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What Is a Superapp?

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September 28, 2022
Contributor: Lori Perri

Enterprises take note: Superapps can consolidate and replace

multiple apps for customer or employee use and support a
composable business ecosystem.

A superapp is like a Swiss army knife — with a range of component tools (miniapps)
that the user can use and remove as needed. Superapps are trending because users,
especially the younger generation born in the age of smartphones, demand mobile-
first experiences that are powerful and easy to use.

“We also see superapps gaining interest from forward-thinking organizations,” says
Jason Wong, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “Those orgs embrace composable
application and architecture strategies to power new digital business opportunities
in their industries or adjacent markets.”

Gartner expects that by 2027, more than 50% of the global population will be daily
active users of multiple superapps. The superapp concept will also expand to
include enterprise mobile and desktop experiences, such as workflow, collaboration
:
 and messaging platforms.

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What superapps offer

A superapp, super app or super-app is an application that provides end users
(customers, partners or employees) with a set of core features plus access to
independently created miniapps. The superapp is built as a platform to deliver a
miniapps ecosystem that users can choose from to activate for consistent and
personalized app experiences.

There is no separate app store or marketplace for miniapps. They are discovered and
activated by the superapp users, and once used, they can also be easily removed
from the user interface.

Superapps run on a platform that provides numerous, commonly used app services,
such as messaging and payment. Superapp users can create personalized user
experiences (/smarterwithgartner/software-engineers-need-design-systems-to-
build-products-with-good-ux) (UXs) by selecting and installing their chosen
miniapps (focused on performing a single task). Superapps will eventually expand to
support chatbots, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and immersive experiences
like the metaverse (/en/articles/what-is-a-metaverse).

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How superapps work

Users access a range of discrete services through an ecosystem for which internal
development teams and external partners build and deploy modular microapps to
the superapp. This provider ecosystem also amplifies the superapp’s value by
providing convenient access to a broader range of services within the app.

A number of technology vendors already provide tools and platforms that help
software engineering leaders build superapps.

Examples include:

Platform as a service (PaaS) vendors providing a cloud platform solution

Front-end frameworks enabling deployment of miniapps in web and mobile apps

Multiexperience (MX) development platforms

Low-code application platforms (LCAPs)

Development services providers

Users can customize their superapp experience by selecting the miniapp they want
to use when they need it in the superapp. The key is data sharing
(/smarterwithgartner/data-sharing-is-a-business-necessity-to-accelerate-digital-
business) and includes simple user authentication, such as single sign-on (SSO) and
tracking user preferences or app usage.

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What superapps are used for

:
 Superapps are often created for customers to consolidate services, features and
functions of multiple mobile apps into a single app — such as financial services.

Software engineering leaders also build superapps to provide a more engaging

experience for their employees. These superapps can help achieve economies of
scale and leverage the network effect of a larger user base and multiple miniapp
teams. Most importantly, they can improve the UX by enabling users to activate their
own toolboxes of miniapps and services.

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The potential obstacles

Creating the business ecosystem can become a bigger challenge than
technology implementation.

Different users prefer to interact differently with apps; therefore, getting the
design of a superapp right for the audience, along with having consistency of the
miniapps published to the superapp, may impact adoption and retention.

In short:
:
 A superapp is the front end of a platform into which internal developers and third-
party providers can publish miniapps (or miniprograms) for users to activate as
needed.

The core app, though, has functionality of its own.

Superapps can replace multiple apps for customer or employee use and support a
composable business ecosystem for enterprises.

This article has been updated since its original publication in August 2022 to reflect
new events, conditions and research.

Jason Wong (/en/experts/jason-wong) is a Distinguished VP, Analyst on the Software

Design and Development team helping CIOs, IT, Application and Software
Engineering Leaders. His research focuses on enterprise strategies for "total
experience", low-code platforms, citizen development, mobile apps, progressive web
apps and multiexperience development.

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  Recommended resources for Gartner clients*:

Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2023

(https://www.gartner.com/document/code/775990)
Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2023: Superapps
(https://www.gartner.com/document/4020032)
Quick Answer: What Is a Superapp?
(https://www.gartner.com/document/4010913)
Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2022
(https://www.gartner.com/interactive/hc/4016848)
3 Key Practices to Enable Your Multiexperience Development Strategy
(https://www.gartner.com/document/code/730105)

*Note that some documents may not be available to all Gartner clients.
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