Website vs Web Application: What's the Difference?

A website is primarily a set of pages: what you do, who it is for, how to start. A web application is software in the browser: accounts, workflows, data and rules.

Businesses often ask for a website when they need an application, or the reverse. A clinic that needs people to understand treatment and find a location needs a website. A product where many users create, pay for and manage something needs an application.

The practical difference shows up in the build. A website is judged on clarity, structure and the path to an inquiry. An application is judged on the workflows, the data and what happens when someone is signed in.

If you are unsure which you need, describe the job the visitor has to finish. If that job is understanding you and getting in touch, start with a website. If that job is using a product every week, you are describing an application.