Power Apps, included in various Office 365 subscriptions, offer limited functionalities compared to standalone Power Apps plans. The two standalone plans available are "per user, per app" and "per user, unlimited apps". The features provided in these plans incur an extra cost over the Office 365 subscription. The version of Power Apps coming with Office 365, termed "Seeded Power Apps", offers standard connectors and Power Automate rights within the Power Apps context. Still, it lacks Model-driven Apps, Premium or On-premises Connectors, use of Common Data Service, and Power Apps Portals rights.
Model-driven apps simplify designing applications for common business scenarios, while Canvas apps require a design to be built from scratch. Access to business data is facilitated by connectors, where standard connectors offer limited access compared to Premium and On-premises connectors. If users seek general-purpose and full capabilities of the platform, they should consider standalone Power Apps. Standalone Power Automate licences should be considered for users needing extensive workflow/business process automation capabilities.
The final decision depends on each organization's specific requirements and a cost/benefit analysis of the limited version of Power Apps that comes with the Office 365 subscription versus a standalone plan.
Power Apps are a cornerstone of Microsoft's Power Platform, offering a versatile tool for application development. They cater to both simple and complex business needs, with options for building Canvas or Model-driven apps. Canvas Apps offers user-oriented flexibility, empowering designers to build a unique user interface. On the other hand, Model-Driven Apps allows developers to quickly form apps based on business data and processes.
The Seeded Power Apps version, included in Office 365, is a cost-effective solution for businesses needing to develop simple applications either internally or for clients. A wide array of Standard Connectors is provided, enabling linkage to numerous free Microsoft 365 services.
For businesses seeking more robust solutions, Premium and On-premises Connectors as part of standalone Power Apps plans offer connection to paid services like Dynamics 365 data, SQL Server, and Salesforce. Power Automate use rights also enable extensive customization and extension of Office 365 applications.
Lastly, Power Apps Portals present an opportunity for businesses to offer Power Apps applications to an external audience, significantly increasing their reach. These varying features of Power Apps provide businesses with significant leverage to optimize their processes, building the future of work.
The text revolves around the inclusion of Power Apps in Office 365 subscriptions. While they do form part of the Microsoft Power Platform, which comes with most Office 365 subscriptions, they do not offer full capabilities. According to Microsoft's February 2020 licensing guide, there are 'limited' Power Apps use rights included with select Office 365 licenses. To access the full features of Power Apps, one must purchase standalone plans that come at an additional cost over the Office 365 subscription. The cheaper package that comes included with an Office 365 subscription is the 'Seeded Power Apps' version which offers scaled-down versions of the full Power Apps capabilities, such as Canvas Apps but not Model-driven Apps, Standard Connectors but not Premium or On-premises Connectors. It also does not include the right to use Power Apps Portals or the Common Data Service.
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