Nowadays, it is no longer a futuristic dream to develop applications and complete platforms using web technologies, achieving a user experience similar to that of conventional software, designed for a specific operating system.
A web application or web app relates to a computer program that runs in a web browser (either in a conventional computer or in a mobile computing device). It is programmed using web technologies, covering client-side languages (like HTML, CSS and JavaScript), server-side languages (such as PHP and Python) and databases (such as MySQL and MongoDB). It’s also worth to mention programming libraries and frameworks (for example React or Vuejs on the client side, and Laravel and Django on the server side), which when are chosen and used properly help to achieve a more efficient and orderly development.
When we talk about a HTML5 application we are talking about an app made with a set of several web technologies. Not all HTML5 applications are used through the browser; sometimes they are installed on mobile devices (such as iOS or Android) as if they were native apps, usually with the aid of a layer of native code («hybrid» applications) or by providing it with Progressive Web Application (PWA) features.
Some advantages of custom HTML5 application development
- The main advantage of HTML5 development is its universality. A well done HTML5 application that implements responsive design techniques, will be able to function and provide a good user experience in all types of browsers and devices.
- This universality, often involves the ability to dramatically reduce costs, because there will be a single development, avoiding the need to develop for each type of device you want to include (iOS, Android, etc.).
- Another important advantage is that because it normally runs in the cloud, it doesn’t require the user to install or download updates, and data can be easily shared between devices.
- It should be noted that using web technologies does not imply the necessity of a permanent Internet connection, it all depends on the features and design of the application.
HTML5 development is a great option, although not always the best
Among the disadvantages that HTML5 development can present in comparison with native development is that its performance is usually a bit lower, and also having access to specific resources of each device can be more complicated. That means that for some projects, HTML5 development is not the most suitable, however, there are lots of projects for which the advantages of HTML5 development far outweigh its disadvantages.
As always, there is no perfect solution for any case, hence the importance of carefully analyzing the needs of each project and evaluate the pros and cons of various possible technical solutions.
If you are interested in seeing examples of web applications and other digital solutions developed by HabitatWeb, drop us a line.