Why desktop apps are making a comeback

Source: Why desktop apps are making a comeback?

1. Standalone, desktop applications have benefits that are almost impossible to replicate within a browser:
2. Once they find their place in the Windows Start menu or the Mac OS Dock, they are always visible. In the mobile world, an app that isn't on the home screen is easily forgotten and eventually never opened anymore.If you want your app to become a daily habit in the life of your users, then you cannot take the risk of them not opening it because they don't see it. A web app that isn't pinned to the browser is easily closed and forever forgotten. A desktop app has the power to be always visible, and even always open. Don't miss out on this!
3. Desktop apps are "alt-tab accessible". Alt-tab is probably the most used keyboard shortcut in the entire desktop universe. For every time someone with your app open hits alt-tab, you get a free impression of your logo and brand name on their screen! How is that for cheap marketing? In all likelihood, your logo will sit between a very popular browser and a cool music streaming service, so the brand association is not bad either. The goal is always the same: your app must become part of the daily routine of your user. Even if they open it by accident, as they're trying to skip a track in their playlist, it's still one more chance for you to convince them that you have what they need. Take that chance.
4. also, desktop apps can support download and preview much better than web apps can. Another small but critical thing is the ability to copy things to the clipboard.
5. Another great capability of desktop apps is their easy access to the notification system. Few things get more attention than the bouncing motion of a notified app on the Mac OSX dock.
   

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By urgent usage, I mean that your users need to react fast to things happening, either inside your app — for instance, an incoming chat message — or outside your app, like when you need to quickly mute a Spotify track to hear the people talking to you. In both cases, you get a significant benefit from having an easily accessible app, that notifies you when an action is required.

By frequent activity, I mean that your users are going to spend a sizable amount of time in your app every day. Anything that helps them do their regular work falls within this category. For programmers, it's going to be IDEs. For designers, it's going to be Photoshop & Sketch. Transversal tools like e-mail clients or Evernote also come to mind: you probably don't use them for the most part of your work, but you still need to open them several times a day and spend some time typing in it. You want them to be always open and not have to sift through twelve tabs to get to them.

If your product cannot really be used in an urgent or preponderant way, don't burden yourself with a desktop app. The advantages of web apps cannot be overstated, and many great software companies are better off offering web interfaces. APIs like Stripe's, analytics like Kissmetrics', infrastructure like Heroku's, all provide enormous value, but don't justify the development of desktop applications.