Will Fabric Apps replace Power Apps?

With Fabric Apps, Microsoft introduces a new way to build applications on Microsoft Fabric. That immediately raises the question: what does it add if we already have Power Apps? And what does this mean for the future of Power Apps?

My short answer: I mainly see Fabric Apps as an addition. Which solution fits best depends on where your data lives and what users need to be able to do with the app. In this blog I explain what Fabric Apps is, how it differs from Power Apps and how I would make the choice myself.

With Fabric Apps you build data-driven applications within Microsoft Fabric. The functionality is currently still in preview. You build the user interface yourself and connect it to components of Fabric, such as a lakehouse, warehouse, SQL database or semantic model. For hosting, sign-in, an app database and APIs, Fabric offers managed building blocks. So you don't have to set all of that up yourself.

This is especially interesting for organisations that already process a lot of data in Fabric. Suppose a report shows where something is going wrong. The report tells you where the problem is, but something still needs to happen next. With an app, you help employees view that information and record a follow-up step right away.

That way, insights from analyses become part of everyday work.

You certainly can. Power Apps offers Dataverse, Power Automate and a wide range of connectors. With these you can quickly build business apps without having to program everything yourself. If you need more freedom, you can use Power Apps Code Apps to build your own web interface, for example in React or Vue. Design freedom is therefore not an exclusive advantage of Fabric Apps.

The difference lies mainly in the environment in which you build and manage the app. With Power Apps you work from the Power Platform, with extensive options for business processes and integrations with other systems. With Fabric Apps, the data in Fabric is the starting point.

Do employees need to enter data, process forms or go through approvals? Or does the app need to work with different business systems? Then Power Apps is often the obvious choice. If such an application needs a fully custom interface, a Code App is an option.

Fabric Apps becomes interesting when you mainly want to make the data that is already in Fabric accessible through a focused application. Think of an internal app in which employees view analyses and record a follow-up action based on them.

For exploring trends, comparing figures and sharing dashboards, Power BI remains the logical first choice. An app builds on that when users need to be able to do more with the insights.

When making that choice, don't just look at the technical possibilities, but also at access rights, costs and agreements about management.

You publish a Fabric App as a web app that you open via a link. On a phone you use the browser for this, because the app does not automatically appear in the Power Apps mobile player. Whether the app works well on a small screen therefore depends on how you design it. Power Apps does have its own mobile player for supported apps.

For users, what ultimately matters most is whether the app makes their work easier. Can they quickly find the right information? Does the app work on the device they use? And does everyone have secure access to what they need?

Fabric Apps is still in preview. Microsoft describes several limitations, including around certain forms of application management and network security. If you want to use Fabric Apps in production, first check whether its capabilities meet your organisation's requirements.

Power Apps has a broad ecosystem for business processes and integrations with other systems. Fabric Apps, on the other hand, makes it possible to build custom solutions closer to the analytical data in Fabric. Those are two different strengths.

Within one organisation, one application may fit Power Apps perfectly well, while Fabric Apps is the better choice for another. I expect Fabric Apps to find its place alongside Power BI and Power Apps:

• Power BI helps you gain insight into the data.
• Power Apps supports a wide range of business processes.
• Fabric Apps adds custom solutions that connect closely to the data in Fabric.

They don't have to get in each other's way.

When choosing, I would start with three questions: where is the data, what does the user need to be able to do with it and which platform fits that? That gives more to hold on to than just looking at the newest features.

The question then no longer is:

Will Fabric Apps replace Power Apps?

But rather:

Which platform fits this data, this user and this work?

Would you like to discover what Fabric Apps, Power Apps or a combination of both can mean for your organisation? E-mergo helps organisations from data and architecture to a working application. Feel free to contact us to explore the possibilities together.