Updated June 15, 2023
Difference Between Software Development vs Web Development
Software development is used to create software or applications in computer-coded and specific programming languages. It is a process of developing software by writing maintainable code. Software development means creating, planning, reusing, research and development, making things simple, broader usage, etc. Web development is the term used to create web applications or websites that need to get hosted. Web development means developing a complex web-based application as well as the development of simple and single-page applications.
Software Development
- Software development gives the product with features that have been planned and required for the computer software. While developing software, developers should have specific knowledge of client requirements, programming language, and end-user’s-user usage.
- Software development is based on the software development life cycle (SDLC).SDLC has many phases or stages: 1. Requirement Analysis and Planning. 2. Requirement defining. 3. Designing Requirements. 4. Building Application or Coding 5. Testing of Application 5. Implementation. 6. Deployment and Maintenance.
- Software Development follows different methodologies for building the software or a development process: the waterfall model, the Iterative model, the Spiral Model, the Agile methodology, the prototype model, rapid application development, DevOps, etc.
Web Development
- Web development includes other work also, like content management, web designing, security, etc. The engineers who develop web applications are web developers, full-stack web developers, front-end developers, UI developers, and back-end developers.
- Web development is based on the web development life cycle, similar to SDLC. In this, the phases are 1. Requirement gathering (Purpose, Goal, and audience) 2. Planning (Workflow creation) 3. Designing (Site page designing) 4. Content Management or Writing 5. Coding (building website) 6. Testing 7. Deployment, hosting, and maintainability.
- Web development follows different methodologies to build or develop applications like Agile methodology. Breaking big tasks into minors and checking the continuous progress from beginning to end to design the web application is web development.
Head to Head Comparisons Between Software Development and Web Development (Infographics)
Below are the Top 8 Comparisons between Software Development and Web Development:
Key Differences between Software Development and Web Development
Below are the lists of points that describe the key differences between Software Development and Web Development:
- Software-developed applications mainly perform better in gaming and file handling. Web-developed applications perform better in data centralization or multi-user.
- The critical difference between both Software Development and Web Development is a change of Interface.
- In software development applications, customization has limitations. Web-developed applications have a more comprehensive range of customization.
- In software development, screens are developed with static content. In web development, static pages, as well as dynamic web content, can be managed.
- Software-developed applications can be used in a specific machine in which it has been installed.
- The software-developed application does not need more security. We developed an application that requires more protection from viruses, malware, and data hackers.
- Software-developed applications are not stateless. Web-developed applications are mainly stateless.
- In software development, there are certain limitations to using technologies.
Software Development and Web Development Comparison Table
Following is the list of points that show the comparison between Software Development and Web Development.
| Basis of Comparison | Software Development | Web Development |
| Architecture | Software-developed applications are client based only. | Web-developed applications are client-server-based. |
| Designing | Software design is generally simple and straight. | Web design is mostly the graphic design of web content. |
| Programming | In Software development, coding can be done without script language. | In web development, scripting is mainly used for developing apps. |
| Hosting | Developed software does not require hosting. | Web Application needs to get hosted via the internet or intranet. |
| Robust | Software applications are the most robust. | Web-developed applications are not much robust. |
| Applications | Software-developed application mainly refers to desktop application. | Web-developed application refers to web applications or websites. |
| Platform | In Software development, Applications are developed for a specific platform. | In web development, web applications are developed for cross-platform. |
| Software applications are mainly static. | Web applications are mainly developed with dynamic pages. |
Conclusion
Software development means growing Windows-based applications and Web development means developing web-based applications. Software development and Web development have used a standard set of software and web designing rules to create more secure, reliable applications with better performance.
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