Both Canvas Apps and Model-driven Apps have some similar components to their design. Although there are many differences between the two apps – fundamentally, they are the same. Both are business apps that can be created by non-developers. Even if you don’t know how to code, Microsoft’s low coding platform allows businesses to build their own custom apps.
Model Driven Apps
Compared to canvas apps, model-driven apps in PowerApps are based on underlying data — specifically, the data stored in Common Data Service (CDS). CDS is a secure, cloud-based storage space that organizations can use to store business application data. According to Microsoft:
“Data within Common Data Service is stored within a set of entities. An entity is a set of records used to store data, similar to how a table stores data within a database. Common Data Service includes a base set of standard entities that cover typical scenarios, but you can also create custom entities specific to your organization and populate them with data using Power Query. App makers can then use PowerApps to build rich applications using this data.”
Since model-driven apps take a data-first approach, they are far more rigid in design than canvas apps; most user interface components are premade and pre-selected based on the data you choose, though there is still room to edit individual components. However, this data-first approach also means that model-driven apps are more sophisticated than canvas apps, which makes them better suited for apps that require complex business logic. Model-driven apps are also responsive by design and will render themselves according to whatever device you use.
Canvas Apps
The Canvas app is very easy to be visualized on a tablet or mobile app after being embedded in the dashboard. As per the solution name, canvas apps offer you a blank canvas to drag/drop the components and create an app of your expectations. You even get to move, resize, and reformat the components where you need them to design the website. As you’re done with the design and functionality outline in the canvas app, go ahead and start integrating the same with more data sources. Excel holds prominent value in the integration process of the canvas app structure.
Which is better?
To be precise, choosing between the Canvas app and the model-driven app is quite a challenging task. Both power apps have their potential and are better suited to deal with specific functions that others can’t achieve. A canvas app is handy for role-based solutions, while the model-driven app is perfect for end-to-end solutions. But, for the maximum benefits opting for both types of apps is the right decision.
You should be identifying the areas where a canvas app & model-driven app is useful. Check in what ways they can complement the multiple business processes. Additionally, you might have thoughts about if these apps can be switched along too?
The answer lies in the data structure created along the process. The entity/table can be reused in either of the apps. However, the model-driven app leads the race here. Its interface allows seamless integration of the tables and boosts the timeline and productivity of the app development tasks. On the contrary, the canvas app is all about placing components in specific locations, making it slightly typical to convert into a model-driven app.
