which is not a problem you would have with a web app. So if this is an important piece of data to capture, a web app gives much more flexibility as you are not governed by the app store’s rules!

Accessibility

A web app is far more accessible than a native mobile app – you just need a link to the application and you can then open it in your browser window. With a native app you need to go into the app store, find the app and download it (hoping that it is compatible with your phone’s software). Native apps also require you to update the application by downloading any necessary patches and updates whereas with a web app this is implemented directly on the user’s browser as soon as they refresh.

Advantages of a native app

Speed

Traditionally mobile apps when downloaded have been faster than their website counterparts, and there is generally more opportunity within a native mobile app to store data and information on the user’s phone therefore speeding up the browsing experience.

Features

The biggest advantage to choosing a native app over a web app is the range of features that are afforded to you by leveraging the power of the mobile device. Although web apps are much more powerful these days than they used to be, there are still instances where there are certain features that are not attainable on a web app. Native apps can grant users access to native features such as their device microphone and cameras and user contact lists.

Visibility & credibility

When you have a native app built and it is approved by the Android and iOS app stores, you instantly have a level of credibility and visibility that comes with being associated with the app stores. Although there is then work to optimise your app store listings, your apps are listed on a trusted and well established platform.

When is a web app more appropriate?

Generally modern web apps are more appropriate than native apps the majority of the time (in our experience at least) as the benefits of reduced cost and increased flexibility tend to outweigh the native app advantages, unless there is very specific functionality that can only be obtained natively.

Here are a few examples of when a web app is going to be better suited to your needs than a native app:

When a proof of concept is needed

We often talk about an “MVP” (Minimum Viable Product) concept with clients which usually involves a barebones feature list to get a particular product to market or into use quickly. This feature list would be the minimum features you need to understand whether a particular project or piece of software is viable long-term and once you have established that it is viable, you can then develop further either with your own funds or by raising money with a proven concept behind you.

When developing an MVP, budget is often a key factor as you want to spend as little as possible to test the market. In this instance a web app is often the best solution as it can be developed more rapidly and cost effectively than a native app.

When budget is more limited

As we have already stated, high quality custom web app development is generally more cost-effective than high quality native app development so it makes sense that if you have a more limited budget to look at a web app as you can either do the same for a lower budget or much more on the same budget.

Unless there is a good reason to use a native app

There is sometimes an extremely compelling argument to use a native app over a web app such as a mobile banking app where some additional native built-in security features make native apps more appropriate. But unless there is a really compelling, specific reason to use a native app over a web app, generally a web app is the better option because the range of benefits outweigh the benefits of a native app.

So what should I do?

Have you got a problem you are looking to solve with an app of some kind? Perhaps you have a new product to take to market or you are looking for a system to automate some of the more manual business process tasks you carry out. If this is the case and you are not sure where to turn, we would love to speak to you and use our years of expertise and experience to advise on the most appropriate solution.

Studio44 have been developing bespoke web systems and web applications for many years and have worked on many successful projects in that time. If you are looking at a new bespoke web system or web application for your business and don’t quite know where to start then get in touch, we would love to talk through options with you and see if we can help!