SharePoint Add-in vs Power Apps

When it comes to creating user-facing business applications linked to SharePoint, two standout contenders emerge: SharePoint add-ins and Power Apps. These tools, though aimed at improving user experiences and optimizing business workflows, follow distinct approaches. SharePoint add-ins seamlessly integrate with SharePoint sites, enabling users to expand functionalities and personalize experiences within the SharePoint framework. On the other hand, Power Apps provide a user-friendly platform for crafting custom applications that seamlessly integrate with SharePoint, offering agility and swift development capabilities.

In this blog post, we'll unravel the distinctions between these solutions, guiding you to choose the right fit for your organization's requirements.

Development Approach:

• SharePoint add-ins: SharePoint add-ins are typically developed using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You can create custom web parts or pages that can be embedded directly into SharePoint sites. SharePoint add-ins offer more flexibility and control over the user interface and functionality of the embedded application.

• Power Apps: Power Apps provides a low-code or no-code development approach. You can create canvas apps or model-driven apps within Power Apps and then embed them into SharePoint sites using the Power Apps web part. Power Apps offers a more visual development experience and is suitable for building relatively simple applications.

Integration with SharePoint:

• SharePoint add-ins: SharePoint add-ins have deeper integration with SharePoint's features and APIs. They can interact with SharePoint lists, libraries, workflows, and search. SharePoint add-ins can utilize SharePoint's security model and inherit the permissions and authentication of the SharePoint site.

• Power Apps: Power Apps can also integrate with SharePoint but with some limitations compared to SharePoint add-ins. You can connect to SharePoint lists and libraries to read and write data, but the integration may not be as extensive as with SharePoint add-ins. Power Apps provides a connector specifically for SharePoint.

User Interface Customization:

• SharePoint add-ins: With SharePoint add-ins, you have more control over the customization of the user interface. You can design and develop custom web parts or pages using web technologies, allowing for more tailored and intricate UI designs.

• Power Apps: Power Apps offers a range of pre-built controls and templates for designing user interfaces. While it provides flexibility for customization, the options may not be as extensive as in SharePoint add-ins. Power Apps focuses more on providing a standardized user interface experience across different devices.

Complexity and Development Time:

• SharePoint add-ins: Developing SharePoint add-ins may require more advanced web development skills and familiarity with SharePoint APIs. The development process can be more time-consuming, especially for complex applications.

• Power Apps: Power Apps provides a more simplified and rapid development experience, thanks to its low-code approach. It allows for faster prototyping and development of applications, making it suitable for relatively simple and straightforward scenarios.

Summary:

• If you need extensive customization, deep integration with SharePoint features, and control over the user interface, SharePoint add-ins may be the better choice.

• If you prefer a faster development cycle, simplified UI customization, and ease of use, Power Apps with its embedded app capabilities can be a suitable option for embedding applications within SharePoint.