Azure Web App vs App Service – What’s the Difference?

Azure Web App vs App Service – What’s the Difference? Technology is ever changing, and so is the Azure platform. Tech specialists are always in a dilemma when choosing the best service for their web app development needs. To help you sort out this confusion, we have come up with this blog title, that will help you understand the difference between Azure Web App and App Service.

Regarding the cloud based hosting options for web applications, Azure Web Apps and App Service are two of the most popular choices. But what’s the difference between them? And which one should you choose for your project? In this article, we’ll look at the key differences between Azure Web Apps and App Service and help you decide which is best for you.

Shall we start with Azure Web App vs App Service – What’s the Difference?

What is Azure Web App?

Using Azure Web App, you create an app on Azure without dealing with the hassles of deploying, managing, and maintaining your Azure virtual servers.

Web applications may be built using ASP.NET, PHP, Node.js, or Python. They also work with common IDEs like Visual Studio and host management systems like GitHub. Your use of Azure’s computing resources will incur costs.

Hosting web apps on Azure is made possible by one of Azure’s most popular services, Web Apps. It hosts user interactive applications and backend services such as WCF Services and Web APIs. Web apps enable us to harness the resources of Microsoft Azure to create programs that are both robust and adaptable, safe and simple to use, and available through the internet.

Features of Azure Web App

  • Assurance of Safety and Observance of Regulations

App Service meets all the ISO, SOC, and PCI compliance requirements. Additionally, users may sign in using the following services: Azure Active Directory, Facebook; Google, Twitter; or Microsoft.

  • Controlled Production Setting

Web App takes care of security updates and updates to the underlying frameworks for your operating system and programming language efficiently.

  • Global Reach and Accessibility

You may adjust the scale by yourself or let the computer do it. In addition, web Apps allow you to place your applications in any of Microsoft’s cloud data centers around the world.

  • Easy Deployment

Azure Web Apps make it easy to deploy your web application. Hence, you can push your code to Azure using FTP, Git, or Visual Studio Team Services, and Azure will automatically deploy your code and create a web app for you.

  • Auto-Scaling

Azure Web Apps automatically scale up or down according to demand, so you only pay for the resources you use.

  • Built-In Availability

Azure Web Apps come with built in availability, so your app will always be up and running, even if one of the Azure servers goes down. As a result, your users will always have a great experience, and you won’t have to worry about maintaining your servers.

  • Serverless Code

Azure Web Apps support serverless code, so you run your app without having to worry about provisioning or managing servers. Hence, worry free scaling and built in availability make Azure Web Apps the perfect platform for serverless code.

  • Language Choice

Azure Web Apps support many popular programming languages so that you can choose the correct language for your app. The supported languages include ASP.NET, Node.js, PHP, Java, and Python.

Pros of Azure Web App

  • Azure Web Apps are easy to create, deploy and manage.
  • Use your existing development tools, such as Visual Studio and GitHub, to work with.
  • No need to worry about managing servers.
  • Web Apps scale up or down as needed to meet demand.
  • The pricing model is based on consumption, so you only pay for what you use.
  • Your app is available globally with Azure’s global network.

Cons of Azure Web App

  • The maximum database size is 1 GB.
  • Only be suitable for applications that require a little storage.
  • Speed can be problematic sometimes when the load is beyond measures.

What is Azure App Service?

Microsoft Azure App Service is a platform for hosting web and mobile applications. It may also be used to build logic applications or API apps that interact with SaaS. You may now get all of the Azure services in one bundle called Azure App Services. This includes the formerly separate Azure Website, Azure Mobile, and Azure BizTalk Services.

Microsoft Azure’s App Service provides your app with the same built in protections, load balancing, automatic scalability, and simplified administration that the rest of Microsoft Azure provides. In addition, DevOps capabilities include agile methodologies using Azure DevOps Docker Hub and other repositories, runtime environment, staging setups, configurable domains, TLS/SSL licenses, and more.

Features of Azure App Service

Image Source – ASP.NET Community Blogs

  • DevOps Optimization

Surely, you can use the Azure App Service to quickly set up a robust and scalable DevOps pipeline for your web app. The platform makes it easy to deploy your code, track changes, and monitor the health of your app.

  • Security and Isolation

Azure App Service provides built in security features to help protect your app from attacks. In addition, the platform also offers isolation capabilities to help keep your app safe from other tenants on the forum.

  • High Availability and Fault Tolerance

Moreover, Azure App Service is designed to be highly available and fault tolerant. The platform automatically detects and corrects any problems with your app and provides detailed monitoring and logging to help you troubleshoot any issues.

  • Scalability and Performance

In addition, Azure App Service automatically scales up or down to meet the demands of your users. The platform also provides performance monitoring and optimization tools to help you ensure that your app runs at peak efficiency.

  • Pricing

Azure App Service is available in two pricing tiers: Basic and Standard. The Basic tier provides a lower cost option for apps that don’t need all the features of the Standard level. The Standard deck offers all the features of the Basic tier, plus additional features such as autoscaling and advanced performance monitoring.

  • Connections to SaaS Platforms and On-Premises Data

Azure App Service provides built in connectors to popular SaaS platforms, such as Salesforce, Office 365, and Twitter. The platform also offers hybrid connectivity capabilities so that you can connect your app to on-premises data sources.

  • Containerization and Docker

Using Docker, you can use Azure App Service to containerize your web app quickly. The platform makes deploying and managing your containers easy and provides built-in integrations with popular container orchestration tools, such as Kubernetes.

Pros of Azure App Service

  • You can handle managing the infrastructure.
  • Azure takes care of all the patching, monitoring, and other operational tasks.
  • You can quickly scale up or down to meet the demand.
  • There is a wide range of built in DevOps capabilities.

Cons of Azure Web App

  • It can be more expensive than other hosting options.
  • You may have less control over the infrastructure.

Azure Web App vs App Service - What's the Difference

Image Source – Azure

Hosting

Azure Web App

On one hand, Web apps are hosted on Azure’s web hosting platform. The web hosting platform is a multi tenant service that supports multiple programming languages and development frameworks.

Azure App Service

On the other hand, Azure App Service is also hosted on Azure’s web hosting platform. However, in addition to web apps, it supports mobile apps, API apps, and logic apps.

Supported Frameworks

Azure Web App

Web apps on Azure support multiple programming languages and development frameworks, including ASP.NET, PHP, Node.js, and Python. You may also use common IDEs like Visual Studio and host management systems like GitHub.

Azure App Service

Although Azure App Service also supports multiple programming languages and development frameworks, it has a more limited selection. The supported frameworks for Azure App Service are ASP.NET, PHP, and Node.js.

Application Insights

Azure Web App

When you create a web app on Azure, Application Insights is automatically configured. This implies that you can skip setting up or configuring Application Insights for your web app.

Azure App Service

Basically, Azure App Service does not automatically configure Application Insights, you can still set it up for your app. It is worth noting that Application Insights are not available for all Azure App Service plans.

Operating System

Azure Web App

When you create a web app on Azure, you can choose between Windows and Linux as your operating system. This means your web app can run on either the Windows Azure or Linux Azure platforms.

Azure App Service

Importantly, Azure App Service only supports Windows. It does not support Linux. Also, Azure App Service only supports the Windows Azure platform, not the Linux Azure platform.

Pricing

Azure Web App

Pricing for Azure Web App is based on the following factors:

 

  • Number of web apps
  • Number of CPU cores
  • Amount of memory
  • Number of transactions
  • Data transfer

Azure App Service

Pricing for Azure App Service is based on the following factors:

 

  • Number of web apps
  • The Number of API apps
  • Number of mobile and logic apps

Deployment Slots

Azure Web App

Comparatively, Azure Web App does not support deployment slots. In simple words, you cannot use deployment slots with Azure Web App since it is not possible to create multiple instances of Azure Web App.

Azure App Service

By comparison, Azure Web App, Azure App Service supports deployment slots. This means you create multiple instances of Azure App Service and use them for testing or staging purposes.

WebJobs

Azure Web App

Following, it supports WebJobs, allowing you to run your web app’s background tasks. These background tasks can be used for various purposes, such as data processing, image processing, or sending emails.

Azure App Service

Azure App Service also supports WebJobs. Just like Azure Web App, you can use WebJobs to run background tasks in your app.

Hybrid Connections

Azure Web App

Furthermore, Azure Web App does not support Hybrid Connections, so you cannot use Hybrid Connections with Azure Web App. This automatically limits the number of Azure services you can connect to your web app.

Azure App Service

Different to Azure App Service which supports Hybrid Connections. Use Hybrid Connections to connect your app to other Azure services and on-premises resources.

Authentication and Authorization

Azure Web App

For instance, authentication and authorization are not automatically configured when you create a web app on Azure. So, you will need to set up authentication and authorization for your web app.

Azure App Service

In contrast, Azure App Service automatically configures authentication and authorization for your app. The authentication methods solely depend on the type of app you create.

Azure Web App vs App Service - What to Choose?

Now comes the tricky part – deciding which to choose between Azure Web App vs App Service. Both services have their pros and cons, and it really depends on your needs and requirements as to which one you should choose.

However, if we had to recommend one, we will be looking more at Azure App Service, since it supports more programming languages, development frameworks, and features than Azure Web App.

Specifically saying, Azure App Service is a bit more expensive than Azure Web App. But we believe that the extra cost is worth it given the additional features and benefits you get with Azure App Service.

In summary, it all depends on your needs and requirements as to which one you should choose. If you need a simple web app that does not require too many features, then Azure Web App should suffice. Subsequently, if you need a more robust and feature rich web app, then Azure App Service is the way to go!

Thank you for reading Azure Web App vs App Service – What’s the Difference? We shall conclude. 

Azure Web App vs App Service - What's the Difference Conclusion

Technology  is ever changing and adjusts the world around us. In today’s day and age, almost everything is done with the help of technology. The same goes for businesses. Nowadays, businesses need to have a strong online presence to succeed.

This is where Azure Web App and Azure App Service come in. Both Azure services are designed to help businesses create and deploy web apps. So, consider wisely according to your business needs.

Avatar for Farhan Yousuf
Farhan Yousuf

I am a content writer with more than five years of experience in the field. I have written for a variety of industries, and I am highly interested in learning new things. I have a knack for writing engaging copy that captures the reader's attention. In my spare time, I like to read and travel.

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