Web App vs Cloud App: How Can You Choose The Right Technology?

Even with the gaining popularity of the Web Apps and Cloud Apps, there is a fragile line between the two. Most people use the Web App and Cloud App interchangeably in their sentences, and the line between both is still now very blurry. But, Cloud Apps are different from Web Apps, and Cloud App is the evolved version of a Web App. Just like a Web App, the Cloud App is used to gain access to online services over the Internet, but the Cloud App is not primarily dependent on the web browsers to work, like in the Web App.

How are Cloud Apps different?

Cloud App is customizable and is easily usable through alternative access methods like custom-built cloud app for online services. The advanced features of a Cloud App distinguish them from a Web App.

• In a Cloud App, the data is stored in the Cloud or a Cloud-like infrastructure.

• The data stored in the Cloud or the Cloud-like infrastructure is easily cached locally for a full offline mode usage.

• Cloud Apps are easily accessible from either a web browser or customized built-in apps which are installed in the Internets and connected to various devices like desktops and mobile phones.

• Cloud Apps are built to support different user requirements like backing up of data in the Cloud App with various features, like security, compression of data and backup schedules.

• Cloud Apps find their use to access a wide range of services like application development platforms, on-demand computing cycle, storage amongst many other services, where the Cloud App development services find their use.

And yet they are similar

Web App and Cloud App are similar, but the terms are not interchangeable. Web App development companies develop Web Apps which are exclusively designed for its use from web browsers. A combination of a server-side script like PHP, ASP etc. and client-side script like JAVA, HTML etc. find their use in the development of any Web Application. The thin client or the web browser is reliant on the webserver components for all the heavy lifting, installed at the backend system for the core functioning of the web services.

Choosing the Right Technology, Web App or Cloud App

All Cloud Apps are not Web Apps, but they are same in the sense that they both have their usages through web browsers. It is a wrong conception which most Software Application vendors have that just because their application runs of the web, it automatically qualifies as a Cloud App. But, this is always not the scenario, and there are specific criteria the Web Application must exhibit certain properties.

• The Web Application must show true multi-tenancy and support several requirements and needs of the clients.

• The Web Application must support virtualization technology. Virtualization technology plays a vital role in the cloud era Apps. The Web Application must be built to support the same, or it must be re-engineered to support the same.

Whether you want to go for a Web App or Cloud App, it depends on the idea that the developer wants to develop into the app and the need of the targeted customer base.