【 APPLICATIONS 】 Best Free APPs to download Android and iOS ▷ 2022

What is an app? Definition

In the technological age, and more specifically in that of the smart mobile phone, when we talk about applications we usually refer to those that we have on our smartphones. Nevertheless, the concept is much broader than that And many people don’t even know it.

And it is that this It does not refer only to resources for telephones, although it has been thanks to that that everyone talks about them. The concept has been present in our lives (in the computer-digital field) for much longer and today we propose that you get to know it in depth.

What is really an app? Definition and examples

A computer application It is a tool designed to perform digital tasks by the user who uses them. Its execution is carried out on the of the device from which it is accessed, you can see here the most used in the world today.

In general, the objective of this is unique, being able to form, in some cases, part of a set of applications (suite)with more general objectives, as is the case of office suites.

Of its characteristics we have:

• It is a compiled program that is developed in any programming language.
• Its distribution licenses are diverse.
• They require an interface, be it graphic, text or a mix.

As for examples, there are thousands. We can tell you about some varied ones so that you get a better idea of ​​what an application is and its infinite variety.

its advantages and disadvantages, which you can see below.

• Text processor: It can be online (in the cloud) or offline (native). We find them both on computers and mobile devices.
• Email or email.
• Any Web page of a restaurant and catering service.
• The app that the same restaurant offers you to download on your phone to present it when you go to dinner and get a discount with its coupons. You download it, install it and access limited content.
• Accounting program: It allows you to work, with or without internet, creating documents and performing calculations.
• Fast notes.
• Game Plants vs Zombiesdownloaded from . Its purpose is entertainment through commands.

In short, practically everything is an application, you just have to determine what type.

What is the difference between a mobile application and a web page?

Know how it differs from it turns out simple. The best thing is that you do it knowing the different types of applications that exist (we see it in the next point) because, after all, both are.

Of course, it should be mentioned that they are not exclusive, both resources can be part of the same strategy, since they meet many different objectives.

Broadly speaking, we come across two significant differences:

• Size: A website is much more extensive than a mobile application. The latter, in general, shows the most specific or useful aspects, leaving secondary information aside. In this way, the websites are much richer in content and more complete.
• Access: Access to web pages is given from any device while It can only be accessed, as its name indicates, from mobile devices.

Nevertheless, there are many other differenceswith its advantages and disadvantages, which you can see below.

What kind of applications exist and what are their advantages and disadvantages?

Right now, the fully standardized apps are the native ones and the . The first are those that are specially designed for the device from which they are viewed and the second are those that require access to a server for consultation.

On the other hand, the which are a mixture of both concepts and which promise to revolutionize the sales sector thanks to the fact that it combines the benefits of its two sources of inspiration and has no disadvantages.

native apps

As usual, We talk about native apps to refer to mobile applicationsalthough they are not only designed exclusively for this type of device.

They are tools that are designed and developed specifically with an X operating system in mind as well as based on an original platform. Thus, it is specific to the device for which it has been created, improving the user experience.

To achieve great fluidity and ease of use, they sacrifice aspects such as the amount of information and the quality of resources, so that they are more easily accessible.

The most commonly used languages ​​in this case are Java, .Net and Objective-C.

Advantage

• The performance is maximum, using the language that best suits each case.
• The user experience is usually better, since we find ourselves with minimal waiting times (or non-existent in some cases), more interaction, elements that are generally more colorful and attractive, etc.
• It will be rare the app that does not notify you of changes, news, alerts and others, so that you can always be aware of what is happening in relation to it.
• Constant work is being done to ensure that they are updated, much more than the websites. In this way, although you will have to invest time in doing so, you will always have improved software, with the latest news in terms of security, add-ons, etc.

Disadvantages

• Their cost is generally quite high. For each platform you need a different version; You can take advantage of something that you already have created but not much. The grace of native applications is precisely that they are a second skin for the device, so their adaptation to another is expensive.
• They consume space on our devices.
• They require time to install and update.
• The features offered on each platform can be different and you may be surprised to see that something is not on one when it is on another.

Web Apps

They are tools that They serve as access to all types of content found on the Internet using a browser and accessing a web server.. To do this, it is done with a language that these browsers can interpret.

As usual, they are very completeincluding all kinds of resources that you can think of (videos, images, buttons, descriptive texts, blog posts, audio…), its design is elaborate and it has a large amount of code.

Its structuring occurs, conventionally, in three layers (browser, server and database). The first makes a demand to the second, which will offer the corresponding services depending on what is available in the third.

Advantage

• First of all, we have to offer much more information than in a mobile or native app.
• Its access is very simple from a browser, obtaining a lot without effort.
• There are many web options to access the same information.
• You can have access no matter what your operating system is.
• You do not require any type of installation.
• Its consumption is minimal, being able to delete the cache whenever you want and being able to access it again quickly.
• Although they do not reach the level of the previous ones, they are becoming more and more interactive.
• You don’t have to update them; the developer takes care of that and the next time you enter the site in question it will be updated directly, without you noticing.
• It is not related to your device, it does not limit or condition you.
• It is a cross-platform resource. Whether or not they have a responsive design, you can access these sites from various devices, whether their design remains the same or worsens, but you have the possibility.

Disadvantages

• The amount of content makes it a very heavy tool. If we access it from a computer and connected to a good network, or there is a problem, but from mobile devices the loading time increases and a lot of data is consumed; that is, the performance is much lower.
• Also, the large amount of content (and code) makes it a “hard to update” resource.
• Access to the content requires an internet connection (unless you keep a copy, which, of course, we will not update).

Progressive Web App (PWA)

You may not have heard of this concept yet because it’s practically being implemented right now.

According to his name we have:

• progressive: This is a progressive resource, that is, its functionality will increase depending on the device on which it is installed and executed.
• Web: On the other hand, it is essential to indicate that this software is made using a web programming language, such as CSS or HTML.
• app: However, as you may well be imagining, if it is found in this article it is precisely because it is not a web page, although that is its essence, but rather an application, since its behavior is that of a native application, having the ability to adapt to the device from which it is being viewed.

Thus, we have that it is a kind of hybrid between the two previous ones, a mixture of the best of each one that, without a doubt, has its greatest impact on the imminent mobile marketing or marketing via mobile phone: a website that adapts perfectly to mobile devices.

Therefore, we find a product that:

• It does not need to be published in stores, although currently the Play Store and allow them to upload these to their platforms. You save the time invested, the publication project (which is not exactly easy) and the cost of it.
• It does not have to be installed. No matter what device you have, you’re not going to need this “app” to download. You will enjoy it as such by scanning a QR or simply by entering a URL in your browser. You can, in fact, have direct access to this version. Faster, easier, more in tune with what the user is looking for.
• It won’t update either. It has source code so updates are automatic.
• It has fast loading times. This element, which greatly influences the conversion rate, will no longer be a problem, since PWAs load 4 times faster than responsive websites.
• It weighs and takes up little space. It will rarely be larger than 1 MB.
• It interferes with positioning. Being a website, its positioning occurs in search engines and not in markets; This means that you can end up giving your brand a name and position.
• Includes native features.
• Work with notifications.

How and where can I download apps for free?

Today it will not be difficult for you to download the application that you most want, whether it is on one device or another, there is almost always an option.

Finding, of course, free software that meets your needs is not always possible. All spaces include free software and many others that are paid. Some, in fact, are free with ads or in their most basic version and allow you to enjoy them on the condition that you pay to get all their benefits.

Google Play Store

Google Play is the most famous app store in the world today. It is the place that users of…