Web applications are software applications that run on a web server and are accessed through a web browser. They can be simple or complex and typically require a user to be connected to the internet to use them. Cloud development solutions, on the other hand, are hosted on remote servers and run on the cloud computing infrastructure of a third-party provider. These applications are accessed over the internet and are designed to run on a pay-per-use basis, making them more cost-effective than traditional software applications.