What Is a Web App? (And Why They Matter for Your Business)

TL;DR: Web apps are interactive software that runs in your browser, allowing you to log in, manipulate data, and perform tasks like sending emails in Gmail, posting on Facebook, or booking stays on Airbnb. Websites are static pages where you consume content without interacting or adding your own data.

Most of us call anything with a URL a website, but many “sites” are actually web apps, and the difference matters more than you might think. Thanks to AI, anyone can now create these interactive web apps without writing code. In this article, we’ll define what a web app is, show you examples you use every day, help you decide whether a web app or a website is the right choice for your business, and learn how Bubble lets you build web apps using AI and visual tools.

What is a web app?

Sam Morgan, one of our engineers who used to be an internal Bubble Developer, sums it up this way:

“A web app is an interactive piece of software that runs in your browser.”

You can access a web app through any browser. This allows anyone with an internet connection to use interactive software where you can:

• Add your own data by creating content, uploading files, or inputting information
• Run workflows to trigger automated processes and actions
• Interact with other users to share, collaborate, and communicate

How do web apps work?

Web apps have a frontend (what users see) and a backend (the logic and data storage). When you interact with a web app, the frontend sends requests to the backend, which processes data and returns results, like when you click “send” on an email or update your profile. Websites, on the other hand, are mostly frontend. They display static content without backend processing or data storage for individual users.

Examples of web apps

Here are a few common examples of web apps:

• Social media (Facebook, X): You can create posts, upload photos, and interact with other users’ content. The feed is constantly updating with new data.
• Email clients (Gmail, Outlook): These are classic web apps. You send, receive, organize, and search your emails, all within your browser.
• E-commerce marketplaces (Airbnb, Etsy): You can search for listings, filter results, book stays, or purchase items. Sellers can log in to manage their own listings and sales data.
• Productivity tools (Notion, Google Docs): These apps allow you to create, edit, and share documents, spreadsheets, and notes in real-time with others.

What are the benefits of web apps?

Bubble Developer Maria Posa explains:

“The benefits of web apps are really boundless. The ability to store and manipulate data and automate functionality is what powers the software that we use every day, which is truly the core of what web apps are. Buying and selling in a marketplace (like Etsy), connecting with friends in social networks (like Facebook), and keeping track of customer data (like Salesforce) are all great examples of web apps.”

Here’s how these benefits show up in practice:

Web apps create solutions, not static pages

If you have an idea for a product or solution, a web app allows you to create the software that powers that solution.

Andrew Vernon, Senior Bubble Developer, put it this way:

“Most (if not all) people have, at some point, thought of creating a web app or have had a problem float through their mind and thought of some solution. It happens more than you might think. There are far more instances where the idea to create an app has sprung up than we may realize. Maybe you’ve dreamed of making a tool to better track youth softball team registration and organization, creating a database of all local lemonade stands in your area to organize a summer lemonade crawl, or even creating your own simplified version of Facebook for your family to stay up to date. Web apps give everyday people the ability to solve a problem for themselves or others in an easy-to-use, and easy-to-distribute way.”

Bubble lets you build both the frontend and backend of your app visually, with no code required. You can design your interface with drag-and-drop elements, create backend logic with visual workflows, and store data in built-in databases. The Bubble AI Agent (beta) can even help you build these components through simple prompts.

Whether you’re solving a problem for yourself, your audience, or your community, the possibilities for apps and tools you can build are endless.

Websites, on the other hand, don’t solve these problems. And website builders like Squarespace or Wix are designed for marketing pages, not interactive software that solves a problem.

Web apps can be responsive and work on any device

Web apps can adapt to any screen size, whether your users are on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Your web app automatically adjusts its layout, navigation, and functionality. That means your users can access your software anywhere, anytime, without any hiccups in usability or visual quality.

Bubble makes responsive design easy. The apps you build are responsive by default, with visual tools for further customization.

Web apps are more universal than native apps

Web apps work on all modern browsers, making them easier to build and maintain than native mobile apps, which require separate versions for each platform.

You can also use your web app as the foundation for mobile apps. For example, Airbnb built their core functionality as a web app first to handle searches, bookings, and user profiles. Then they created native mobile apps for iOS and Android using that same foundation, giving users the option to book through their browser or a mobile app.

Bubble lets you build native iOS and Android apps from the same platform (beta), offering both approaches.

Web apps require less time and fewer resources to build compared to native mobile apps

Web apps generally require less time and fewer resources to build than native mobile apps. Instead of managing separate codebases for iOS and Android (each requiring specialized developers, designers, QA testers, and DevOps engineers), you can build once and deploy across all platforms. This streamlined approach reduces both development time and upfront costs.

Bubble makes this even easier. A single person or small team can design the interface, build backend logic, manage databases, and deploy to production, all from one platform. You’re building once and deploying everywhere.

Web apps allow you to increase functionality with databases

For example:

• A social networking app might have data types like user, post, and interest.
• A project management app might have data types like user, project, and task.

These data types will have additional custom fields and can be connected to each other through linked fields. For example, on a social network, the data type post would have a created by field that links it to the user.

On Bubble, you can create and modify databases visually or ask the AI Agent to build them from simple prompts.

With Bubble’s visual workflows, you can create sophisticated database-driven logic: trigger emails when users sign up, connect users to personalized data, build search functionality across your app, and let users manage their own information.

Web apps allow you to serve a wider audience

The question of building a website or web app is also one of scale. Do you want to reach a limited audience or scale to a large user base?

As Senior Bubble Developer Andrew Vernon explains,

“For founders and developers, it’s the difference between being able to build a site for one company and their users, or to build software that could serve many companies and ALL of their users. For instance, a real estate website might allow one company to post their home listings and take requests about those listings. Whereas a real estate web app (like Zillow) might allow thousands of companies to post all of their home listings, along with information about their business, and to dynamically take requests about any of those listings. The opportunities and results of the dynamic systems that come from web apps provide a massive opportunity to serve a much larger user base.”

Web apps are built to scale. Unlike static websites that serve the same content to everyone, web apps can handle thousands or even millions of users, each with their own data, preferences, and workflows. This scalability means you can start small and grow without rebuilding your entire system.

Building a web app on Bubble allows you to create software that can grow with you to serve a wide user base. As your audience and needs grow, Bubble makes sure you have the security, servers, and support you need to sustain your growing business.

What is a web app vs. a responsive website?

Here are the key differences:

Disadvantages of web apps

Traditional browser-based web apps have some limitations compared to native mobile apps. Here are considerations when choosing between web-only, native mobile-only, or building both:

For browser-based web apps:

• Internet dependency: Most require an active internet connection.
• Performance: Browser-based apps can be slower than native apps.
• Browser compatibility: Web apps need to work across browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox). Bubble handles this automatically with responsive design.
• Limited device access: Browser-based web apps have restricted access to device features.

Which is better: Web apps or responsive websites?

The best solution depends on your business goals.

If you’re still not sure, this comparison chart should help:

Get started building your web app today

With Bubble, building a web app is easier than ever.

Ready to get started? Start building for free today. You can start with AI generation, templates, or a blank canvas.

Need help along the way? The Bubble AI Agent (beta) is built into the editor to make edits for you, answer questions, and guide you through every step of development. You can also tap into our thriving community forum to source advice and connect with other builders.

Frequently asked questions about web apps

What is the difference between a website and a web app?

A website is primarily informational: You consume static content. A web app is interactive: You log in, perform tasks, and manipulate data.

What is the difference between a web browser and a web app?

A web browser (like Google Chrome or Safari) is the software you use to access the internet. A web app is a program that runs inside your web browser. You access it through a URL without downloading anything.

Can web apps work on mobile devices?

Yes. Web apps can be responsive (working in any mobile browser) or built as native mobile apps with full device access.

Do I need to download a web app to use it?

It depends on the type of app. Traditional web apps are accessed directly through a URL in your browser. There’s no installation required, making them instantly accessible on any device.