While looking for a low-code platform, the first obvious choice is Microsoft PowerApps. It’s a part of Microsoft 365 and Azure systems. Plus, it allows integration with all the Dynamics 365 and MS products.
However, before getting on the final decision, you should know when the solution is right for your business and when to drop the implementation idea to avoid potential challenges later. Knowing about the limitations that the updated version of the Dynamics 365 portal, i.e., PowerApps, offers is crucial for businesses.
You can learn all about Power Apps Portals limitations in this article with self-analysis whether it’s the right fit for your business and are there any ways to overcome its limitations.
PowerApps Portal: Overview
PowerApps is a suite of apps, services, and data connectors that allows businesses to design and create custom apps for their business with drag and drop functionality. This suite of apps further allows businesses to create external-facing websites, i.e., portals that allow external users to sign in with their identities and access the resources they need.
PowerApps portal allows users to create and customize their interface, interactions, and content. It offers integration with Microsoft products like Microsoft 365, Azure, SharePoint, PowerAutomate, PowerBI, and other third-party tools like Adobe, Amazon, Dropbox, Google, Salesforce, and Zendesk.
Businesses can quickly create custom forms and workflows. They can even reuse the design templates to create an attractive interface that resonates with their brand.
PowerApps offer various benefits like custom components building, improved lifecycle management, streamlined workflows, diversified development capabilities, increased security, scalable framework, and agility to develop apps and respond to customers’ needs quickly.
Limitations of PowerApps Portal
Despite all the power, PowerApps have certain limitations that organizations should consider.
1. The Platform is too Complex
The primary reason to choose a PowerApps portal is a low-code platform. Businesses think that they can design their apps without developers’ help. However, understanding PowerApps in Canvas, Model-driven, Power Automate, DataVerse, AI Builder, and Power BI via documentation and videos alone is overwhelming for an end-user, let alone the developer.
2. Mandatory and Complex Licensing
PowerApps offer various licensing models, which are difficult to understand and restrict specific integrations to higher tiers. Besides, the licensing is constrained only to the Microsoft environment, i.e., forms can work only within the licensed domain. Users can share content with their colleagues, but only those who have access to the active directory and PowerApps licenses.
3. Limited Support for Multiple Devices and Screen Orientation
PowerApps offers mobile responsiveness but with a compromise. Businesses have to develop multiple versions of their applications, which means, if you’re developing a portal for mobile and tablet, you will require two versions – one for each device.
4. Cost is the Major Factor
PowerApps is almost free of cost. It’s a myth. The initial plan starts at $5 for an individual user on a monthly basis, which is $60 annually for every single user. That sounds affordable, but organizations with thousands of users, requiring access to the app will have to reconsider. Also, the cost exceeds with the number of logins and page views.
Portal has a different pricing structure than apps for authenticated external users. It costs $200 for 100 logins and $100 for 100,000 page views on a monthly basis. For internal users, the pricing is as per the license or app.
You have to pay more for your growing user base.
5. Item and Throughput Limit
PowerApps have 2000 item limit from connected data sources like SharePoint, SQL, or Oracle. They only permit 1000 connector requests per 24 hours and the throughput of every request varies. If you try to read or write hundreds of items from SharePoint or other data sources, it will exceed the threshold and cause failures.
6. Attachment Control
Microsoft limits the PowerApps attachment control to SharePoint or DataVerse, which means you can choose OneDrive or SQL as the target document source. Also, the maximum upload size is 50 MB.
7. No Shared Functions or Code
Only one user can use the Canvas app for development at one time. Plus, it only supports JavaScript at the page level. There’s no support code in the app, i.e., users can’t design forms and create custom fields according to the workflow. Users can only use the predefined blocks if they want to customize the workflow at the field level.
PowerApps portal exists only within the business context. It is meant only for internal use. You can create and share with external users outside the organization. However, there are limitations in terms of licensing, technicalities, and data access.
8. Limited Capabilities to Manage and Track the Code and Design
There are no customizations tailored to your business needs. So, if you have a feature in mind that you want to integrate or a workflow that you want to implement, you will have to work around the in-built elements and features.
What’s the Solution
Limit data connection and the number of controls, avoid control dependency, use delegations, detailed load, etc. Technically, there are plenty of ways to prevent the outcome of these limitations. However, the only feasible solution is to look for an alternative Dynamics 365 portal that has the power of PowerApps and its own on the additional front. For instance, it should allow third-party, real-time data sync and, unlike PowerApps, provide flexible hosting options.
You should go for a mature and flexible solution that offers customizations as per your business needs.
What do you think?
Summary
Licensing constraints, complexity, item and throughput limit, predefined elements for workflows, attachment control, and limited capabilities are a few of the limitations of the PowerApps portal.
