Web application or app: what do you need?
A web application runs in the browser, an app is installed from the store. How to choose what fits your customers, budget and schedule.
You have an idea for software: a client portal, a planning tool or something for your staff on the go. Then the question quickly comes up whether it should be an app, or whether a web application will do. The difference is not in how it looks, but in how people use it and what it costs to build and maintain.
What is the difference?
A web application runs in the browser. You open it via an address, on your laptop, tablet or phone, without installing anything. A mobile app is installed from the App Store or Google Play, and then sits as an icon on your phone.
| Web application | App | |
|---|---|---|
| Installing | Not needed, open via an address | Via the App Store or Google Play |
| Works on | Laptop, tablet and phone | Phone (and tablet) |
| New version | Available to everyone immediately | Via the stores, users update |
| Phone features | Some, such as the camera and location | All, such as notifications in the background |
| Starting price at MDJI | from 750 euros | from 1,500 euros |
When a web application is the best choice
- Your software is mainly used behind a laptop, such as a planning, a quoting module or an administration.
- Your customers use it now and then, and would rather not install an app for it.
- You want to go live quickly and give everyone the latest version straight away.
- Your budget is limited, or you first want to test whether the idea works.
A web application can also be added as an icon to a phone's home screen, so it feels like an app. Google calls that a progressive web app (explanation on web.dev).
When an app fits better
- Your users work with it daily, also on the go.
- You need notifications that arrive even when the app is closed, or other features only an app can use well.
- You want to be found in the App Store and Google Play.
- Your product is the app, and it has to feel like a familiar app on the phone.
Keep in mind that an app has ongoing costs after the build, such as developer accounts with Apple and Google and maintenance for new versions of iOS and Android. Read more in what does it cost to have an app built.
Both?
Sometimes the answer is: a web application first, an app later. The web application proves the idea works; the app follows when users ask for it. The data and logic on the server can then stay, so the app connects to it. We discuss that in the intake call, with your schedule and budget in mind.
How we approach it
- In the intake call we discuss who uses the software, where and how often.
- Based on that we advise a web application, an app, or one first and the other later.
- You receive a proposal with a fixed price and a schedule within a few working days.
- Not sure? You can start with a demo for 99 euros.
Read more: web application development and app development.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, a web application or an app?
A web application usually starts lower: at MDJI from 750 euros, an app from 1,500 euros, excluding VAT.
Can a web application work on my phone?
Yes, in your phone's browser. It can also be added as an icon to your home screen, so it feels like an app.
Can a web application become an app later?
Yes. The data and logic on the server can stay, so an app connects to it.
What fits my idea?
That depends on who uses it, where and how often. In a half-hour intake call you will know where you stand.