What is a Single Page App?
The easiest way to tell the difference between single page apps and multiple page apps is by looking if they reload or not. A single page application is the one which never reloads. It keeps you on the same page.
Every function of the app which you see is on that page only, nothing is on some other page for which you’ll have to open another page, or in the case of a website, another URL. In other words, single page applications are dynamic in nature, as everything is located on one page.
What is a Multiple-Page App?
Multiple Page applications are different than single page applications. Whenever a different function is to be displayed on the screen, the system has to render back data for that specific page from the server and load it, then only it could be displayed on the screen.
Generally, multiple page applications use a lot of data and are the technology of the older times. It takes a lot of time to load, and when the app has a lot of pages and functions; it makes the web development of the app very complex and time-consuming.
Benefits of a Single page App
While the single page apps are getting very popular these days, it is because of their vast benefits. A single page app has a very fast loading time, and it is great for those application developers who wish to create a dynamic app with a high-class GUI. Landing pages are a far-off wonder without single app pages.
But it comes with its own drawbacks. SEO is very tough if you are into single page application or website development, as your keyword scope will be very limited.
It is also not very effective if you are making a page about a product, as a single page limits your content and you won’t be able to properly give your potential customers everything about the range of your products.
Benefits of a Multi page App
Multi-page applications, on the other hand, is the best suited for those who want a traditional UI. It provides great help with the SEO, as now you can have multiple pages with their own keywords. Also, if you’re having a long line of products, you might need multi-page app development.
However, multi-page apps fail at certain important aspects such as the amount of data used, the size of the page and the time taken in loading, the reason being that it has multiple pages.
Most browser applications like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are all single page applications, so are most of the landing pages on which you wander upon.
What should I Choose?
While making your app or website, you need to consider some things before deciding if you’re going to go for a single page or multiple pages. First and foremost you need to be clear about the use of your website. That is the most important thing to consider. The content which you’re going to display on your website matters.
If you’re looking at different categories of content, then multiple page app or website is what you require. For cutting hardware and app or website hosting costs, a single page app or website is what you should go for. If you’re looking for Search Engine Optimized websites, you need multiple pages and a good amount of content for your website, which clearly makes multi-page apps and website your need.
A single page app and website will create a single link, which will be easier to share on social media platforms, and will also offer a better Graphical User Interface (GUI). Choosing between Single page apps and Multiple page apps, in the end, will depend on your own needs, but the above points will help you.
