Omnipresent in Asia, super-applications are revolutionizing the way hundreds of millions of users consume and interact online. But what are these sprawling platforms really about and, above all, why are they attracting so much interest? Here are six essential questions to understand everything about this phenomenon.
What exactly is a super-app?
A super-app is defined as an all-in-one platform, which offers a set of services intended to meet almost all user needs. This includes e-commerce, financial services, transportation and mobility, social media, food delivery, and even bill payment.
Thus, the strength of a super-app lies in its ability to simplify the user experience while creating loyalty around its services; the consumer does not have to leave the platform to carry out most of their daily tasks.
What are the most convincing examples of super-applications?
The most emblematic super-applications are mainly found in Asia, where they dominate digital uses. WeChat, in China, is considered the model par excellence. Developed by Tencent, this behemoth goes far beyond simple messaging, as its name might lead you to believe. It allows, among other things, to pay for groceries, order a taxi, reserve train tickets, consult a doctor online and even manage administrative documents. Its impact is considerable. With more than 1 billion active users, WeChat brought in more than $16 billion for its parent company in 2023.
In Southeast Asia, Grab has evolved from a transportation-focused super-app offering delivery services, financial solutions and insurance. It meets the varied needs of millions of users in countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. This type of solution is also emerging in India. Paytm, initially a mobile payments platform, has for example diversified to include banking services, investments, and travel bookings. It now plays a crucial role in the country’s digital economy.
The examples are much more limited outside of Asia, and this is even more true for the case of Europe.
Will X, formerly Twitter, become a super-application?
Elon Musk made this known shortly after his purchase of Twitter, which he quickly renamed X Corp: he wants, ultimately, for the social network to be part of a set of services offered within the same super app. Moreover, the billionaire has already cited WeChat as an example to follow.
Little by little, it begins to deploy features that show the beginnings of a super-application. First of all by developing the video format with streaming, but also by allowing users to make audio and video calls. Likewise, the company has taken steps in the United States to facilitate payments, an essential part of super-applications. The job search function introduced in the social network also goes in this direction.
Why choose the super-application, rather than offering several separate services?
It is above all a question of strategic advantages. This approach helps build customer loyalty and retention, limiting the need to switch between different apps to complete tasks. Thus, super-apps create a closed ecosystem where each service reinforces the other. This also offers the possibility of using data centrally to personalize the experience and provide targeted offers. All of this helps increase the company’s revenue.
On the user side, the main advantage lies in simplicity and efficiency. A super app reduces device clutter by replacing multiple apps. It offers a seamless experience, with integrated payments and unified navigation, making every interaction faster and intuitive. This is most useful in areas where internet access is limited or expensive, as the need to download and manage different services simultaneously is reduced.
Why is there no super app in Europe?
This model can also pose challenges, particularly in terms of competition and data protection, two areas in which the European Union exercises much greater control than other regions of the world.
The Digital Markets Act, legislation recently entered into force which aims to guarantee healthy competition on the Old Continent, defends a principle going directly against super-applications. This model can in fact lead to monopolistic behavior, since these platforms become closed ecosystems which precisely limit competition. In this context, small companies and startups struggle to compete against giants capable of capturing a significant share of the market, sometimes by practicing aggressive pricing policies or by buying out their competitors. Behaviors that the EU vehemently seeks to regulate.
The GDPR also risks putting obstacles in the way of any attempt to build a super-application. Because their ability to analyze and use personal data raises ethical questions, particularly regarding respect for privacy or the manipulation of user behavior.
What are the risks of this model?
In addition to anti-competition and personal data concerns, super apps can create social and economic dependence. Users locked into these ecosystems become vulnerable to corporate decisions, such as changing prices or restricting access.
Worse still, they can even be used as surveillance tools, especially when governments access or control them. Hence the importance of appropriate regulation to protect competition and guarantee transparency, while securing user rights.
