Several apps
are becoming a part of our daily and professional lives nowadays. They provide
us with features such as making payments, managing meetings, updating content,
analyzing data, automating tasks, and more.
Approximately
143.6 billion applications were downloaded by users in 2021, and that is just
the beginning. By the year 2024, it is expected that this number will surpass
184 billion.
There are a
lot of programs that people use for different purposes, but even though people
use various programs for various purposes, they still wonder about the
contraposition "web app vs desktop app": which one is better and why
would the user choose one over the other?
It is said
that the battle between web apps and desktop apps has already been fought and
won by the web. Over the course of the past decade, we have seen desktop
applications decline due to browser-based web applications taking over.
When it
comes to downloading and installing a product, it's not quite as seamless as
onboarding online with an instantaneous account setup.
We still
have a strong attachment to our desktop habits even though web-based solutions
are an increasing part of the market. Meanwhile, the native app is far from
dead.
Despite the
fact that we have started downloading applications, our taskbars are still
littered with them - from Slack to Adobe Photoshop, to the Microsoft Office
suite.
Several
desktop apps have experienced something of a revival in popularity recently,
having evolved from being purely web-based in the past - Trello, Azure, Wrike -
to now being available on desktops also top.
In order to
understand what this means for the future of applications, let's take a look at
a handy comparison of web app vs desktop app performance.
What is a web app?
This term
refers to a web application or web service which are programs located and
deployed on a remote server, and whose services can be accessed via a browser
through a network connection.
Basically,
these applications are developed to run in a web browser and no physical
installation is necessary on the PC in order for them to run.
In order to
do this end user can access Google Docs from the browser and use it to create
files without the need to download the software on the device.
What is a desktop app?
A desktop
application refers to a software program that can run on both a computer system
with or without internet access and without the use of a browser. Users are
required to download its packages in order to install them on the machine.
It should be
noted that several applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Games,
Windows Media Player, and so forth require a portion of primary memory to run.
It is
important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of web and desktop applications.
Web apps advantages
The main
advantage of web-based apps is that they are less hardware-dependent. Unlike
desktop apps, web-based apps are not as dependent on the hardware you are
using.
As a result,
the program can be accessed and used by both old and new computers, faster and
slower machines, and even bigger and smaller computers.
Furthermore,
web-based apps offer more ease of access to information as they can be accessed
anywhere and on any device where a good internet connection is available.
The best
thing about web-based apps is that they do not require you to download
anything. You simply create an account, log in, and you can begin using them
right awayrted.
It is a very
low-barrier onboarding option. After all, there are no separate components for
the user to navigate; there are no disruptions to the journey during
onboarding.
Web-based
programs are easier to update and upgrade. Keeping up with updates and upgrades
is simpler when using a web-based application (especially when you are using
the program on more than one machine).
Normally,
desktop apps must be updated on a machine-by-machine basis, which means the
software needs to be updated manually on every machine. While automatic updates
are making updating desktop apps considerably easier, hardware restrictions
still remain.
There is one
requirement for any web application, and that is access to the internet and an
up-to-date browser on the machine. These are essentials for any web application
to function regardless of system specs and on any device.
It is
therefore possible for users to effortlessly switch systems without having to lose
any progress which they have made in the previous system by doing so.
The user
might find it useful if, for example, they are editing some image in a web
application while logged in to the computer. Later, they might save that image
to the disk drive and log out.
As soon as
the user opens it on his mobile device he can continue editing where he left
off on the computer simply by opening the program on his mobile device.
This kind of
service doesn't require a direct connection with the device and is accessed
through an Internet browser, which allows users to access them on systems with
low RAM or processing power even when there isn't much CPU power available.
The user is
thus only required to pay attention to the number of tabs open since it utilizes
more resources the more tabs are open.
Moreover, a
user is required to open only the necessary tabs and close the rest in a timely
fashion in order to execute business operations reliably and seamlessly.
Web apps disadvantages
You will
always need a working internet connection since web-based applications are
dependent on your connection to the Internet.
The problem
with this is that, as opposed to its counterpart in the web vs desktop debate,
web-based apps may offer a less reliable experience by virtue of the fact that
slow internet implies slow applications and patchy internet indicates patchy
services.
You are
potentially exposed to more security risks when you use an online product as
your data is stored in the cloud, which has more security risks.
Due to the
nature of the cloud, it can be difficult for you to control the storage and
protection of your data in the same way you can with an on-premises
installation because you're relying on public cloud services, and you may have
privacy or security conversation.
Getting
dormant users back to use an app is much harder than enticing active users to
use it again. Desktop apps have the advantage of being visible every time a
machine is started up.
Apps that
are based on the web are less likely to have this benefit. For users, this can
mean a potential extra step in the morning routine before they begin to use the
application.
If a user
stops using an app, then they might have a harder time being enticed back to it
in the future. An icon on your desktop is far more memorable than a simple
email to ignore, so this could be a problem for developers.
Desktop app advantages
Using
desktop applications can be more convenient because they offer a more
consistent user experience. In addition, desktop applications can be faster and
more responsive than their web-based counterparts.
In addition,
desktop apps are not dependent on internet connectivity to run, which means
that they are less affected by slow internet speeds. Instead, desktop apps will
always run at the fastest speed as permitted by your computer slows.
A desktop
application that is adapted to your hardware will always integrate better with
your system. The correct version will always work well with your hardware, no
matter the OS.
As a matter
of fact, desktop applications are specifically designed for that particular
operating system. As such, they have a big advantage when it comes to web vs
desktop debates. After all, the cost of porting web apps is significantly lower.
The desktop
apps (once they're installed) are easier to access than the web-based apps
because once they're installed, they're right on your desktop for easy access.
In the event
that you have enabled its feature, then those desktop apps will be available whenever
you need them through that shiny icon that appears in your taskbar.
You can also
make use of traditional desktop apps more easily since they will launch
automatically with your login so you can do more with them.
In an
interesting twist, the fact that desktop apps have fixed accessibility is also
a benefit for their developers, since they will be more likely to become
familiar with their apps the more frequently we use them since we will see them
every time we turn on our computers.
Desktop
app disadvantages
Desktop apps are limited by the hardware they're running on as they're
designed specifically to run on a specific operating system and hardware combination.
Thus, software maintenance can become as dependent on upgrading the
hardware as it can be on maintaining the software itself.
The desktop applications are locked to only one machine deploying the
desktop apps to the device is very straightforward.
Therefore, in the question of web vs desktop applications, desktop apps
have a limited carrier life when compared with web-based applications because
you always need your device in order to access the application.
Unlike a mobile application, a desktop application requires the user to
download and install it before using. When a user first gets the application,
they cannot just log in and start using it.
Besides the inconvenience of downloading and installing an app on your
device, this is a con for developers too, because it poses a much higher
onboarding barrier than an app that can be run through the internet.
It is necessary that desktop software has more space on the hard drive of
the machine in order to deploy any packages and files that it requires.
It is also possible that the system will be loaded with more data if the
user adds new files since more space is being utilized.
A further issue is that the cost of maintenance can also be increased
because there may not be enough space on the hard disk installed on the device,
and the user is forced to replace the hard disk with a larger one.
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Conclusion
As you already know there are a lot or desktop and web apps out there,
every one of which has its own pros and cons, so you have to decide which one
works best for you and your goals based on that.
Nonetheless, if you are a business owner and you are thinking about
boosting the sales of your business, then you should consider choosing our
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It is here at our company that you will find our experts to assist you with
any issues pertaining to web, desktop, android, and iOS app development.
I therefore strongly urge you not to hesitate and to take a look at our
website to see if there is anything that we can help you with.