When it comes to choosing a career between mobile development and web development, most of the people got confused because they don’t actually know the difference in both of them. There is no doubt that mobile and web development are two totally different careers and it requires the person to have different skills and capabilities. The market for both fields is also very different. The person needs to know about the specifications, market, demand and trends of mobile and web development to choose a better career option for them. In this article, I would discuss the differences between the web developer and android developer, so you can get an idea about the one that can be a better career option for you.

Being the users of android and web applications, we can say that the usability of both applications is very diversified.  The frameworks and tools for mobile app and web development are also very different. Before making a choice about the career, you should be familiar with the specifications, level of difficulty, career scope, level of versatility, technical analysis, salaries, latest trends and future of mobile and web development. Here are some of the major factors that can help you to make a better selection of career for you.

What
Is the Difference?

Web Developer

 The web developer is responsible for coding, designing, operating web applications. Keeping in mind the requirements of the clients, the web developer has to make the website more user-friendly with appealing visuals and clear navigations. Android and web development have totally different career scopes. The web developer uses different programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. The web developer can be a front-end web developer, back-end and developer and full-stack web developer. 

Front-End Web Developer: The front end developer deal with the designing layouts of the website and insert the content and make the navigation.

Backend web Development: The backend web developer deals with the database and server-side programming and he makes sure that all of the functions of the website going well. The difficulty level of back-end developer is much more than frond-end developer.

Full Stack Developer: The Third kind of developer is the full stack developer, who is responsible for all of the backend and front end programming of the website. The full stack developer has to make a complete website including all of the designing and coding part. 

Mobile Developer

The mobile developer makes applications for mobile devices. Making a mobile application is a more complicated task as compared with web applications. The android applications development also depends on the operating system, for example, the iOS operating system and the Android operating system has totally different mobile applications. There are three major types of mobile applications. Some of the major tools for android development are android sdk linux, android sdk mac, android sdk windows, android studio python, etc.

Native apps: the native android apps are made for a specific platform, such as iOS or Android. These applications are made using the languages and tools that are supported by the operating system. For example, iOS uses Objective-C and Xcode, while Android uses Java and Eclipse.

HTML5 apps: these
applications can be made and run on any platform, they can be made on CSS,
HTML5 and JavaScript. They only need a minimal change to adjust to any
operating systems.

Hybrid apps: the hybrid apps are made by using the HTML, JavaScript and CSS. They are said to be the applications in the native browser.

Level
of Difficulty

Web development

Web development is used to make websites and web applications. Making the websites is easier as compared with making applications.  Making the websites required almost the same kind of skills and technicalities for every hardware and operating system, but when it comes to web applications you have to gain some specific skills for each operating system. 

You can say that web development can be difficult or super easy, it depends on which direction you take. You can start with basics like HTML and CSS, by making the general design or use a template like WordPress or Joomla for the development of websites.

 Front-end web development is easier as compared with back-end development. If you have a background in computer science then it might take less time for you to learn any programming languages in web development but if you have no idea about it then it can be a hard game for you. The best thing about application development is that you can start working on it with basic skills and improve your level of efficiency by time. So, at the basic level, you can go with ease, after some time level of difficulty can be increased. If you want to learn any web languages then you can start working on it with very little investment.

Mobile Development

The mobile development is more difficult to learn and work on as compared with web development. Although it also depends on which type of mobile application you want to make. Unlike websites, mobile applications are platform-specific and you need to have a different skill set and expertise for each platform. You need totally different skill sets and expertise to start working on iOS and Android.

For developing an app on the Android platform, the android developer has more freedom because it is an open-source platform, and iOS developer isn’t. Android development is a bit more complex than web development. For Android programming, the Java language is used that required more codding as compared with the iOS Swift programming. Learning the mobile application can be a bit expensive because you should have the same device and operating system for learning the language. For example, if you want to learn iOS programming Swift then you must have a MacBook with you for the mobile app learning.

Career
Scope

Web Developer

The dominance of online business in the market because of their credibility and easy reach to customers has increased the demand of the web developers. The developer is not just responsible for making the websites but he also has to manage the websites from back-end and keep them in optimal condition. If you have good skills in web development then you can find a decent job in this field easily. Unlike web applications, mobile applications are platform-specific. The trend of e-commerce is also increasing that create an urgency for the businesses to create an online portal that helps them to access their customers. There is a need for a web developer in almost every business, who want to reach out to their customers, build a positive brand image and increase their sales. The good developers also know, how to manage the SEO of the websites. By making more responsive websites, a developer can also optimizes the content of websites for android phones.

Mobile Developer

The demand in the market for mobile developers is increasing rapidly. The businesses are moving towards the mobile application to be easily accessible to the customers. Whether it is Android development or iOS development, the career for both fields has a good scope. You can choose any of them and you would not get out of employment. There is no doubt, the industry of mobile development is very vast and increasing rapidly. The market for mobile developers is also increasing remarkably and it is expected to be the most promising job. The demand for mobile apps is also very high because they can keep users stick with their mobile all the times. The trends for android applications such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and Snapchat are also increasing.

 The android applications make user access to business easier. The use of apps for promotion and marketing purposes is also growing. So, it can be said that there is a good career scope for mobile developers.

Level
of Versatility

Web development

Web development is a very versatile field that allows you to use your expertise in coding and programming for different niches. For example, if you know C# language then it would not just use in the development of the website but you can also use it for game development. Web developers are more versatile than mobile developers. The application doesn’t need to install in the device like mobile apps. Because of the high flexibility of web development, you are more likely to get the job of your choice. By getting familiar with popular languages like PHP, Java, CSS, C++ android or C#, you can go for front-end development, backend development, eCommerce websites development, social media development, etc. So, you can say that this development gives to more freedom to play around the things and a developer has more flexibility to work on different online applications.

Mobile Development

When working with mobile
applications, you might not have the same flexibility as web development. For
the mobile applications, there are different requirements, tools and
technicalities for Android and iOS. The tools and skills required for different
operating systems are also different in mobile applications development. It
means that if a person is specialized in iOS development language Swift then he
is only able to make the mobile applications for the Apple devices like iPhone
or Macbook.  In mobile applications, there
is a lesser space to be versatile like web development. 

Technical Analysis

Web development

Some of the most popular
programming languages for web development are as follow.

JavaScript: JavaScript is
the most popular and widely used programming languages to make websites. It is
also used to make desktop applications and games. The JavaScript can run on all
major browsers without any compiler or plugin. It is a highly structural and
dynamic language.

Java: Java is also a widely-used
programming language for web development. It is also used by mobile and game
developers all around the world. Java is an object-oriented programming
language to make dynamic websites.

Python: You can say that Python is an all-purpose programming language in web development. You don’t need any compiler in it, for writing the code. The Python is easy to learn high-level programming language. Some of the mobile apps are also powered by Python. It is a reliable and simple programming language.

PHP: The Php is a server-side scripting language, that can be used for web development and other programming platforms also. Some of the most popular websites such as Facebook, WordPress are also on PHP.  The PHP is an open-source programming language that is compatible with Windows and UNIX OS. This language can be directly embedded in the HTML.

Ruby: Ruby is a dynamic
programming language, that can be used to create web and mobile applications. It
is an open-source platform that is very simple and easy to understand. If you
want to learn Ruby then you must first gain a good understanding of Ruby on
Rails.

Mobile Development

Some of the most popular
programming languages for mobile development are as follow:

Python:  The Python is an all-purpose programming
language for mobile development. You don’t require any compiler to do the
codding. The Python is simple and easy to learn high-level programming
language. It is a reliable and simple programming language.

Buildfire.js: It used the Buildfire SDK and JavaScript for the mobile apps. The Buildfire is very easy to learn programming language that is highly scalable and can be operated on an existing platform. 

Java: Java is also an extensively used programming language for mobile development. It is also used for android game development all around the world. Java is an object-oriented programming language to make small applications.

Swift: This programming language is released by Apple. Inc, for iOS and Linux operating systems. This programming language is used for building iOS apps. It is an open-source language that can be used by anyone. SlideShare iOS app is also made on Swift language.

Web development is the most searched job on the internet because of its high demand in the job market. The web programming is a diversified field and you can earn a decent income, even on a basic level. It is estimated that the average salary of Developers is $74,110 in 2017.

In the US, the annual salary for a
front-end developer is $76,000.

In the US, the annual salary for a
front-end developer is $98,000.

 The back-end developer earns more than the front-end developer because of their level of difficulty. The salaries of developers depend on different factors such as the company size and market demand. Web developers in the US get higher salaries than developers in other countries. Likewise, large companies offer higher salaries to their developers as compared with the small companies.

Mobile Development

Because of the high demand for mobile technologies in the market, the salaries of mobile developers are also very high depending on their expertise. From the past few years, there is a boom in mobile development job demand. The average annual salary of US android app developer is $107,000. The salaries range for iOS, Android and another platform is also vary depending on the demand in the market. 

As far as the salaries of mobile developers are a concern, there are different factors involves such as the region, company size and market demand. Obviously, the salaries for mobile developers in the US are higher than the salaries of android developers in India. Similarly, large companies are more likely to offers higher salaries to their mobile developers than small companies.

Latest Trends

Mobile development

As we know that the mobile applications have gone through
constant evolution and they have changed a lot in the previous decade. When it
comes to mobile applications, the change is obvious. According to recent
research, in 2019, the users of the mobile would research 2.5 billion. Out of
these 2.5 billion, the 2.1 million users are for Android apps and .4 million
iOS apps users.

One technology that is so trending on various mobile phones is Wearable Apps. There is a 35% increase in the use of wearable apps technologies in the year 2019. The android applications that count your kilometers while walking on the treadmill is also an example of wearable apps. This kind of mobile applications are very smart and most of the people use them for maintaining their health while walking, eating etc.

 Other than
wearable apps, there are many other technologies like IoT, AI, VR are estimated
to soon play a major role in shaping the mobiles phones future. 

Web development

When it comes to web development, the trends are changing by new innovations and ideas. The artificial intelligence and machine learnings are trending and developers are already getting crazy about it. Developers have a lot of opportunities to adopt different new technologies like AI, Machine Learning, a blockchain that has a huge impact on the world economy. It is estimated that 2019 is going to be the year of adoption for AI in the workplace. Other than this, many of the other technologies are also on the way to shape the future of web such as serverless Applications, Customer Service Chatbots, Blockchain Technology, etc.

Some
Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
The web development is an open-source platform that allows more freedom to the web developer to work with the collaboration of coworkers.	The trends and technology in the web development keep changing that requires the web developers to learn new skills
The job market for development is constantly expanding, that is creating new job opportunities for developers.	Because of the increasing demand, competition in the market for developers is also very high.
The web development is more flexible, if you are good at one niche, you can get enough chances to explore your interests.	Different clients, different requirements, sometimes it is hard to understand your clients, especially when they are not familiar with the development.
Web development is easy and less expensive to learn, as compared with mobile development.	Being a developer is not a 9 hours duty, you might have to work long hours to meet the deadlines.

Mobile Development

Pros	Cons
The mobile applications are high in demand and you can get a lot of job opportunities with mobile development.	Mobile development is a more expensive and time-consuming task because you need different tools and expertise for different platforms (iOS and Android).
The mobile application is trending faster as compared with web development technologies.	The level of difficulty for mobile development is higher than web development.
The mobile developer is likely to get more decent salaries than developers because they need more specific expertise.	It is hard for mobile developers to clearly portray the brand image of the company because of lack of space.
The Android mobiles have a simple app acceptance process that makes the application development easier.	Like web developers, mobile developers also need long hours to meets the deadlines.

Have a Look at Future!

In the future, the mobiles are
estimated to use different advanced technologies on their apps. There are many large
companies, who are already using the AI, IoT, Progressive Web Apps and VR in
their mobile and web applications to improve their users’ experience. Here are
some of the new technologies that are expected to be used in mobile
applications and web development, shortly. 

Mobile
Application Future

IoT (Internet of Things)

According to Forbes, in future, IoT will be used by most of the business’ mobile phones. The smart IoT technologies will make your mobiles a major part of your everyday tasks. Many of the companies are currently using IoT applications and web apps for other business and users. Many of the big companies are also moving towards IoT technologies to be used in their mobile applications. IoT, AR and Cloud applications are the future of android apps. So, if you are thinking of making your future in mobile development then you must consider these future technologies for better career scope.

AR (Augmented Reality)

To enhance the user android experience, the companies are thinking of using AR in their mobile application. The use of augmented reality in mobile phones can make the user experience on mobile more real. The use of AR technology has more potential in android gaming. This technology can be used in different sectors like education, tourism, healthcare, etc.

Wearable apps

The use of wearable app technologies has already started growing and till the year 2021, the number of wearable devices is expected to be 929 million.  Many of the mobile developers have realized the importance of this technology in future and they know that it is going to be a promising skill for them.

Cloud apps

 In the future, it is estimated that cloud apps would reduce the overall operational expense of website hosting.  These kinds of mobiles Cloud apps will be designed in the future to improve the online performance, scalability and reduce the load on the memory. If you are familiar with the working of cloud servers them cloud applications can be a good option for you to make your future.

Web
Applications Future

PWA (Progressive Web Apps)

In the web development community, the Progressive Web Apps is becoming a buzz word. The Progressive Web Apps is the most effective way to deal with responsive websites designs and native android apps issues. In the Progressive Web Apps, we use web technologies to improve the native app-like experience of the user. Progressive Web Apps is a future of web applications. The PWA is highly responsive and secure that get together mobile applications and web pages. Some of the most dominant features of the PWA are as follow:

Accelerated Mobile Pages

From a few years, the traffic of mobile users is increasing that urges the business to make use of AMP pages in their websites to optimize their user experience. Most of the people confuse this term with the responsive web pages, although the purpose of both is quite similar, still, they are two different things. The responsive website design improves the flexibility of the website to adjust on the mobile screen by adjusting the layouts and navigations. On the other side, the AMF focus on the website mobile performance and improves speed. AMF can be used to deal with some of the major issues in the websites:

If you are going to peruse a web development career, then
you must be familiar with all of the upcoming future trends in the field. You
should gain a better understanding of Accelerated Mobile Pages and Progressive
Web Apps to make a better career in web development.

Here, I have discussed with you some of the major differences between web and mobile development in terms of scope, flexibility, level of difficulty, salaries, trends and the tools and technologies of the future. I hope now at this point, you have a better idea of both fields and probably you can choose the right career option for you.

Do
I take both?

I know most people are still very confused about the selection of the right career for them. For example, you can be the person, who is passionate about making social media apps and business websites at the same time. If your question is, “Can I choose both web and mobile development as my careers?” The answer is, Yes, why not?

If you think you are good at web application development and can also make mobile apps then you should go for both. It will open up more opportunities for you in the future. But for any career you select, expertise and excellence are something you should chase. Don’t be the jack all trades master of none. Make sure, whether you want to make your career in one or two fields, quality and excellence should be your first priority. 

In the future, both web and mobile development are expected to adopt new technologies, as I mentioned above. So, I would recommend you to go with one niche in web or mobile development to improve your level of expertise in that niche.

 There is no doubt that both web and mobile development has a very bright future. In this article, I have discussed all of the factors that you must consider before choosing your career in web or mobile development. I compared both fields based on their level of difficulty, career scope, level of versatility, technical analysis, salaries and latest trends. You should also know what are the technologies, expected to use in web and mobile development in future. I hope the information that I have shared regarding android and web development careers would help you to choose a better career option.

If you have any experience in web or mobile development then do share your throughs about this article.