In plain English
A website is a brochure: you read it. A web app is a counter with staff behind it: you log in and get things done, like booking, ordering or checking a project's progress.
Used in a sentence
“The quoting tool is a web app, so your team can use it from the office, the truck or home.”
“We needed customers to log in and see their orders, which turned out to need a web app, not just a website.”
In detail
Web apps handle tasks and data: logins, forms that do more than send an email, records that update, payments, schedules and reports. They're built with the same technologies as websites but with a database and logic behind them. Client portals, internal tools, booking systems and customer dashboards are all web apps.
Because they run in the browser, there's nothing to install and every update reaches everyone at once. They can also be made installable on phones, behaving much like a native app, without the app store.
Why it matters for your business
A web app turns your website from something people read into something they use.
- Works on any device, nothing to install
- Updates reach everyone at once
- Built around how you work
Easy to mix up
A web app isn't a phone app from an app store. It runs in the browser, though it can be added to a phone's home screen and feel much the same.
Related terms
SaaS, API and CRM. Or browse the whole glossary.
