{"id":9185,"date":"2020-06-26T15:09:20","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T09:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.konstantinfo.com\/blog\/?p=9185"},"modified":"2024-05-21T17:24:58","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T11:54:58","slug":"cloud-apps-vs-web-apps-best-features-similarities-benefits-differences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.konstantinfo.com\/konstant-blog\/cloud-apps-vs-web-apps-best-features-similarities-benefits-differences\/","title":{"rendered":"Cloud Apps vs. Web Apps: Best of Features, Similarities, Benefits and Differences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Applications differ by their architectures and the way they are built comes secondary. The way they are used, the scalability, the remote connectivity, the security, the resilience and the distribution define their scope. It might be built to be used with the mainframes, the client-server architecture, to the web, to the cloud, the architectures have evolved with the surge in demand.<\/p>\n

While a web-based application needs 24*7 internet connectivity (isolating the offline-apps here), the cloud-based applications can process tasks on a local workstation seamlessly. Earlier developers and architects could never imagine the limitless size, scope and all-the-time availability of the cloud-based apps. The functioning is defined by the chosen Cloud Computing Service Models<\/a> \u2013 Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS). A company needs to purchase an expensive combination of hardware and software to be upfront with their solutions for every client\u2019s requirements. But making use of cloud app with subsequent service models according to your requirements, help you save some serious expense. PaaS<\/a> is for cost-efficient solutions, SaaS is suitable for start-ups and IaaS is for fast-growing small companies with cost-effectiveness and pay-as-you-go options. These have effectively displaced on-site computing, accelerated remote networking and established virtual-private data centers.<\/p>\n

Cloud is the operational mandate for enterprises of all sizes, a respite after years of experimentation.<\/p>\n

While the offices of 1970\u2019s used – File-entry and user-paper reference material<\/p>\n

Offices of 1980\u2019s used \u2013 Word Processing, spreadsheet and other PC software<\/p>\n

Offices of 1990\u2019s used \u2013 Websites<\/p>\n

Offices of 2020 and beyond are using \u2013 Cloud-based apps<\/p>\n

Cloud-Based Apps vs. Web Apps<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Points of Comparison<\/strong><\/th>\nCloud-Based Apps<\/strong><\/th>\nWeb Apps<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
What are these?<\/strong><\/td>\nCloud apps have the characteristics of pure desktop apps and web apps.<\/p>\n

These can function as web apps but are not entirely dependent on web browsers to work.<\/td>\n

Web apps can only be accessed from a web or mobile browser. These are a\u00a0 combination of server-side script (ASP, PHP etc) and client-side script (HTML, JavaScript, Adobe Flash, CSS), database, frameworks, third-party APIs, Payment Gateways, Hosting Servers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Highlights<\/strong><\/td>\nThe major features:<\/p>\n
    \n
  • The data for these apps are stored in the cloud.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • Such data can be cached locally and accessed offline.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      • Cloud apps can be accessed via a web browser or custom-built apps for internet-connected devices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • Cloud apps can be used to access the on-demand computing cycle, application development platforms and storage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • These can support different user requirements like data stored in cloud infrastructure (information architecture), local caching of data, accessing the app from desktop or mobile devices, facilitating access to a greater range of services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n
            • Cloud apps support various user requirements like data compression, security and backup schedule.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n
              • Cloud-based\u00a0apps provide\u00a0users with access to third-party\u00a0cloud\u00a0services with APIs integration and\u00a0which are more customizable than web-based\u00a0apps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
In web apps: Data encryption, data optimization and compression, as well as backup schedules,\u00a0can\u00a0be set up by the user.<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Examples<\/strong><\/td>\nDropbox, Evernote, Mozy, SalesForce, and Sugar Sync, Mozy, Evernote, Sugar Sync, Salesforce, Dropbox, NetSuite, and Zoho.com, many messaging apps to audio and video streaming services, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Hotmail,<\/p>\n

SaaS<\/strong>: Google Drive, Google Docs, dropbox, WIX, Canva, Evernote<\/p>\n

IaaS<\/strong>: Google Compute Engine, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, VMware Cloud Foundry,\u00a0 Appcara, Salesforce<\/p>\n

PaaS<\/strong>: Apache Stratos, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Force.com, Google App Engine, OpenShift, Mendix, App Fog, Heroku<\/td>\n

WebEx, electronic banking, online shopping applications, and eBay etc.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How does development differ?<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • The developers have to be familiar with diverse cloud platforms\u00a0such as Amazon Web Service (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Force.com, Apache CloudStack, and others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • They should be aware of the app\u2019s additional connectivity regarding APIs (application programming interfaces) and CDNs (content delivery networks).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n
    \n
  • It normally works on a client-server model.<\/li>\n
  • Web apps generally do not have the ability of multi-tenancy.<\/li>\n
  • <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Benefits<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Cloud apps can be accessed via web browsers like web apps. Although Cloud Apps are not industry-specific, the roles can be reversed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • A cloud app for data backup would support different requirements like security, backup schedule, data compression and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      • As in the case of\u00a0 LinkedIn, Boomerang, Rapportive, TripIt, Asana, Cloudon, DocuSign, LucidChart, Office\u00b2 HD, UEFA.com, Dropbox, Attachments.me, Gantter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0undefined, ShareThis[\/entity], SlideRocket, Zomato, CloudSponge, Checker Plus for Gmail, Draw.io, WarLight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • We have particular benefits of cloud apps when they behave like web apps, like when:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • Cloud-based apps are useful in healthcare<\/strong>: ClearDATA, Dell\u2019s Secure Healthcare Cloud,\u00a0IBM Cloud,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n
            • In education<\/strong>: SlideRocket,\u00a0Ratatype,\u00a0Amazon Web Services<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n
              • In Marketing Cloud Platforms<\/strong>: Maropost for Marketing, Hubspot, Adobe Marketing Cloud<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n
    \n
  • Web apps can be accessed via the web browser.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • These cater to specific industry requirements like a web application for the healthcare industry, an e-commerce application etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trends<\/strong><\/td>\n\n\n