Cloud-based Applications vs Web-based Applications: Find Out Everything About Them

Today we have a very interesting blog for you because we are going to talk about the similarities and differences between web-based applications and cloud-based applications.

We are going to understand how impactful they are and what are their advantages as well as their variations.

This is important to understand simply because both web-based apps and cloud-based apps have seen a rise unlike anything else.

The global industrial cloud platform market has seen a rise at the rate of 18.6% CAGR which is monumental if you compare it to any other kind of industry in any segment.

The global cloud market is expected to reach nearly $400 billion by 2032 and that is also massive for any kind of industry. ?

The web application market has seen a similar rise as well with some of the most popular names in the industry operating on a web-based application model.

So, the easiest place to start would be to understand what they both mean so that we can move on to the different types of applications and much more.

What Are Web-Based Applications?

Web-based applications are specifically operated and accessed from the internet which means they can be utilised with the help of a browser and hosted on web servers with the help of standardised web technology such as JavaScript, HTML etc.

They run on a remote server instead of running directly on your system like a regular traditional application that you need to install. ?

In the case of web-based applications you do not really need to install them but you simply need to access them with the help of your browser and all the information and the interface can be accessed with the help of a browser.

They rely on?client-side architecture and server-side architecture as the two most important primary components to keep the interface running.

There are multiple types of web-based applications, let us look at some of them.

Types Of Web-Based Applications

Static

These are the simplest type of web-based applications you can find and they include portfolio websites and digital catalogues and information pages on healthcare websites and these do not really need to perform a lot because they simply need to display a single page without any kind of other functionality.

Dynamic

If you need a little bit more functionality then you need to turn towards dynamic web applications that provide interaction functionality with users. There can be many types of dynamic web applications and everything from CMS to social media platforms fall under the category of dynamic web applications with multiple pages.

E-commerce

E-commerce web applications can also be considered a type of dynamic web application and the primary purpose of eCommerce web applications is to showcase product listings and to facilitate transactions. If you visit the Amazon website then it is an eCommerce web application.

Single-Page Applications (SPAs)

If you have ever used Gmail, Facebook or even Google Maps then you know exactly what single-page applications are because they are all about a single page that is able to dynamically update content with user interaction.

Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)

One of the most revolutionary forms of web application development has gone into the development of Progressive Web Applications (PWAs). PWAs are packed with functionality which includes providing an app-like experience to the user along with the revolutionary ability of offline capabilities.

Portal Web Applications

If you are employed or you are a student then you have probably experienced portal web applications because they are everything from student portals to client or employee portals and offer single entry to multiple sections of functionality. Users usually need to access them with the help of identification credentials.

Content Management System (CMS)

The very helpful CMS applications are also web-based applications and they allow website admins to manage the entire aspect of website content. CMS applications allow web admins to add content, change content or even modify existing content.

Enterprise Apps

Enterprise web applications help run enterprises by supporting internal business functions and operations and our highly customised to meet the needs of specific organisations.

Rich Internet Applications (RIAs)

If you want the best kind of functionality when it comes to web-based applications then Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) at the best option as they provide the best level of performance and interactivity as well as features and interfaces.

What Are Cloud-Based Applications?

Cloud-based applications are run on remote servers with the help of cloud infrastructures provided by third-party cloud companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS).

This means that cloud-based applications do not need to be installed in the system of the users as users can access these applications from the cloud with the help of the internet and a network of servers.

Cloud-based applications might require the user to utilise a locally based software interceptor to access the cloud but that is usually very lightweight and the heavy lifting, the processing and hosting is done on the cloud.

Cloud-based applications are utilised for hosting different kinds of services and also file storage and a lot of other enterprise-based activities.

Types of Cloud-based Applications

Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS is one of the most popular cloud-based application services out there where users get to access different services provided by third-party providers over the internet. These include everything from Salesforce services to Dropbox and Google Workspace services and much more.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS is when the company provides the platform as a service which helps developers get an environmental build and test as well as deploy other applications. When the platform itself is a service, we get PaaS in the form of Google App Engine and Microsoft Azure App services and much more

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS is when a company provides the environment in the form of computing resources and servers as well as storage and networks as a service so that companies and organisations can utilise them for their own needs. This is one of the most popular forms of cloud-based application services and we have very popular names such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) under this category.

Storage as a Service (SaaS)

Storage as a service is exactly what it sounds like because it is when companies provide cloud storage as the service for backup of data and securely storing data as well as redundancy offerings.

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A CDN is basically a content delivery system that allows the functionality for the user to get content delivered to their system in any geographic location because this content is being delivered through the cloud.

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

If you are looking for scalable databases over the cloud that requires very little maintenance and high availability and security then database as a service is the one you should get. This is basically having databases on the cloud as a service.

Benefits Of Web-Based and Cloud-Based Applications

Web-Based Applications

There are a number of benefits and advantages to web-based applications and one of them is definitely going to be accessibility because since it is controlled from the web you can access the from anywhere you want.

This also means that it is excellent when it comes to updates and data centralisation and cross-platform compatibility because you are not doing any of the processing on your system and therefore you can adapt it to any kind of system you want.

Since it does not require any kind of installation and can run right out of the box when the user simply visits the website, this means that you get the fastest form of deployment possible.

This is just the best kind of thing when comes to convenience.

Cloud-Based Applications

Cloud-based applications have their own set of advantages because since everything is being taken care of from the cloud you get excellent cost-effectiveness because you do not have to maintain any infrastructure.

In addition to that, you also get the best kind of scalability because you are not maintaining your own infrastructure and all you need to do to increase the scale of your operations is just a few clicks.

This brings up the point about accessibility because you also get the best kind of accessibility with cloud-based applications.

If you are worried about data security then do not because cloud-based application platforms also come with robust safety and security features.

This Is the Difference Between Web-Based and Cloud-Based Applications

Data Processing

When it comes to data processing, we find quite a bit of difference between web applications and cloud-based applications in that cloud-based applications always operate through remote cloud servers in the form of different data centres that can be accessed from the internet.

When it comes to web applications, they run with the help of web servers that can be accessed through your web browser. These are specifically created in a way that can be accessed through the web with accessibility in mind.

Architecture

Another point of difference is definitely going to be accessibility because web-based applications can be accessed with the help of a simple web browser from the side of the client and this makes them extremely accessible and their architecture is created using programming languages such as JavaScript in a way that makes impossible to be accessed by the web browser.

If we talk about the architecture of cloud-based applications then they work on remote cloud servers and while they can be accessed with a web browser, they can also be accessed with other forms of accessibility options and the primary thing to understand about the architecture of cloud-based applications is that all the processing happens on the cloud on global servers.

Accessibility and Scalability

Both of these two types of solutions are excellent when it comes to accessibility as well as scalability because if we talk about web-based applications you do not really need to think about scalability as the host is going to take care of that for you and it all depends on the person hosting it for accessibility as well and all you need to do is to visit your favourite to a browser and just visit the web application page.

If we now talk about cloud-based applications then they are extremely scalable because you are not having to deal with infrastructure yourself. They are also extremely accessible because you do not have to think about the processing and storage in local servers because everything is happening on the cloud on the platform cloud servers. This means that they can be accessed through multiple types of devices and systems.

Cost and Deployment

If we talk about the cost associated with web-based applications and cloud-based applications then cloud applications usually come with subscription models with you can opt for monthly or yearly. This also makes deployment quite easy because all you need to do this to pay for the month and deploy it.

Web-based applications on the other hand are services themselves and they can be web applications for an e-commerce website or a website for any other organising which means the client does not have to bear the cost directly.

Both cloud-based applications and web-based applications are excellent in this modern day and age if you want to optimise your business operations and make them highly efficient and productive.

If you are planning on migrating all your business operations to the cloud or you would like to launch web-based applications on behalf of your business with responsive web design and excellent UI/UX, we are here for you.

We are Think To Share IT Solutions and we are among the pioneers when it comes to cloud integration and implementation services where we help you migrate all your business operations to the cloud in the most secure and seamless way possible. In addition to that we have over a decade's worth of experience in web-based application development including being among the pioneers of PWAs.

We welcome you to visit our website and check out everything we do and we would love to help you with all your cloud and web-based application needs and in addition to that, we also provide more than a dozen other specialised IT services.