Power Apps: Overview of Canvas, Model-driven, and Custom Pages

What is Power Apps

Power Apps is an ecosystem of tools and technologies that allow you to design, deploy, and manage custom applications for your organization. Its goal is to simplify digital transformation by providing a unified framework for building interfaces, automations, and integrations. Depending on the development approach and user experience required, there are three main types of apps: Canvas Apps, Model-driven Apps, and Custom Pages.

All these apps share the same data engine, Microsoft Dataverse, ensuring security, governance, and interoperability with other platform components such as Power Automate and Power BI.

Canvas Apps: Flexibility and Custom Design

Canvas Apps offer the most flexible and visual approach to app development. Users can design interfaces by dragging and dropping controls, images, galleries, and forms onto a blank “canvas,” similar to a graphic design tool. This type of app is ideal for mobile or desktop scenarios where user experience and design precision are critical.

Based on Microsoft’s technical documentation, Canvas Apps allow you to:

• Create apps from scratch or predefined templates.
• Connect to over 600 available connectors, including Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Dynamics 365, and SQL Server.
• Implement logic using the Power Fx language, a declarative formula language similar to Excel.
• Run apps natively via the Power Apps mobile client or in a browser.

The main development interface is Power Apps Studio, accessible through the Maker Portal. Here, you can design screens, controls, and business logic, then publish and share apps with your organization.

Model-driven Apps: Data-driven Architecture

Model-driven Apps use a “data-first” approach—where the app’s interface and logic derive directly from the data model defined in Dataverse. This type of app is ideal for structured business scenarios such as CRM systems, ticket management, or complex process administration.

Main features include:

• Configuration based on Dataverse tables, views, forms, charts, and dashboards.
• App creation through the Model-driven App Designer in the Maker Portal.
• Support for Business Process Flows and standard automations.
• Ability to include independent dashboards, custom forms, and guided processes.

Model-driven Apps share the same interface as many Dynamics 365 solutions and can be enriched with custom components such as the Power Apps Component Framework (PCF) and web resources.

Custom Pages: Bridging the Two Worlds

Custom Pages represent an evolution of the Power Apps model, combining the visual flexibility of Canvas Apps with the structured nature of Model-driven Apps. They can be added within a Model-driven App to create more interactive and dynamic experiences.

Using Custom Pages, you can:

• Design custom layouts with Power Fx and Canvas controls.
• Interact with Dataverse data contextually.
• Integrate charts, tables, and business logic into a single interface.
• Use PCF components to extend functionality further.

This technology is particularly useful for building modern and hybrid user experiences, combining the simplicity of Canvas design with the robustness of a structured backend.

Development and Customization Tools

For advanced customization, Microsoft provides several dedicated tools for Power Apps developers:

• Power Apps Maker Portal: the central hub for development (make.powerapps.com).
• Visual Studio Code: ideal for developing PCF components and web resources.
• Power Apps CLI: a command-line interface for creating and deploying custom components (official documentation).
• XrmToolBox: a community tool for managing and optimizing Dataverse solutions.

These tools extend Power Apps’ native capabilities, integrating with Azure and Microsoft 365 for enterprise-grade development.

Power Fx: Declarative Logic for Everyone

Power Fx is the expression language used in Power Apps to implement business logic. Inspired by Excel, it enables users to manage events, validate data, and calculate dynamic values with simple formulas.

Power Fx is now integrated not only in Canvas Apps but also in Model-driven custom commands and Command Bar extensions, providing a consistent and accessible development experience.

Microsoft Documentation: Power Fx Overview.

Power Apps and Dataverse: Native Integration

One of Power Apps’ main advantages is its native integration with Dataverse. All apps can securely read and write data while respecting configured roles and security policies. This ensures a unified user experience and centralized administration.

Dataverse-based apps can be deployed across environments using managed and unmanaged solutions throughout the development and release lifecycle (Power Platform ALM).