What is web software: websites, web applications and admin panels
Web software is software used through a browser, with nothing to install. The difference between a website, a web application and an admin panel, when you need which, and what to ask of a web development company.
Web software is software used through a browser, without installing anything on a computer or phone. A company’s marketing site, the portal where customers place orders and the admin panel staff work in are all web software; the difference is whether the user is reading a page or getting a job done.
Some businesses searching for a “web development company” want a marketing site; others want an application to run their operations. The two need different teams, budgets and timelines. This piece is meant to clarify which one you are looking for.
What is the difference between a website and a web application?
| Website | Web application | |
|---|---|---|
| What does the user do? | Reads, browses, gets in touch | Logs in, creates records, completes tasks |
| Example | Corporate site, blog, landing page | Customer portal, booking system, CRM |
| Data | Mostly fixed content | Data that changes per user |
| Success measure | Being found, collecting enquiries | Work done faster and with fewer errors |
The line is not always sharp. An e-commerce site is a website and, on the order, payment and stock side, a web application too.
What kinds of web software are there?
- Marketing sites. Corporate site, service pages, blog. More in building a corporate website.
- E-commerce. Product catalogue, basket, payment, shipping and stock integration. The platform-or-custom decision is in building an e-commerce site.
- Customer portals. Areas where customers log in to see orders, invoices, appointments or application status.
- Admin panels and business software. CRM, quote and order tracking, operations tools. Used inside the company, invisible from outside.
- Integrations. Middle layers moving data between accounting, e-invoicing, payment systems and other software. They have no users, but they are often the piece that removes the most manual work.
Web software, or a desktop or mobile app?
Web software has three strengths:
- Nothing to install. Sending users an address is enough.
- Updated in one place. When a new version ships, everyone uses it at once.
- Runs on every device. Designed well, the same software works on desktop, tablet and phone.
Work that leans heavily on a phone’s camera, notifications or offline use may need a mobile app. But most business software is solved by a web application that is comfortable on a phone, which saves the cost of writing two separate apps. If an app really is needed, the options are in building a mobile app.
How does web software work?
Simplified, it has three parts:
- Front end. The screens the user sees in the browser.
- Back end. The server side where business rules run and data is processed.
- Database and infrastructure. Where data is stored and where the software runs.
As a business owner you do not have to choose the technology for these parts, but you should know the answers to: where is the data, is it backed up, and who can access it? For infrastructure choices, see hosting and server choice.
What should you ask of a web development company?
- A written scope. Which screens, which user roles, which integrations? The way to make quotes comparable is a software requirements brief.
- Early and frequent delivery. Seeing a working version every two weeks beats waiting months for a surprise at the end.
- Ownership of the source code and data. Stated explicitly in the contract.
- Security. Who is responsible for login, permissions, backups and updates? The basics are in website security.
- Post-launch support. Warranty period and maintenance terms.
Frequently asked questions
Is web software the same as web design? No. Web design is about appearance, web software about how things work. On a marketing site the two are intertwined; in a web application the software side weighs far more.
Why commission custom web software when ready-made software exists? When ready-made software does not fit your process, or when people spend hours bridging several tools by hand. The decision threshold is in custom software vs off-the-shelf.
How long does a web application take to build? It depends on scope. In our projects custom business software falls in the 8–16 week band; the exact timeline is given in writing after discovery.
Does web software work on phones? If it is designed responsively, yes. It is a requirement to state explicitly at the quoting stage.
Boygantech builds web software from corporate websites to business systems such as CRM and ERP. To work out which type your project falls into, have a look at our software development service.
