Website vs Web Application - What’s the Difference?

Websites and web apps seem to have a lot in common. They all need an internet connection. They both need coding. To access them, you use a browser. Moreover, each has its own URL address that you just type in the search line.
The notions of websites and web application do often overlap. However, in this post, we’re going to talk about what makes them different from one another and how you can use this difference in your business project.
What you will learn from this post:
3 important points to see the difference: interaction, integration, authentication.
Some examples of web apps:
It’s a collection of different web pages with the same domain name, placed on some internet-hosting resource to be available for the desktop web-surfers and mobile visitors.
A web application can look and feel like a webpage but has advanced functionality. It typically runs in a browser as well. Its goal is to provide some services and not just display information as a website does. They can adapt to different screens and devices just like websites.
Probably you can’t see much difference between the two as a user. You can enjoy your online experience without realizing whether it’s an app or a website.
Skype, Facebook or Gmail... Probably, you’ve never really thought that what all these resources aren’t actually websites.
However, the developers do choose completely different technology stacks for each type. Based on the task, it can be MySQL and Python or .Net or PHP, Laravel, MSSQL and different frameworks and API integrations.
Sounds complicated but the main idea is: developing a website is very different from making a web app, and you will need different specialists.
Now let us have a look at some core ideas that differentiate a website from a web application and vice-versa.
This is probably the main difference between the two. Whenever you want to fill in a contact form on the website, download an e-guide or register, you’re using a web application.
Think of the “websites” you use every day like Google. It looks like a regular page but when you interact with it, it shows you search results, your emails or calendar.
Integration of services is a major trend today in many business fields. For example, you can integrate out-of-the-shelf programs with customised components to save money. It also provides you with a more comprehensive system.
This process is more typical for web applications because they require databases and other components to provide a really advanced user experience.
You’re quite aware that to simply access information on a different website, you don’t need to be registered. However, often when you want to leave a comment or contribute, you’ll be asked to log in.
As you can see, both websites and web applications can demand registration, though they do it for different reasons.
These are the common varieties of web applications that we use on a daily basis:
A portal is an environment where different integrated components and content are collected.
It’s impossible to imagine today’s web experience without e-shops. There you can register, choose your favourite items, order delivery and pay for them.
If you ever ordered food online from a restaurant’s website or some aggregator like Deliveroo, you used a web application. It lets you add your favourite food to a cart, pay, sometimes even track your delivery guy on Google maps.
Some internet journals made on Wordpress or other CMS permit to anyone to contribute and leave a post or comment.
Some popular magazines hide their contents under a subscription banner. This motivates users to pay to read. While the purpose of the website is purely informational, its functionality is expanded by this widget.
Set your goals and the IT experts will help you with the decision what suits your business. If you just need a landing page or a set of pages to represent your company on the web, a website is the best choice.
A web app is indispensable when you want your visitors to interact with the resource, don’t hesitate and develop a fully functional web app.