SharePoint 2013: Comparision between Apps and Solutions (.wsp)

Apps in Sharepoint:

Apps are stand-alone applications that provide specific information or functionality to a SharePoint site. Apps for SharePoint are easy for users to install, use, manage, upgrade, and remove. Apps can be SharePoint-hosted (reside and execute in SharePoint) or cloud-hosted (Windows Azure or other systems), or both.




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How to get
 
Apps can be downloaded from:

• Internal App Catalog (contains apps approved and uploaded by the organization)
• Public SharePoint Store

 How to Use / Install

Apps can be used:

• In your hosted or on-premises SharePoint site

 App code is installed:

• On a separate web site from your other sites in its own, isolated, domain·
• In the cloud (cloud-based apps)

How to Manage

Apps can be managed and monitored by:

• Site administrators.
• SharePoint Online Service administrators for a tenancy· 
• Farm administrators

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Solutions in Sharepoint:

Are small to large scale packages used to customize or enhance SharePoint sites. Full trust solutions need a farm or SharePoint Online Service administrator to deploy, manage, and remove. Partial trust solutions must be installed to a sandbox. 

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How to get

Solutions can be acquired from:

• Third-party developers· Your own development team 

 How to Use / Install

Solutions can be used:

• In your hosted (sandbox solutions only) or on-premises SharePoint site

Solution code is installed:

• As a full trust solution (in the global assembly cache).
• As a sandboxed solution 

How to Manage

 Solutions can be installed and monitored by:

• SharePoint Online Service administrators for a tenancy (sandbox)· 
• Farm administrators (sandbox or full trust)