13.9 Sharing Shiny apps

There are two options to share a Shiny app with other users.

• Sharing the R scripts of the app with other users requires they have R installed on their own computer. Then, they need to place the app.R file and other files of the app into a directory in their computer, and launch the app by executing the runApp() function.

• Shiny apps can also be hosted as a webpage at its own URL, so they can be navigated through the internet with a web browser. With this option, other users do not need to have R installed which permits the use of the app by people without R knowledge. We can host the Shiny app as a webpage on its own server, or we can host it using one of the several ways RStudio offers such as Shinyapps.io and Shiny Server. Information about these options can be obtained by visiting the Shiny hosting and deployment website.