A web app or a native app?
A web app opens from one link on any device; a native app is installed from the app stores.
| A web appSee custom web software | A native app | |
|---|---|---|
| How people get it | They open a link in the browser. | They download it from the app stores and install it. |
| Reach | Any computer, tablet or phone with a browser. | The phones and tablets it was built for. |
| The app stores | Not needed: you share the link. | Listed after each store’s review, under its rules. |
| Offline use | Mostly needs a connection. | Can be built to work without one. |
| Device features | Those the browser gives access to, such as the camera or location. | Deeper access to the phone’s own features. |
| Updates | Everyone uses the new version the next time they open it. | Each update goes through the store, then onto each device. |
| One codebase or two | One, for every device. | Often one for each phone system. |
The differences that matter.
One link, any device.
A web app opens in the browser from one link, on a computer, a tablet or a phone. A native app has to be installed on each device, and runs only on the systems it was built for.
The app stores.
A native app is listed in the app stores after their review, and people can find it there. A web app needs no store: you send the link, or people sign in from your website.
Updates.
When a web app changes, everyone uses the new version the next time they open it. A native app’s update goes through the store’s review first, then reaches each device when it is installed.
What each option covers.
A web app
Software that runs in the browser, built once for every device. It suits tools your staff use at work and services your customers sign in to. This is what we build: custom web software that goes live only when everything works.
A native app
An app made for a phone’s own system and installed from the app stores. It is the better choice when it must work without a connection, use the phone’s hardware in depth, or be found in the stores.
Which fits your situation?
Choose a web app for use on any device; choose a native app when it must work offline or use the phone in depth.
See custom web software
Frequently asked questions.
Do you build native apps?
No. We build web software, which runs in the browser on computers, tablets and phones. If your app has to be native, a studio that builds native apps is the better choice.
Which one suits a tool for our own staff?
Usually a web app. Your staff open it on any computer or phone, with no app store in between. Every change reaches them the next time they open it. A native app is worth it when the work happens where there is no signal.
Does a web app work on a phone?
Yes, when it is built to adapt to the screen it is opened on. Then the same software works on a computer, a tablet and a phone, with nothing to install.
Tell us about your project. Send us a message and we will get back to you.