What Is Cloud-based Application?
A cloud-based application is simply an evolved version of a web-based application. It is used to access online services over the internet. However, it is not solely dependant on web browsers to work. A cloud-based application operates with the help of cloud data. This can be operated even in offline mode. They provide multiple benefits by giving their users a rich and swift service with an easy update by cloud-based applications. A customizable cloud-based application can be solely available over the web browser from service providers. However, often the web interface is used as an alternative access method to the custom-built cloud-based application for online services. As these applications are operated in the cloud, they don’t take up large amounts of space.
Advantages Of Cloud-based Applications
- They improve teamwork by allowing groups of people to quickly and easily share information via shared storage.
- It allows us to quickly and easily access store information anywhere and anytime using an internet connection.
- An internet cloud infrastructure increases organization productivity and efficiency by ensuring that data is always accessible.
- Cloud-based applications reduce both hardware and software maintenance costs for organizations
- It offers a massive capacity for storing data such as documents, images, audio and video in one place.
- Cloud offers many features related to security and ensures that data is securely stored and handled.
What Is Web-based Application?
Web-based applications use HTTP as their primary method. That is to say, they can be operated only from where there is an active internet connection. They are designed to solely be used from a web browser. Web-based applications are developed with a combination of server-side script (ASP, PHP, etc.) and client-side script (HTML, Adobe Flash, etc.). These types of applications can be client-based applications where they can be installed on the users’ desktops. However, the processing for it can be done only over the internet. For example, spreadsheet applications, flash games or word processors.
Advantages Of Web-based Applications
- They are easy to maintain because they use a common code base across multiple platforms.
- Web-based applications can be built for all platforms as long as they can run in an appropriate web browser.
- Compared to the other types, web-based applications are less expensive upfront.
- These types of applications don’t heed standard operating system protocols. They don’t require approval from the marketplace and can be released at any time and in any format.
Updates to web-based applications don’t need to go through an app store. To sum up, the user doesn’t have to manage updates manually. The newest version always loads when a user opens a web app.
Cloud-based Applications VS. Web-based Applications
The difference between cloud-based applications Vs. web-based application is a fine line. However, they are a lot of similarities between the two as well. The differences arise though when it comes to user experience and services. When choosing what type of application to use, it depends upon the business and its needs. As a business scales and its servers become overloaded, it has a choice – keep adding more hardware to meet the needs of users and customers, along with in-house needs, or to move to the cloud, pay the subscription fees, and be able to scale on demand. Another benefit of this is that the risk of downtime is minimal to none when an app is in the cloud. On the other hand, if in-house servers were to experience problems, or if traffic becomes too heavy, a basic web-based application will not function.