What Application is

Used interchangeably with program and software, this is a general term for a program that performs specific tasks, such as word processing, database management, e-mail sending or retrieval, or Web browsing. Unlike system software, which maintains and organizes the computer system (such as the operating system), an app is an end-user program.

The meaning of Software

A set of instructions that tells a computer how to execute functions and tasks. Software code is written in a programming language that makes computer systems and hardware work. Some programs contain millions of lines of code, and there are millions of software programs. The two basic software categories are system software (which makes your computer run properly, behind-the-screens) and application software (which include the programs, such as Microsoft Word, that you use while working on the computer).