While mobile apps can be convenient in many ways, there’s something to be said for the good old web versions of these apps. Now, don’t get me wrong—I use a lot of apps on my phone. However, I find that for certain tasks and platforms, the web versions are often a better way to access content and the latest updates.
Websites offer unique advantages over apps in many aspects. From ease of access to flexible user experience, many users prefer to rely on website versions rather than apps. Here are some of the main reasons why I tend to visit websites rather than using dedicated standalone apps. Check out Do not provide your real and personal information to these types of websites.
1. Websites don't take up storage space on my device like apps do.
Unlike apps, which require installation and take up valuable storage space on your smartphone or tablet, websites live right in your browser without requiring a lot of storage space. They don’t take up space on your device permanently, giving you access to tons of services and content without losing much-needed space.
Take Amazon, for example. Its dedicated app is packed with features, but it takes up about 300MB of storage space. If I only shop there occasionally, that’s unnecessary space on my device. The website works pretty much the same way through any browser without using any additional storage.
The storage problem gets worse when you consider all the apps you've installed over time. The report states: TechReport The average user has over 80 apps but doesn’t use about 62% of them every month. Even if each app only takes up about 50MB, the total storage space consumed by apps alone would be 3–4.5GB.
Popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat typically consume 500MB or more and often download more data to your device, taking up more space over time. For example, Facebook’s storage usage can balloon to several gigabytes if left unmanaged. On the other hand, websites don’t typically cache much, and you can easily clear it when needed.
The storage benefit that websites offer is really important if you have an older or cheaper device with limited space. Many basic phones only have 32GB, and a large portion of that is already taken up by the operating system and default apps. If you’re in this situation, every megabyte counts, so using websites is a much better option.
2. Websites provide a consistent experience across all my devices.
With responsive web design, websites can automatically adjust their layout and user interface to fit different screen sizes and resolutions, ensuring a seamless experience whether you're using them from a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
This consistency is especially helpful these days when I often switch between different devices throughout the day. For example, I might be reading a news article on my desktop at work and then need to head to a meeting. I can easily pick up where I left off by pulling up the same URL on my phone without losing track of where I was or dealing with a different app layout.
By contrast, native apps often have separate code for different platforms (like iOS and Android), so there are sometimes slight differences in how they look and work. Developers try to keep everything the same, but sometimes little things change, like how certain features work or how the interface behaves. These small changes can be confusing when moving between devices.
Additionally, websites always save me from having to install constant app updates, which can be annoying and frustrating. When a website is updated with new things or improvements, I automatically get the changes on whatever device or operating system I’m using. With native apps, I have to manually download and install updates, which is annoying, especially when I have a lot of apps on different devices that all need to be updated.
3. I can use browser extensions with web apps.
Browser extensions don’t always get the credit they deserve for how much they can enhance your web experience. They allow you to customize and add functionality to web applications in ways that mobile applications themselves can’t.
For example, grammar and spelling checker extensions can improve your writing across multiple platforms, like email and social media. You don’t need separate downloads for each app — extensions work universally in your browser.
Even web note-taking apps can become more powerful than their mobile counterparts, thanks to add-ons. For example, you can add automatic citation generation, text-to-speech notes, or AI-powered summarization of key points—all without developers having to build these features themselves. The add-ons do the work for them. Check out these awesome no-code resources to create apps and build websites without coding.
4. Websites allow you to easily take screenshots or select and copy text.
While most smartphone operating systems let you take full-screen screenshots, many apps restrict this for valid reasons like copyright or privacy. For example, the Netflix app on your phone prevents you from taking screenshots while watching movies — it displays a black screen instead. Similarly, many banking apps block screenshots altogether for security reasons.
While there are ways to work around this restriction and take screenshots in apps that don’t allow it, visiting the same services in a web browser often allows for unrestricted screenshots, giving you more flexibility to capture and share information. Check out how to take screenshots in Android apps that restrict access to this feature.
Selecting and copying text is another area where websites typically shine. Simple selection and copy tools in web browsers make it easy to select, copy, and paste text from almost any website. This is useful for researching, taking notes, or sharing specific details with others. However, many applications customize how text is displayed, which can interfere with standard selection tools.
The obvious example is Instagram — you can’t copy captions or comments directly. You’ll need to switch to the website or try workarounds like taking screenshots and using OCR apps to convert images to text.
5. Web versions allow incognito or private browsing modes.
There are several reasons to use incognito mode in a web browser. In my case, I take advantage of a temporary, isolated browsing session for a web application. This means that once I close the session, all cookies, browsing history, and cached data are automatically cleared. This feature is especially valuable when accessing sensitive accounts that I would rather not have in my browsing history.
For example, when dealing with finances, using the web versions of banking sites in private browsing mode provides an extra layer of security. This is especially important when using shared devices. Let’s say if I access my bank account through its website in incognito mode, this ensures that my login details and account information are not accidentally saved on the device.
It’s worth noting that while incognito mode offers these perks, it’s not a foolproof security measure. Your ISP can still see which websites you visit, and websites can still identify your IP address. However, the level of privacy it offers is much higher than what most apps give me. Check out Can a hacker see what you see in incognito mode?
Website versions offer a more flexible and accessible experience than apps, making them a preferred choice for many users and developers. With the continuous advancements in web technologies, it has become possible to achieve excellent performance across different devices without the need to download and install dedicated applications. Focusing on improving the user experience through websites contributes to enhancing engagement and reaching a wider audience, which enhances the effectiveness of these versions as an ideal alternative to apps. You can now check out Websites that do not collect data to defraud you: Here's what they really do with them.
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