Desktop Application Development is Still Relevant: Debunking 7 Most Popular Myths About Desktop

These days, it’s common to hear the opinion that desktop software development is no longer relevant. As web development frameworks and cloud platforms keep thriving, the desktop is often overlooked. However, contrary to popular belief, the desktop is alive and breathing. Even the fact that 94.6% of U.S. households have at least one personal computer, each having a variety of desktop apps installed on it is a significant argument in favor of desktop apps.

There are many reasons behind the relevance of desktop software, as well as many parameters in which desktop software outperforms web applications.

In this article, we will debunk popular myths about desktop software and prove that desktop app development is still alive and will remain so for a long time.

Let’s start with a general definition of desktop software. Typically, it refers to computer programs that are installed and run locally on a computer’s operating system, typically on a desktop or laptop, although mobile apps share the same principle. A desktop application is designed to perform specific tasks or functions and are executed directly on the user’s device and can operate even without Internet connection. Examples include word processors, graphic design software, media players, and games. Desktop software is generally tailored to the hardware and operating system it runs on, such as Windows, macOS, or Linux.

The breakdown of desktop applications by operating systems looks as follows:
There are apps that are developed solely for desktops. In most cases, those are the most CPU-consuming applications. Meanwhile, many popular web apps, such as Slack, Figma, Microsoft Teams, and even Notion, have their desktop versions, notable for their expanded functionality and improved performance. Despite this, many people still believe that desktop software is becoming obsolete. In this article, we will debunk this misconception by addressing some common myths about desktop software.

Let’s overview and debunk the most common myths about desktop software. Those are, mostly, misconceptions that make some people perceive desktops as a non-promising direction in software development and believe that desktop apps are some kind of legacy software. Here we provide counterarguments aimed at debunking all these myths.

This is, by far, the biggest misconception about desktop software. Many people associate desktop apps with old-fashioned personal computers running on legacy operating systems like Windows XP, Vista, or older. This perception creates a vision where a user should insert a CD with an installation file, install the app, which may take up to a few hours, and use functions within an app with legacy UI/UX design and slow workflows.

Actually, this perception is extremely far from reality. Desktop uses the resources of a computer to offer your users greater productivity and performance than web apps, which is a very important point in the context of web app vs. desktop app comparison. For example, the most feature-packed and high-performing software for visual design and animation needs access to the graphic processing unit (GPU) of a device. Contrarily to desktop software, web apps cannot provide such access because they rely on the resources of their web server. Tuning the web server capacities to the level where it will provide enough computing power for complex graphic processing operations is possible, but it will be really costly. Quite similarly, web apps have limited access to the device’s security resources, while a desktop app can leverage all such safeguards.

As a result, desktop apps remain an ultimate choice for tasks that require excellent performance and significant compute power. Some notable examples of such software are Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, the two technologically advanced and demanded solutions for visual and graphical design. Both apps rely on complex graphic processing scripts that require significant computing power, making them well-suited for desktop use.

However, this need for robust device resources extends beyond just graphic and visual design. Even LinkedIn offers a desktop version that relies on the power of local hardware to deliver enhanced functionality, such as push notifications that ensure better user outreach, access to the file system and user activities across the entire Windows operating system. Such features are very hard to configure and keep efficient in the web app. Offline mode and enhanced app performance are also notable benefits of desktop LinkedIn over its web counterpart.

With an abundance of web development technologies and cost-optimization practices for web app development, web apps might seem to be less expensive than their desktop counterparts.

However, while the upfront cost of a desktop app might be higher than the one of a web application, the desktop is often more cost-efficient when it comes to maintenance. While developing a desktop app, you need to spend a particular amount of money on its development and infrastructure at once. Meanwhile, a subscription to web resources behind a web app will be much lower at first, but cloud costs and other expenses on web services can mount over time dramatically.

For example, the hosting cost of desktop software is much lower compared to web. You might still need hosting for online synchronization and app updates, but it’s generally less expensive than hosting servers to support a web platform accessed by a large number of users. Besides, storing data and managing security is also more affordable in a desktop application because a solid portion of such loads become the users’ responsibility and depend on their devices. In the long run, this implies very significant savings in costs.

Many sources highlight availability as one of the most important benefits of web software when it comes to the desktop application vs. web application comparison. The point is that web solutions can be used anytime and from any place with mere access to the web. This contrasts with desktop apps that are, mostly, tied to the devices on which they are installed. From this point of view, the web approach may seem beneficial to companies that are either running corporate software or customer-facing apps.

In this regard, desktop software can respond with the offline mode as one of its biggest benefits. While a desktop app might be bonded to a particular device where it is installed, it also allows using its functionality while not being connected to the web. Many tasks, whether it goes about image rendering, document creation, or development of UI wireframes, don’t require access to the web. If you are working with a web app, connection disruptions mean that you are no longer available to complete the tasks. Meanwhile, a desktop app with an offline mode allows you to run the above-mentioned tasks without interruption. This functionality is so important that the world’s largest companies try to implement offline file availability even in their web applications, such as Google Docs. However, the offline mode is still more desktop-native functionality, which is a very important point in terms of the desktop app vs. web app debate.

It is worth mentioning the problem of downtime, which costs businesses $50 billion annually, according to Deloitte. The downtime of a web app may be very damaging for your users, especially when it comes to B2B software. Meanwhile, if you provide desktop solutions with an offline mode and your servers are down for some reason, this problem is not so relevant. Users can continue applying the solution offline or without connecting to your servers.

Security is a very hot topic, and many web app providers invest solid funds into building robust security measures. With the development of web security practices, such as the ones offered by the top cloud providers, such as Azure, AWS, and GCP, the web seems to take flagship in digital security.

Meanwhile, the rapid development of web security practices goes toe to toe with the emergence of new web cybersecurity threats. Generally, most of the threats to which data is exposed are associated with the web. In particular, over 75% of cyberattacks start with a phishing email, which is merely a web-based threat. This problem is not insoluble because, as has been already mentioned, there is a great abundance of web security practices and technologies available. Meanwhile, while it comes to comparing web application vs. desktop application in terms of security, desktop software is likely to be protected better.

Desktop application is typically more secure than a web app because it operates in a controlled environment with fewer vulnerabilities exposed to external threats. Desktop apps also use operating system-level security features, such as sandboxing, firewall protections, and access controls, to prevent unauthorized access and protect sensitive data. In addition, desktop apps often have dedicated update mechanisms that ensure the latest security patches are applied promptly. This combination of isolation, controlled access, and regular updates makes desktop apps a more secure option compared to web apps.

Web apps can track user interactions through tools like cookies, event tracking, and embedded scripts. By recording page views, session duration, and user actions, such solutions offer you information about how people are interacting with your web platform. Meanwhile, there is a common opinion that such features are not available in desktop software.

In reality, desktop software also includes embedded tracking mechanisms. Such solutions can be used for logging user actions, system events, and performance metrics within the application, providing detailed analytics and insights on app usability and its most important functionality. In most cases, a user can confirm that analytics on his or her in-app activities will be delivered to the app’s developers during the installation stage. In some cases, a desktop app can even provide developers with access to information on general user preferences and activities across the entire desktop operating system. Therefore, the idea that user analytics is exclusive to web apps is simply a misconception.

There is a widespread belief that desktop software performs much worse than web applications when it comes to collaboration work. Recent studies show that 70% of employees of digital companies believe that poor collaboration is one of the main factors behind poor productivity. Given this number, the question of collaboration proves to be very important while comparing web applications vs. desktop applications.

But are desktop apps, actually, so bad in terms of collaboration? While online collaboration is one of the most significant benefits of web apps, desktop software also provides a collaborative mode. Desktop solutions can be synchronized through the web or another type of connection, providing a collaborative experience that is similar to the one of web apps. In particular, Microsoft’s most popular collaborative tools, such as Office 365 and Teams, are primarily used as desktop versions. Meanwhile, they synchronize data almost instantly through the network and allow the creation of isolated teams that efficiently collaborate from their desktops or other devices where these applications are installed. So, with the right approach, there may be no difference between web application and desktop application in terms of collaborative capacities.

It may seem that web apps outperform desktop apps when it comes to updating convenience. A provider introduces a change in the app and this update becomes available to all the app’s users on the web immediately. Meanwhile, desktop apps often need to be updated by the users manually on each device, a seemingly significant drawback in terms of the desktop vs. web application rivalry.

But the question is: do all your users need an update once you release it? Some users may feel more comfortable with older software versions, and the desktop approach gives them greater flexibility. Users can confirm or reject updates, depending on their needs. Also, unlike web apps, desktop apps allow users to schedule updates at their convenience, without having to adapt to system downtime. Finally, even if your users need to receive regular updates on time, you can leave them an option to configure automated updates. Each time you release something new about your software, a desktop app will update automatically in case it is connected to the web.

There are many factors to consider while facing a web apps vs. desktop apps dilemma. However, these are some hypothetical scenarios in which desktop software development might be beneficial and become an ideal match for your business needs:

• You are releasing an app that requires high performance or complex functionality that needs high computation and access to device resources, such as GPU
• You need your app to provide its features in the offline mode
• Your users need more autonomy in version control
• You want to leverage desktop security principles.

In conclusion, the desktop is still alive and relevant, as many beliefs about the legacy nature of custom software development for desktop are mere myths. In particular, desktop apps might outperform web app software in terms of cost-efficiency and, in many cases, are better suited for high performance and complex functionality. Also, desktop software provides an offline mode, which is a significant argument in terms of their availability. Such apps are much more secure than many people expect and, contrary to a popular belief, they don’t necessarily lag behind web software in terms of analytics. Finally, desktop apps offer collaboration opportunities and provide more flexibility in terms of updates.

There are particular cases when we suggest you opt for desktop software development. And if you need to develop a desktop app tailored to your business needs, rely on a team with relevant expertise. Leobit is a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Digital App and Innovation, and we certainly know how to deliver quality software for Microsoft and other operating systems.

Contact us to discuss your needs and see how we can help you achieve excellence in desktop software development.