Updated: July 14, 2020 (May 21, 2007)
Charts & IllustrationsRich Internet Applications Comparison
The following chart highlights some of the key differences between Web standards-based applications, Rich Internet Applications (RIAs), and traditional desktop applications. In general, RIAs sit between the two extremes, offering many of the user interface (UI) capabilities of desktop applications but with the server-based deployment of Web applications.
| Web Client Standards (HTML and AJAX) | RIAs | Desktop Applications | |
| Advantages | Run on virtually any OS, including non-PC devices | More UI capabilities than HTML
Server-based deployment |
Most sophisticated UI options
Desktop integration Offline support |
| Disadvantages | Browser incompatibilities
More limited UI No offline support |
Requires plug-in | Not cross-platform
Client installation and maintenance required |
| Microsoft Technologies | ASP.NET
ASP.NET AJAX Framework |
Silverlight | Windows Presentation Foundation |
| Competitors | PHP
ColdFusion |
Flash/Flex | Mac OS |
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