Mobile Application vs. Mobile Web Development

(Written by guest contributor Tim Golen)

In my line of work, I get asked a lot about what the difference is between mobile application development and mobile web development. Instead of just responding to a bunch of emails, I thought it best to write an article about it.

Mobile Application

What is it? A mobile application is a proprietary application that is coded for a specific mobile device in its native programming language. It is distributed through the manufacturers distribution channels (like iTunes or Android Marketplace) to its users. Typically you purchase a mobile application and then it is downloaded and installed onto your device.

Pros: Very fast and responsive. Access to the device’s hardware such as camera, accelerometers, and GPS. Many devices let you build 3D programs as well to fill the role of games. You can sell your application and make money.

Cons: Have to pay developer fees. If you sell the application, the distributor takes a cut. You must go through the distribution channel (which can be good like iTunes, or bad like Android Marketplace). Once an application is installed, if you need to make updates to it, you must send an update through the same distribution channel. This can cause a problem because a lot of people won’t upgrade their application, so you could be left with a lot of applications on old versions. Apple has began to disallow applications that are built solely for marketing purposes. Applications for iTunes must go through an approval process. Not cross platform.

Mobile Web Development

What is it? A mobile website is simply that, a website that is optimized for viewing on a mobile device. Since mobile devices run on low bandwidth, websites need to be scaled down (graphic wise) to allow for more efficient browsing. Screen sizes are drastically different as well, so a better user experience is gained by having a website that is optimized for viewing on a small screen. It is possible to make mobile websites look and feel like a native application.

Pros: No developer fees. No distribution channels. No worrying about different versions, if you need to change something, it’s changed on the server and everyone gets the change immediately. You can still implement paid services and take payment through the website. It doesn’t have to go through any approval process. Cross platform.

Cons: You don’t have access to the device’s hardware like camera, accelerometers, and GPS. You can’t do things in 3D. No distribution channels (makes it hard for people to know about your app).

There are also a lot of device specific issues that must be addressed, like… which devices should you invest money in to develop things for? iPods/iPads/iPhones and and Android all have fully functional web browsers which makes them perfect for mobile websites, but it is painful to build a website for Blackberry devices. Since Blackberry has a large market share of smart phones, is it worth spending the money to develop a site specifically for those devices? If you want a mobile application to exist on different devices, just multiply the cons above by the number of different devices. Now instead of one distribution channel, you now have to worry about one for each device. Instead of one proprietary programming language, you have one for each device.

Mobile applications are very different from mobileweb sites. Each one has their strengths and their weaknesses. You should choose the one that is appropriate for your business model and will give you the greatest return on your investment.