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Website or web application — what does your business need?

The difference between a website and a web application, and how to work out what your business actually needs.

By Lars Henrik Netland

Produced with AI tools, edited and fact-checked by the author

Last updated: 19 May 2026

In short: a website presents information, while a web application lets users carry out tasks. For many businesses the answer is a combination of both. Here is how to work out what you actually need, before you order anything.

What is a website?

A website is about presenting yourself and building trust. It says who you are, what you offer, and makes it easy to get in touch. Typical examples are company sites, landing pages and portfolios. The content is largely the same for everyone who visits, and the main goal is for visitors to understand you, trust you and contact you.

What is a web application?

A web application has functionality that lets users do something, not just read. That could be log-in, databases, dashboards, form flows or automation of tasks you do manually today. Examples are customer portals, booking systems, internal tools and industry-specific solutions. The point is not just to inform, but to replace or simplify a work process.

How to work out what you need

Ask yourself a few simple questions:

  • Should visitors only read and get in touch, or should they carry something out — log in, register, order, process data?
  • Do you have manual processes, such as spreadsheets and emails back and forth, that could have been automated?
  • Do different users need different access rights or roles?
  • Should the solution retrieve or store data over time?

If your answer to the first is "only read and get in touch", a website is usually enough. If you start nodding at the others, that points towards a web application.

Often the answer is both

Many businesses need a combination: a website that presents the business outwardly, and a web application behind a log-in that handles the actual work. The important thing is not to pay for functionality you do not need, and equally not to build a simple website when what you really need is a tool.

If you are unsure where your business lands, we are happy to help map it out. Have a no-obligation talk with us and we will work out what actually solves your problem.

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