What's the difference between a mobile application and a web application?

A mobile application is downloaded by the user (typically from the App Store or Google Play) and installed directly onto their mobile device. Once installed, the user can launch the app from a shortcut on their phone.

On the other hand, a web application is similar to a mobile website in that it is designed to work in modern browsers on any device (mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops). This means a user can simply visit a URL in their web browser (on any device, any size), and the application will run for them.