Mobile App Vs. Web App: What You Need to Know

What is the difference between a mobile app and a web app? 

As a business owner, project manager or stakeholder, one of the critical decisions you will make in your quest for custom software will be whether to develop a mobile application or a web application. Unless you are familiar with the basics of website development, there is a high chance you need a suitable answer to this question: how do desktop apps, web apps and mobile apps differ? 

This is not to say that you can’t differentiate between a mobile application and a web application on your own, but do you know which of the two offers a higher return on investment? What are the factors that you need to consider before you decide? Which of your buyer personas motivated your choice? 

It’s tricky, right? 

You don’t have to worry; you aren’t alone. That’s why we’re here to guide you through the selection process. 

In this article, we explore the differences between web apps and mobile apps. By the time you reach the end, you will have 

1. knowledge of the processes involved in building mobile and web apps, 
2. knowledge of the technology behind it. 
3. how to decide which of them is suitable for your business and how you can link your website to whichever kind of application you choose. 
4. the various factors to consider before you choose one. 
5. and lastly, how you can leverage web and mobile app development to achieve your business goals. 

Before we dive in, let’s take a quick moment to compare and contrast the two: 

Mobile App vs. Web App: Definitions, Pros and Cons 

The traffic coming from mobile apps and web apps make up a considerable volume of all organic traffic for websites and eCommerce stores. Mobile app vs web app statistics are staggering. 

As of August 2024, mobile apps are responsible for 61.95% of web traffic. 

However, traffic is not the sole indicator of business return. You still need to consider your Click-Through Rate (CTR), sales conversion, and customer retention. 

So, let’s briefly define and compare the pros and cons of building mobile apps and web apps. 

What are web apps? 

Web applications, shortened as web apps, are application programs stored remotely on a server and delivered to a web browser interface via the internet. 

Think about the functionality you can perform on your browser. These include online calculators, word processing, eCommerce stores, internet banking, stock trading, etc. 

Some web apps only work with specific browsers, while others work regardless of the browser. 

What are mobile apps? 

Mobile applications, also known as native apps, are designed to function exclusively on mobile devices. 

Mobile apps have access to many features of mobile devices, such as the microphone and camera, and therefore offer improved functionality and optimal user experience. 

Mobile App Vs Web App Pros 

Here is a quick comparison between mobile apps and web apps. 

Mobile App 

Higher speed and performance due to built-in features on phones such as location services, camera and microphone, etc. 

Superior user experience and optimised performance for overall better functionality. 

Push notifications that enhance conversion on the go for better engagement. 

Ability to reach a broader audience by leveraging stores (App Store vs Google Play). 

Web App 

Cost-efficient in its development, resulting in a smaller amount of time and resources required to build. 

Easily accessible to the market as it requires no approval from marketplaces and app stores. 

Wider coverage to users regardless of the type of device or operating system. 

Instant updates since it uses a common code base allowing for simpler and faster upgrades. 

Mobile Apps vs Web Apps Cons 

Here is a quick comparison of a mobile app vs web app cons 

Mobile App 

Requires high investment as the cost of developing across various operating systems can be expensive. For instance, Android apps cannot work on Apple products and vice versa. 

The need to download, install and grant access can be a turn off for potential customers and, as such result in a loss of revenue. 

High cost of maintenance due to constant platform hardware and software upgrades. E.g. new phones or operating systems. 

Getting approval from the app store can take time, and bad experiences/ratings from users can kill the app and have severe negative consequences on the business. 

Web App 

Dependence on internet availability means the app is almost useless where there is no internet access. 

Limited access to default mobile devices features such as GPS, camera, microphone, etc. 

Non-uniform experience for users as different web browsers can affect the smooth running of the web app 

Most browsers do not support push notifications, which translates to potential loss of engagement and customers. 

Understanding the technology behind development 

Web development has a lot of technical jargon that many business leaders will find boring. It really sucks reading technical terms when you can’t wrap your head around them. However, we’ll cover the basics and simplify it for you as much as possible. Having the basic knowledge behind the technology we leverage will give you an insight into which one is the most suitable for your business. 

Full-stack development is broadly divided into two main categories; front-end and back-end. 

The front-end deals with converting data into a graphical interface with the use of programming languages such as JavaScript (JS), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS). 

JavaScript: Used by almost all web developers to code customer behaviours into websites, web apps or mobile apps. 

HTML: Hypertext Markup Language handles the structuring of your web page. 

CSS: The Cascading Style Sheet is a programming language that controls the presentation of your web page. It remains the foundation of the World Wide Web today, alongside Javascript and HTML. 

Back-end development involves utilising databases to transfer and receive data from one end to another. 

It also encompasses the management of user connections, secure connection and everything that empowers your web application to perform optimally. Popular programming languages such as Python, Java, PHP and Ruby are used for back-end development. 

Mobile web app frameworks and other technologies

 

Every business is unique, and so are the technologies that power their applications. We have analysed various factors that are important to consider when choosing between mobile apps and web apps. However, the technology deployed also depends on some factors. 

Here are what we recommend based on our expertise and years of experience: 

Website 

Speed of information matters in website development. Many web developers often prioritise visual appeal over loading speed. According to several reports, 47% of users leave websites that take longer than 2 - 3 seconds to load. 

The lighter and softer your website, the faster it shows data, and the higher Google will score it on Google Lighthouse.