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Technically, the browser is an App that happens to run Apps written in HTML+JS+CSS. There can be good and bad apps of each kind, for example Figma has very good UX despite being a web app.

However that's not the point, what we call Apps and what we call websites or Web apps are programs with different discovery and retention mechanisms and that is exactly the reason why Apps are better than Websites or Web Apps.

A Website has one chance to establish a relationship to you and to monetise you. That's why we see all those tracking, mailing list, notification and ad banners. The moment you finish "installing" the website you will get your content and you probably wont come back unless once again you are not redirected from reddit or something. You also don't get to see what this website is all about before actually going through the trouble of installing it.

On the other hand, Apps need to sell themselves to you. They need to be good towards their users so that they receive stars and positive reviews. They need to have a presentation explaining what this app is all about and even provide you with screenshots. Once you install an app, you are giving it a proper chance to impress you so that you keep coming back.

And that difference between Apps and Websites is the prime reason for the quality difference. Websites need to be clickbitey and they need extract the value out of you right away. The competition is firece as the entry barrier is low. Apps on the other hand need to be good and make their users happy so that they can convince others to install the app too. Since they are going to be within the site of their user, they don't need to extract the value right away, they can build healthy relationship.

And that's why the apps are much better.



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