Types of Application Software: A Complete List for Beginners

Table Of Content

1. Know About the Different Types of Application Software Available Around
2. Importance of Software Application Types
3. Basic Classification of Software
3.1 System Software
3.2 Application Software
4. Popular Types of Software Applications
4.1 Web Browsers
4.2 Graphics Software
4.3 Word Processor Software
4.4 Programming Software
5. Final Words
6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Know About the Different Types of Application Software Available Around


Being a software developer, it is important to know how many types of application software are used in the industry. It lets you know the categories in which different software are divided, and how you can build them by using right software development methodologies. With the advancement of technology, the software products are also getting innovation with the passage of time. This has led to their expansion into different types based on the requirements of various industries. Each software type includes unique features, which is why their development model is also different from one another.

It is quite important to know that every software is created to offer some specific functions. Those who think that a single software can perform all type of tasks are simply wrong. There isn’t any product made till to date that can offer such liberty to the customers. In fact, there is no need to build such type of solutions. The categorization is specifically done to ensure exclusivity in the software applications. It lets the people know which type of application software is needed to perform particular tasks.

In this blog, we will take a look at different types of application software that are used in the industry. This will help beginners to know about their major types, as well as the features they usually come up with. So, if you want to know which software products are used most in the market, read this article thoroughly. We will first start from the basics understanding why characterization of different software products is necessary. Let’s take a quick look at it below.

Importance of Software Application Types

Android software development

It is a well-known fact that every industry needs a unique piece of software to perform relevant operations. Those who think that a single software can handle every type of job are certainly at mistake. A software application is basically developed keeping few objectives and goals in mind. It cannot offer out of the box solutions if the programming inside it is not scaled with the passage of time. This scalability of software products is another topic that would be also discussed at any later stage.

The importance of building to-the-point software applications is very significant to understand. There are many businesses in the commercial industry that requires specific solution for a specific job. That is why they take professional software development services to develop an application that can handle their requirements. This expands type of application software that are created for different purposes. Knowing about their development methodology is important for developers as they could be asked to work on any type of project.

From CRM to smartphone apps, there are different types of software applications used in the industry. Mastering all of them would be a tough job, which is why it is recommended to focus sequentially on them one by one. Yes, the technologies used in their development such as .NET framework, Laravel, React JS, Angular and more should be learned at a fast pace. These technologies will help you to become a skillful developer that can easily work on any application with the passage of time.

Basic Classification of Software

Classification of software apps

Every developer must need to understand the basic classification of software. Many people do not know the difference between the system and application software. Though both of them looks really simple, but have got some core differences in their features. It is therefore quite important to understand their differences, as it could assist you to prepare for their development accordingly.

Here are the two common branches of software applications you should know about.

System Software

As the name suggest, a system software is a type of product that comes readymade in any hardware machine. This could be referred to as the software systems that are installed in the machine itself. A common example of system software is the BIOS setup of Windows operating system. We all have seen the old blue startup setup in different Windows versions. It is a perfect example of system software that comes prebuilt in the machine.

Building a system software is quite difficult and not everyone’s cup of tea. It requires high skills in development, and a complete knowledge of core programming languages. Besides that, a proper understanding of machines that will host the software is also a necessary thing. Generally, companies hire expert software developers to do this job, as beginners cannot handle this type of complexity at an early career stage.

Application Software

Application software are different from the system software. They are not created for any hardware machine, instead they are made for the operating systems that are running on those machines. This means that application software can be installed and run on any machine that houses a compatible operating system. Generally, these software products are lightweight and easy to work with as compared to system software.

To build an application software, a team is designated to the project that has got the required knowledge. This includes expert skills on programming languages that are used to create software applications. Generally, companies prefer to hire expert .NET developers to create advanced level applications. Besides that, Python is also quickly becoming popular to develop application software. It is a powerful programming language that is created with tons of features to ease application development.

Many beginners do not often know about different types of software applications. They anticipate that software apps only include different types of websites or smartphone applications. Well, this is certainly a wrong concept because the software market has expanded a lot in the last few years.

From ERP to banking applications, there are different types of software categories you can find today in the market. If you do not know which applications are developed and used most in the industry, take a look at the list given below.

Web Browsers

Web browsers

Web browsers are commonly used by people to visit and surf websites over the internet. We all regularly use them on daily basis, yet only few of us know that these browsers fall in the category of application software. These web browsers generally offer similar type of functionalities in which smooth and fast web surfing is termed to be the most important one.

According to the top reviews, Google Chrome is considered to be the best web browser. It is superfast and provides tons of extensions capable of performing different functions. Besides Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox is another name that is highly popular among the people. It also comes up with hundreds of add-ons offering variety of features to the users. They are both commonly used by the people on day-to-day basis, hence they have become a renowned name in the market.

Graphics Software

Adobe photoshop logo

Graphics software has evolved quite a lot in the last few years. Earlier, we only had two or three options available in the market. However, now, there are plenty of quality products available to choose from. This precisely shows how vast graphic software has excelled over the period of time. From vector to 3D design, today you can find different types of aspects in the graphic software. This has allowed designers to enhance their skills and create stunning digital artwork that can grab eyeballs at the first glance.

Generally, the graphic software are quite bigger in size. That is because these software applications are built with different features that require a bigger space to accommodate. Furthermore, they also need good GPUs and RAMs to perform swiftly on the computers. This means that graphic software are dependent on good machines, especially the ones that are used for animation.

Word Processor Software

Microsoft word

Word processors are also a popular type of application software that are used heavily in the industry. It could be said that these software products regularly get into the people usage for different purposes. Some use word processors to write articles, while some use it to create resumes. The eBook writing and educational thesis are also prepared on word processor software. Hence, they are very much popular among different types of people for various purposes.

The most commonly used word processor software in the market includes Microsoft Word, Appleworks, Notepad, Google Docs and more others. These software are quite lightweight and offers variety of features to prepare different types of documents. They are also regularly maintained and updated to keep every function proper on the system.

Programming Software

Netbeans software

We all know how vast the industry of software development has become in the world. Many people are looking to excel their careers in this field because it offers tons of opportunities of growth. However, to master the field, they must need to solidify their skills on different programming software. It could be said that these software form the bases of software development. Without using them properly, a developer can never create the roots of applications.

The programming software generally cater specific languages. This means that you cannot use one software to write applications in different types of languages. For example, the front end programming languages cannot be written on those software that are built for backend development. You can find few exceptions available in the market, but they are very limited. Some of the popular programming software that you will commonly see includes Microsoft Visual Studio, Android Studio, Netbeans, Eclipse IDE and more others. These software products are quite advanced, allowing you to work on popular programming languages with complete ease.

Final Words

That concludes our entire article in which we have discussed about different application software that are being used in the industry. It is certainly very important to know how the application software really works. The classification of different software types is also very crucial to know. Many times, people gets confused in classifying the types of application software. There are different versions and types available in the market that could be used by the people for different purposes. This article has listed some of the popular types of application software you could use in day-to-day basis. They are pretty good, allowing you to perform tons of operations with relative ease.

Meanwhile, if you are looking for a company that can help you to develop different types of application software, contact us today. We have got plenty of professionals who can assist you to develop quality software applications as per the given requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many types of software are there?
The software products are basically divided into two types i.e. system software and application software. Both of these types are different from one another because of their features and backend development.
What is system software?
System software is a type of solution that is precisely created for any machine or device. They are developed to help machines function properly. These products are machine-specific, hence they cannot run on every other device.
What is application software?
Application software are built to provide different type of features to the users. They are not system-specific, hence they can be used on different machines as long as they are compatible with it.
How many types of application software are there?
There are different types of application software available in the market. From word processors to graphics software, you can find variety of application software options available around. They are basically feature-specific and not dependent on the type of host machines.
Which software applications are best for programming?
For programming, you can use different types of IDEs available in the market. Some of the best name among them includes Netbeans, Microsoft Visual Studio, Notepad++ and more others.