What’s the difference between a canvas app and a model-driven app?
Power Apps was launched to help organisations build business apps quickly, no matter their user's coding experience. It gives users two options when building their applications - either through a Canvas App or Model-Driven App with Power Apps. The basic differences between these two are:
CANVAS APP
- It provides users with a blank canvas where you can drag and drop components in any information to design a user interface.
- It provides users with much more intuitive user experience than model-driven apps since users don't have to worry about how data is structured within the canvas app.
- It offers better flexibility for developers to change their apps' look and feel.
- It has over 350 connectors, empowering users to have more functionalities.
- It requires Power Platform license and the necessary roles and permission in Data Verse to be able to implement and develop on a Canvas App.
- Its logic implementation is app-specific and can be done through Excel-like formula and conditional checks.
MODEL-DRIVEN APP
- It enables users to design and develop component-focused apps to implement an end-to-end business process.
- How the design and view of the app is based on the governing components used in the application.
- It can only connect with only one data connector, and that is the Data Verse.
- It requires Dynamics 365 product license (e.g. Business Central or Finance & Supply Chain) to implement and develop on a Model-Driven App.
- It has flexible logic implementation which includes business rules, workflows, actions, and plug-ins.
See how Microsoft Power Apps work in this YouTube playlist.