Most Popular Types of Software Development

The Top Most Popular 9 Types of Software Development. Software development has become an umbrella term for writing code for multiple purposes, making it difficult to choose the one that matches your unique business needs. Also, selecting the right developer with the right skills and mindset is only possible by determining the type of software you want to build first.

So in this blog, we will cover everything you need to know about types of software development. But first, let’s understand what software development refers to.

What is Software Development?

Software refers to the set of programs that tells a computer system about the functions it has to perform. Put simply, the software is the set of instructions used to execute specific tasks. On the other hand, Software development is the process of ideating, creating, prototyping, designing, developing, deploying, and maintaining software applications.

Read: What is Software Development

Software developers, programmers, and engineers are responsible for developing a software product. Although these roles more often get overlapped, the dynamics between them vary across departments.

Read: Software Development Challenges and Solutions

Software developers are involved in writing code and driving the overall software development lifecycle, programmers write source code to perform tasks like processing online orders, merging databases, routing communications, etc., and software engineers are responsible for applying principles for developing software using modeling languages and tools that must work in the real world.

Read: How to Choose a Software Development Company

The process of developing software involves selecting a methodology (like Agile, DevOps, RAD, Waterfall, etc.), gathering requirements, choosing an app architecture, designing, building a model, writing code, testing, debugging, deploying, and maintaining.

Read: Proof of Concept in Software Development

Top 9 Types of Software Development

Let’s look at the most 9 common types of software development.

• Web App Development

• Desktop App Development

• Game Development

• Mobile App Development

• Wearable Software Development

• Security Software Development

• Cloud Computing Software Development

• API Development

• Embedded systems development

1. Web App Development

Web apps are software programs that reside in remote servers and are delivered to the end-users over the internet through web browsers. Developing a web application goes far beyond a simple web page development as it requires programmers to write both front-end and back-end so that it can adapt and change according to the user’s actions or input.

Unlike websites, web apps are dynamic and behave like mobile applications. Also, web apps are universal, i.e., they work across devices and operating systems. While web apps can lack a few features of native apps, they improve the load time that’s 15x faster than native apps.

2. Desktop App Development

As the name suggests, desktop apps are software programs that are developed to be run on computers and laptops on the top of operating systems like Windows, macOS, Linux, Unix, etc.

To access desktop applications that are not pre-installed in your system, all you need to do is download them from the app store available in the system or their official website. Some of the common types of desktop apps are browsers, programming software, system software, and other software designed to fulfill specific tasks.

3. Game Development

It is the process of creating games and thanks to readily available game engines like Unity, Game Maker, CryEngine, Buildbox, etc., game development is no longer restricted to large game development studios.

Developing a complex game requires input from game artists, designers, animators, gamers, programmers, project managers, testers, etc. On the other hand, if the concept of the game is quite simple, then you only need one or two game developers to create it.

4. Mobile App Development

Mobile application development involves creating software applications for smartphones and tablets. With the increase in smartphone usage, there has been an incredible increase in mobile app development.

These apps can be designed for gaming, entertainment, messaging, shopping, etc. Although many mobile apps can be downloaded and used for free, many are developed to make profits through in-app purchases.

5. Wearable Software Development

Wearable software development is the process of designing and developing software that is compatible with wearable devices like smartwatches or smart glasses. Wearable devices are no longer limited to fitness tracking, they also provide connections to audio, integrated camera buttons, health tracking, and more.

6. Security Software Development

Security software is developed to secure and protect laptops, servers, networks, and other devices from cyber threats like unauthorized access, viruses, and data theft.

Some commonly used security software that can be developed by a business are advanced malware protection software, firewall, endpoint protection software, web security software, app security software, email security software, IoT security software, and network security software.

7. Cloud Computing Software Development

Cloud computing refers to the on-demand IT resources delivered over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing. Cloud computing allows a business to access services such as storage, computing power, and databases without buying, owning, and maintaining physical data servers and centers.

Developing cloud computing software offers benefits like better scalability, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced security to the business. Some of the commonly used cloud computing providers are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, Salesforce, etc.

8. API Development

Application Programming Interface (API) development refers to creating a set of instructions that allow a software system to add services or features to other applications or platforms. Put simply, APIs allow different apps to communicate with each other securely.

Using tools and technologies like Apigee, API Science, API-Platform, ClearBlade, Postman, Swagger, AuthO, and APIMatic, developers can easily create APIs as required.

9. Embedded systems development

Developing an embedded system involves the creation of specific computer programs that perform dedicated tasks or functions within larger electrical or mechanical systems. Embedded software can be used for connected cars, digital smart cameras, smart parking systems, thermostats, smart home devices, and more.

Read: Kiosk Software Development

Conclusion

That was all about types of software development. We hope that the blog helped you understand which one you should go for. And if you still have some questions or just want to hire the right development team to transform your idea into reality, then get in touch with our experts today! We will be happy to assist you in developing scalable and reliable software that meets your business requirements with ease.

FAQs: Types of Software Development

What is software development?

Software development is the process of ideating, creating, prototyping, designing, developing, deploying, and maintaining software applications.

How many types of software developments are there?

Majorly there are the following types of software development:

• Web App Development

• Desktop App Development

• Game Development

• Mobile App Development

• Wearable Software Development

• Security Software Development

• Cloud Computing Software Development

• API Development

• Embedded systems development

What is the most popular type of software development?

Web apps, desktop apps, and mobile apps are the most popular types of software development that you might come across.