Mobile web applications are slowly becoming very common, and many types of web applications and strategies make it very confusing to differentiate between them. Moreover, with the endless amount of similarities between these different types, it can also get quite confusing as to what the major differences between each of these may be.

As the name suggests, mobile web applications only require a browser installed on your mobile device to work. It is important to remember that mobile web applications differ from native ones. Native mobile applications do not require a browser to work, unlike mobile web applications. On the other hand, mobile web applications usually run using HTML or Ajax.

Before choosing what type of app you want designed for your business, it is important to understand the differences between various types of apps.

Mobile Apps And Web Apps

When you hear about native mobile applications and mobile web applications, many people fail to find any major differences between them. However, that is not the case, as they are two completely different things and should not be confused with each other.

Native Mobile Apps

Native mobile apps are usually built for a specific platform, such as Android and iOS, and these apps usually live and run on the device, unlike mobile web applications. Many of the day-to-day apps we use on our mobile devices, such as Instagram, Snapchat, or WhatsApp, are native mobile applications.

Native mobile apps have the ability to use all of a mobile devices features, which helps make the overall experience of the apps much better and even more enjoyable. Since native mobile apps can access your devices features, such as your phones camera, GPS, and so on, the app can look much better and adjust according to the devices features.

Moreover, due to the applications living on the device, they can access the mobile devices notification system and run while the app is offline.

Pros Of Native Mobile Apps

Native mobile apps have many benefits as compared to other types of applications, such as:

• Native mobile apps are much faster than mobile web apps, as they dont require a browser to work properly and efficiently. Moreover, since native mobile apps live on mobile devices, they can work more efficiently than a mobile web app.
• Native mobile applications, compared to other applications, have greater functionality because they can access your devices inbuilt features and resources.
• Native mobile apps are considered fairly secure because for an app to be downloaded by a user, it needs to be in the platforms store, i.e., for Android devices, they need to be available on the Google Play Store. What makes these apps secure is that they need to be approved by the store so that they can be decided as fit for a users consumption.
• Another great advantage of native mobile apps is that they can be much easier to build, as there are a wide variety of tools that can be used to develop native mobile apps, such as SDKs and developer tools.

Cons Of Native Mobile Apps

While native mobile apps may have a decent number of advantages, there are also a few disadvantages, such as:

• Native mobile apps can be much more expensive to build than mobile web apps due to the vast amount of resources and complications required to build them.
• Since native mobile apps are built for a specific platform, such as Android or iOS, the apps usually need to be created from scratch to cater to the operating system.
• Another issue you can face with a native mobile app is getting it approved by the app store, as many requirements and criteria must be met for an app to be verified.

Mobile Web Apps

Mobile web apps are not actual applications. However, they often look and feel like native mobile apps. Mobile web apps need a browser to be installed on the device, so they can run and not live and run on the device as a conventional native mobile app does. Users need to access these apps the same way they would a website and have the option to install them on their mobile home screen using a bookmark.

Many users often confuse mobile web apps for normal websites, as they are accessed the same way. However, both of these are two entirely different things and are not to be confused with each other.

Before choosing whether you want a mobile web app for your business, it is important to consider the pros and cons of mobile web apps;

Pros Of Mobile Web Apps

• Since mobile web apps require a browser to be used, they do not need to be installed on your device to run.
• Mobile web apps are much easier to maintain than native mobile apps.
• Mobile web apps can update themselves, unlike native mobile apps. They do not need to be manually updated from the app store.
• Moreover, since mobile web apps are used on the browser, you do not have to go through the hassle of having your app approved by the app store.
• Web applications are much easier and faster to build than native mobile apps.

Cons Of Mobile Web Apps

• Due to mobile web apps not living and running on your phone, they cannot be run offline.
• Mobile web apps are much simpler than native mobile apps, making them much less advanced in terms of features.
• Since mobile web apps are not listed on the app store, there is no security or quality guarantee because they do not have to go through the quality checks of an app store.
• Most normal consumers download and access apps using the app store instead of their browsers. Therefore, it may be challenging for people to discover your app.

Which Type Of App Should You Have For Your Business?

Before having an app produced for your business, there are many things you should take into consideration. One of the main things is what demographic you are targeting with your app and what type of application you are making. For example, most entertainment-related websites have native mobile apps targeting a general audience, and most consumers prefer using native mobile applications.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many things one must consider before choosing an app suited for your business. It is also necessary to note that mobile web and native mobile applications differ. Mobile web apps work only on browsers, while native mobile apps work on your phone. Considering all the pros and cons mentioned above, you should evaluate what app you want, depending on your goals and if that type of application satisfies your criteria.