15 of the Best Web App Ideas in 2024

What are web apps?

The concept of a web app is quite simple — it’s an application that’s accessed through a web browser. It runs on a web server, so you don’t need to download or install anything in order to use it, except for a browser. Nowadays, web apps can be pretty advanced; people rely on them for everything, from scheduling their appointments to buying groceries. This wasn’t always the case. Back in the early days of the Internet, web apps were fairly primitive, providing users with only the most basic features. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at the origins of web apps.

The birth of web apps

The history of web apps began in the early 1990s, when the Internet became available for personal and commercial use. Suddenly, any person or company could make their own webpage — the possibilities seemed endless. It was a very different landscape, a “Wild West” of sorts, where experimentation was king and standard web practices were only just starting to take shape.

In the early 90s, most websites were simplistic by today’s standards, like the IBM website launched in 1994.

Early on, most webpages were static and used HTML as the only programming language, with no CSS or JavaScript to rely on. Unsurprisingly, that left little room for web design and dynamic features like animations. In the early 90s, even images were not that common, and webpages were mostly filled with text-based content. But 1995 was just around the corner, and the reality of web app development was about to change.

The age of fully interactive web apps

The mid-1990s were an important period for web app development and software development. In 1995, the JavaScript programming language was first introduced to the world and became a revolutionary tool for creating websites. Not only did JavaScript allow building web pages with dynamic interactive features, but it also improved the overall user experience and increased engagement. Whereas before, users manually reloaded web pages to see the new content, with JavaScript websites updated in real-time. Most importantly, JavaScript allowed developers to make their websites react to users’ actions and build fully interactive web apps.

With the introduction of JavaScript and CSS, websites became much easier and more enjoyable to navigate.

Another major advancement in the web development space was the arrival of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), a development language released in 1996. While JavaScript helped make websites interactive, CSS allowed developers to focus on the design of their pages. It became possible to create custom styles for web pages without affecting the website structure. Thanks to CSS, websites can adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions. This feature paved the way for an entire web design philosophy considered essential today — responsive web design.

The web apps of today

Web applications have evolved dramatically since the 1990s. In the last two decades, many new development tools have been introduced, including modern JavaScript-based frameworks like React Native. Thanks to these tools, software development today is more efficient and streamlined. Also, these modern development practices help significantly lower the development costs. The rise of cloud-based technology has made web app development even more accessible, allowing web apps to handle increased demand from clients. Overall, the web apps of today offer a much wider range of features compared to their predecessors and are valued for their increased security and responsiveness.

So, now that we’re familiar with the context, let’s wrap up our history lesson and go over the benefits and shortcomings of modern web apps.

Modern web apps aren’t only easy to use, but also offer a wide range of features, including route planning and plane ticket purchases.

Strengths and weaknesses of web apps

It’s clear that almost any business working today would benefit from having its own web app. Still, it’s important to know the strengths and weaknesses of web apps before starting work on an app development project of your own. To help you decide if you need a web app for your business, we’ve prepared a list of pros and cons of web apps:

Strengths of web apps

🖥 Compatible with all devices. Web apps don’t require installation and can be used on any device with an internet connection, which makes them highly accessible. Also, almost every web app today has cross-browser compatibility, providing identical features across every modern web browser. All in all, the accessible nature of modern web apps engages a wider customer base and expands your reach across different demographics. Since your potential web app will be available on every device and browser, you won’t have a hard time connecting with your target audience.

👩‍💻 Quick to develop. A web app has an important advantage over a native mobile app — it can be way easier and quicker to develop. Because the average web app is inherently cross-platform and relies solely on browsers, it often has just one codebase across all versions. This allows developers to reuse large chunks of code, saving them a lot of time and effort during app development. A native mobile app would often require building separate codebases for different platforms, increasing app development time and cost. Besides, web app development typically requires working with just three programming languages: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These are some of the most widely used languages today, so it’s easier to find a competent team of coders for web app development. This might not be the case when it comes to creating a native mobile app, since these apps require knowledge of platform-specific languages like Swift or Kotlin.

🔄 Support instant updates. Providing regular content updates helps stimulate customer interest, and web apps make this process very easy. Modern software development tools allow developers to implement changes to a web app in real-time without disrupting the user experience. This means that you can quickly roll out new app versions and address bugs in a non-invasive manner. Similarly, in case there are errors with a new app version, developers can easily roll back to an older version and undo the changes. This ensures minimal downtime and allows you to retain user engagement, providing your customers with a pleasant browsing experience. All in all, instant updates give you the opportunity to create seamless web apps with a focus on convenience and ease of use.

Weaknesses of web apps

📡 Limited offline functionality. The most notable weakness of web apps is their poor offline functionality. Most web apps nowadays require a stable internet connection in order to work correctly. That’s because building a reliable offline infrastructure for a web app can be a complex and resource-intensive process. To do that, you’d need a skilled team of experts to implement offline support, which is a multi-step process. It includes setting up data synchronization to ensure a stable exchange between the server and the user’s device. Also, you’d need to develop a system for offline storage, making it possible to store data on the client’s device. Since offline data transfer poses security risks, it’s important to account for them when working on offline features. This is achieved by using proper security protocols and encryption methods. Even though implementing offline functionality presents some challenges, these features are appearing more and more often in newly released web apps. There’s even a separate, more offline-friendly subtype of web applications called “progressive web apps”. These apps focus on enhanced offline capabilities and often have features like push notifications and dynamic content loading.

🔒 Limited range of features. Web applications are generally not as advanced as native apps, although they are getting more impressive and complex each year. Compared to native apps, web apps are often limited when it comes to performance. Native apps can utilize the full potential of their platforms, which helps maximize performance. A web app exists inside the browser and cannot access system files, which may lead to lower performance. Native apps also have system privileges, allowing them to carry out background tasks. Web apps are limited by their browsers, so they can’t take full advantage of the platform, like background updates or downloads. This can be an issue, depending on the type of service your app provides. For example, if you want to make a cycling companion app that uses background location tracking, it’s best to stick to native development. On the other hand, if you have an app idea for an online recipe book, it’s unlikely your app will need to rely on background tasks and other advanced functions. In that case, settling on web app development will be a smart choice.

🛒 No app store support. An app store is an effective promotional tool for any native mobile app, as they can help you to get noticed by potential users. App stores significantly increase app discoverability, provide a platform for app ratings and reviews, and offer opportunities for promotion. Web apps don’t have that advantage, so they have to rely on other methods for increasing discoverability. These methods include search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email newsletters, and user recommendations.

Web apps vs. native apps

Let’s take a brief look at the most important factors when it comes to app development, including development cost, app performance, design, monetization, and more. Based on these factors, we’ll compare web apps to native apps in order to get the full picture. Here we go:

As you can see, web apps are very different compared to native apps. Hopefully, we’ve provided enough context, so let’s move on to our list of the top 15 web app ideas for 2024!

15 web app ideas for businesses and startups

Right now, there are so many compelling web app ideas out there that it can be tough to choose one. We’ve scoured every corner of the internet in our search for the most innovative web app ideas, and we’re ready to present our top picks. We made this list based on various factors, such as today’s tech trends, potential for monetization, and complexity of development. So, without further ado, let’s get into the best web app ideas!

1. AI-based translation web app

Google Translate provides a convenient image translation feature powered by AI and machine learning

Right now, there are countless web and mobile apps utilizing AI and machine learning technology. The overabundance of AI-based web application ideas can make your head spin! One of the best uses of AI and machine learning is translation. It’s a rapidly developing field that still has a lot of room for experimentation.

An AI-powered translation web app should combine several key ingredients in order to stand out from the competition. It should have a simple user interface, a wide selection of languages, and most importantly, it should be capable of accurate translation. Most translator web apps are still limited in how they understand context, although they’ve gotten better at natural translation in recent years. If you can find a way to combine responsive design with exceptional AI translation features, the chances of your app’s success will increase dramatically.

2. Travel planning assistant web app

Rome2Rio offers a neat trip planner function, allowing you to choose multiple destinations and calculate the price for each stop of your trip

Many people dream of seeing the world, so why not help them do just that? With the pandemic over, global tourism is rapidly increasing, and travel companion web apps are once again in high demand. The most popular travel planner apps, such as Kayak and Rome2Rio, provide a wide range of features aimed at making traveling simple. Instead of copying them, try to determine what features these web apps are lacking in and fill that niche.

In order to stand out from the big players, we recommend adopting a customer-centric attitude and catering to the needs of your target audience. For example, many people prefer to travel in groups, so making a collaborative travel planner is a logical choice. You can even implement additional features like budget tracking or smart recommendations that change depending on your travel destination. In short, there are many ways to make a unique travel planner web app that will provide a lot of additional value to app users.

3. Personal fitness trainer web app

Trainerize provides services for both fitness enthusiasts and professional trainers, allowing them to connect with each other using the platform

Over the years, people have gotten more used to working out at home instead of going to the gym. While home fitness is a more convenient and cheaper option compared to gym fitness, it does have one disadvantage. Gyms provide personal coaching, a service that many people consider essential for improving their fitness routine. Most people don’t have access to a fitness coach at home, and this app idea can solve that problem.

Popular fitness trainer apps like Trainerize come with a lot of features, including personalized workout plans, progress tracking, and diet recommendations. Our personal fitness trainer app idea involves finding a unique selling point that you can present to your target audience. Define the key features of your web app that you will focus on the most. For example, you could provide video coaching, integrate gamification elements such as achievements, and offer educational materials. If you implement these things better than your competitors, app users will choose your product over others.

4. AR-based grocery shopping assistant web app

Flipp automatically finds deals for the items on your shopping list

With the growing popularity of grocery delivery in recent years, making a convenient grocery app seems like a no-brainer. Developing a grocery app with the ability to create shopping lists can be a very promising web app idea. We recommend going a step further and building a grocery app with innovative features.

Rather than doing the obvious, why not integrate augmented reality features into your grocery app? While they won’t be as extensive as the AR features available for a native mobile app, they will enable your web app to stand out. For example, image recognition is a useful augmented reality feature. App users would upload photos of the products they already have in their kitchen, and the web app would recognize them and search for them in the nearby stores. In short, augmented reality features will allow your clients to save money and plan their shopping efficiently.

5. Language learning web app

Babbel offers two different learning methods — self-studying and taking classes with a real tutor

If you want to better understand people from a different culture, the best way to do that is to learn their language. A great language learning app knows how to harness this thirst for knowledge and makes it easy for users to explore new cultures.

To create a unique language learning app, try focusing on features that will help your clients improve their knowledge. For example, try to develop different teaching methods to make learning appealing for everyone, or offer historical content to provide additional value to your users. You could also use machine learning to help your app adjust to the specific needs of individual clients.

6. Cooking recipe recommendation web app

Yummly provides personalized community-rated recipe recommendations for every taste

A growing trend towards a healthy lifestyle has led to recipe websites and apps gaining more popularity. Preparing home-cooked meals is now more trendy than ever, and these apps make it easier to discover and share new recipe ideas.

Our idea for a cooking recipe recommendation web app is all about offering your clients a smooth recipe browsing experience. We recommend developing an intuitive user interface to ensure ease of use and implementing AI functionality to suggest creative recipe ideas to clients. Another idea is to include a “random recipe” feature or create an interactive recipe builder that would allow users to make their own unique recipes.

7. Music collaboration web app

Sessionwire allows musicians to work together in shared online sessions

One of the more creative web application ideas involves building a dedicated web app for musicians. Web apps like Sessionwire and BandLab provide musicians with the possibility of real-time music collaboration. Allowing users to fully manage sessions within a browser, these apps are quickly growing in popularity amongst professional musicians.

In order to create a successful music collaboration app, try experimenting with new technologies that utilize the full capabilities of modern web browsers. When it comes to online music collaboration, audio latency is a big issue, so why not focus on solving that problem? This will give musicians a smoother online recording experience, allowing your app to stand out from the crowd.

8. Educational platform web app

Udemy offers a lot of community-reviewed courses that you can study at your own pace

The world of online courses is massive, and given how expensive higher education has become, it’s no wonder. Many people want to learn new professional skills online, so creating an educational platform app can be a profitable venture.

Platforms like Coursera or Udemy offer standardized learning paths, and each of their courses has a predetermined structure that can’t be adapted to the individual preferences of students. When making your own online learning web app, you could experiment with this system and allow students to choose their own curriculums. This modular approach to learning may attract younger people who prefer to try new things and would give your web app a strong identity.

9. Dating web app

OkCupid uses a unique matching algorithm and offers detailed questionnaires to help people find each other.

After the groundbreaking success of Tinder, many businesses have tried to capitalize on the popularity of dating apps. Some companies were luckier than others, but no one changed the dating app sphere like Tinder did.

If Tinder has proven anything, it’s that the user interface is king. The swipe function is simple but effective, and anyone who wants to make a dating app should aim for the same level of simplicity. If you can combine ingenious design with an efficient matching algorithm and a distinct brand identity, your dating app will stand out among the competition. 

10. Investment advisor web app

The investment platform Betterment offers personalized investment guidance as part of their premium subscription

It seems like the demand for investment apps is increasing by the minute, as more and more people are entering the world of crypto and online banking. Most investment apps aim to retain customers by making the investment process quick and easy. But nowadays, just having a simple interface won’t be enough to succeed in the investment space.

To make an engaging investment app, try adding innovative features that will attract your target audience. For example, integrate gamification elements in the form of rewards and achievements. Another option is using machine learning to develop a virtual assistant that will give users personalized investment recommendations, based on thorough financial analysis.

11. Interior design web app

Planner 5D allows web app users to create realistic virtual designs for any interior

Modern browser technology allows for the building of advanced web applications, such as cloud-based 3D modeling apps, with real-time functionality. These kinds of apps are particularly useful for interior planning, allowing you to experiment with interior design using just your browser.

Making a great interior design web app requires a decent budget and expertise in 3D visualization technology, so make sure you have a knowledgeable team of developers. To make interior planning engaging, include features like furniture customization, smart design suggestions, and design tutorials. For monetization, you could partner with furniture manufacturers to integrate seamless advertisements of their products in your interior design app.

12. Video editing web app

The cloud-based video editing app Kapwing allows real-time collaborative video editing

It seems that only yesterday video editing apps had clunky interfaces and required a lot of processing power to accomplish even the simplest tasks. That’s not the case anymore, as there are a lot of apps that allow you to quickly edit videos, using just your web browser.

Modern video editing web apps have a wide range of features aimed at improving user experience. These typically include cloud storage, social media integration, and real-time collaboration, to name a few. If you want to make an exceptional video editing app, we recommend following the same logic. Implement advanced features in your video editing app, such as AI upscaling, complex animations, and spatial audio. This will increase the overall value of your product and encourage people to use your app.

13. Music streaming web app

Bandcamp provides a way for fans to buy music directly from their favorite artists

Music streaming is a highly monopolized space, dominated by a few corporate platforms, and that doesn’t encourage healthy competition. Nevertheless, there is still room for success — you just have to be creative.

Music streaming apps like Bandcamp have carved out a niche for themselves, focusing on community building and adopting an artist-centric attitude. This allows them to maintain a strong identity and set themselves apart from other key players. It makes sense to take the same approach and come up with a unique selling proposition for your app. You could implement engaging features like collaborative radio, interactive music trivia, and automatic translation of lyrics to generate interest among music fans.

14. Custom furniture design web app

SketchUp allows to create any 3D object from scratch using a web browser

Web apps can be very useful for creative types, such as artisans and craftsmen. That includes professional furniture designers, who earn their living by coming up with unique ideas for home furnishings. Online design apps allow them to simplify their work process and stimulate their creativity.

A custom furniture design web app should provide users with a lot of flexibility when it comes to 3D modeling, but still remain easy to use. Being furniture-oriented, an app like this should include furniture-specific features like realistic material rendering and accurate estimation of dimensions. To increase engagement, you could provide users with an interactive catalog of furniture design styles, a community content gallery, and a historical furniture archive.

15. Price tracker web app

Slickdeals, a community-supported web app, provides personalized deal recommendations

When it comes to managing a home budget, saving money on deals and discounts can be invaluable. But with so many stores to choose from, it can be time-consuming to dig out all the deals by yourself. A price tracker web app is meant to address this issue. These apps can gather relevant discounts and display them all in one place, making shopping easier.

To make a successful price tracker web app, focus on creating a simple but effective user interface. This will prevent clients from getting lost in the sea of deals and ensure they have a smooth browsing experience. Aside from that, a dynamic price tracking system is a must, since it’s going to be the main feature of your app. You could also offer your clients additional features, like smart price predictions or a wishlist system that tracks prices across different stores. If your app is straightforward and easy to use, clients will be attracted to it sooner or later.

Do you have a web app idea for a startup?

In our list, we focused on the most innovative web app ideas, but we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible. When it comes to inventing great web app ideas for 2024 — it pays to be creative! So if you have an app idea of your own, don’t hesitate to share it with us, and our team of experts will turn your dream project into reality.

To conclude

We hope that our list of the best web app ideas was useful and gave you some food for thought. Remember: even the most innovative web app ideas have to start somewhere, so don’t be afraid to dream big! And if you need any help with developing your own web app, get in touch with us, and we’ll be sure to respond quickly.