Canvas Apps and Model-Driven Apps are both integral components of Microsoft Power Platform, designed to offer quick build-and-deployment functionalities. Although they both aim to create applications, they vary drastically in their orientation, execution, and customization levels. This article provides an in-depth comparison of these two app types to help you better understand their differences based on their capabilities and functions.
Canvas Apps
Canvas apps are primarily designed from a blank canvas, offering a highly customizable and intuitive visual design interface. This “bottom-up” approach ensures the creators get to conceptualize and control the app design down to the pixel. Canvas apps are ideal when your app needs a highly customized user interface (UI) rather than conforming to a set design structure.
Here, you may start with a template or an empty canvas and then construct your app by dragging and dropping elements (text boxes, media, forms, etc.) onto the canvas, exactly where you want them. The data source is connected after the interface is designed, and it could be a common data source, an Excel file, SharePoint, or a host of already integrated connections.
Model-Driven Apps
Unlike canvas apps, which start with the user interface, model-driven apps start with the data. Model-driven app design is a “top-down” approach that focuses more on the business processes and less on the user interface. It uses metadata from the data source to create the app automatically, making it an ideal choice when you need a complex application with forms, views, and dashboards.
Model-driven apps are built on the Microsoft Dataverse(Common Data Service). This powerful data service consolidates your data into entities (tables) and attributes (columns) that define the shape of the application. Data is at the core of the application design process, and thus it determines the layout.
Comparison Table: Canvas Apps vs. Model-Driven Apps
| Canvas Apps | Model-Driven Apps | |
|---|---|---|
| Design Approach | Bottom-Up | Top-Down |
| User Interface | Highly Customizable | Determined by Data Structure |
| Data Connection | Connected after Interface Design | Integral Part of App Design |
| Ideal For | Simple, Task-Based Apps | Complex Business Processes |
| Data Source | Common Data Source, SharePoint, Excel, etc. | Microsoft Dataverse |
Practical Example
Suppose you want to create a simple app that allows employees to log their daily work hours. This app requires a customized UI and has a simple function.
In this case, a Canvas app would be ideal due to its flexibility, allowing you to design the interface just as you envision it and then connect it to a data source later.
However, if you’re dealing with a more complex task, like an app that manages the entire sales process of a company, collating and analyzing data from multiple sources, a model-driven app would be the better choice. It can comprehensively handle complex data relationships, automatically creating UIs based on the business logic and data model.
To summarize, the differences between canvas and model-driven apps lie primarily in their design orientation, customization, and how they interact with data. Depending on your needs, you can leverage the strength of each to create the ideal app for your specific purpose.
Practice Test
True/False: Both Canvas Apps and Model-Driven Apps in Power Platform are built similarly?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Canvas Apps gives the creator full control over the app layout, whereas Model-Driven Apps are component-focused and layout is auto-generated based on the components defined.
Which of these apps begin with your data model and data source, allowing you to design a functional app with a responsive design (Select the single correct answer)?
- a. Canvas Apps
- b. Model-Driven Apps
Answer: b. Model-Driven Apps
Explanation: Model-Driven Apps start with your data model, which in turn drives your application interface.
True/False: Users have more control over the app’s layout in Model-Driven Apps.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: In Canvas Apps, users have more control over the app’s layout.
What application type is best for creating complex and feature-rich applications that generally serve a broad audience (Select the single correct answer)?
- a. Canvas Apps
- b. Model-Driven Apps
Answer: b. Model-Driven Apps
Explanation: Model-Driven Apps are better for developing complex, feature-rich applications serving a broader audience.
Which of these apps starts with a blank canvas?
- a. Canvas Apps
- b. Model-Driven Apps
Answer: a. Canvas Apps
Explanation: Canvas Apps start with a blank canvas, and then the app maker can design the user interface.
True/False: Canvas Apps are best for highly tailored tasks that require a specific workflow.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Canvas Apps are designed for highly tailored tasks because the app maker has full control over the design and workflow.
Which of these apps are component-focused and its layout is determined by the components you add?
- a. Canvas Apps
- b. Model-Driven Apps
Answer: b. Model-Driven Apps
Explanation: Model-driven apps design is component-focused, and depending on what components you add, the system will automatically respond to your layouts.
True/False: Both Canvas Apps and Model-Driven Apps cannot integrate with various data sources.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Both Canvas Apps and Model-Driven Apps can integrate with various data sources, including SharePoint, Excel, and so on.
Multiple select: Which are the advantages of using Canvas Apps?
- a. Full control over design
- b. Auto adaptation to different devices
- c. Starts with a blank canvas
- d. Application interface is driven by data model
Answer: a. Full control over design, c. Starts with a blank canvas
Explanation: Canvas Apps are known for their flexibility with design, as they start with a blank slate, allowing you to dictate the entire layout.
True/False: Model-Driven Apps are generally more time-efficient to build than Canvas apps.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Model-Driven Apps can be more time-efficient to build because the layout is auto-generated based on the components defined.
Single select: What are Model-Driven Apps built on?
- a. Canvas
- b. Data model
- c. Blank app layout
Answer: b. Data model
Explanation: Model-Driven Apps are built on and driven by your underlying data model.
Interview Questions
What is the primary design focus of Canvas Apps in the Microsoft Power Platform?
Canvas Apps are focused on the tailor-made user interface. They allow developers to design the app from a blank canvas, positioning controls exactly where they want.
What are Model-Driven Apps in Power Apps primarily focused on?
Model-Driven Apps are primarily focused on the business process rather than the user interface. They use the data model to create the app’s user interface.
How does data handling differ between canvas apps and model-driven apps?
In Canvas Apps, data is handled interactively, and multiple sources can be combined. In Model-Driven Apps, data is handled based on the underlying data model which follows a specific business logic.
How is navigation designed in Model-Driven Apps compared to Canvas Apps?
Navigation in Model-Driven Apps is autogenerated and optimized for web and mobile, whereas in Canvas Apps, navigation can be custom designed by the app developer.
Can model-driven apps be connected to multiple data sources like canvas apps?
Unlike canvas apps, model-driven apps are primarily designed around Dynamics 365 and data from the Dataverse. Canvas apps can connect to a much wider range of data sources.
What types of users are canvas apps typically designed for?
Canvas Apps are typically designed for users who need a highly tailored app that supports specific, task-oriented activities and that requires data from diverse sources.
What makes Model-Driven Apps a preferred choice for data-intensive scenarios?
Model-Driven Apps present large amounts of data in a structured and easy-to-navigate format. They focus more on the business logic and less on the user interface making it ideal for dealing with data-intensive scenarios.
Can Canvas Apps and Model-Driven Apps coexist within the same solution?
Yes, Canvas Apps and Model-Driven Apps can coexist within the same solution, allowing organizations to use the advantages of both depending on their specific needs.
How does the creation process differ between canvas and model-driven apps?
The creation process of a canvas app starts with the user interface, followed by linking data, while model-driven apps begin with defining data and business processes, followed by the system automatically generating a responsive user interface.
How do security features differ between the two types of apps?
Canvas apps have data connections that enforce the security of the data source. In model-driven apps, the built in Power Apps security model is used to control access to objects, fields, and rows.
What is the main advantage of using Canvas Apps over Model-Driven Apps?
The main advantage of using Canvas Apps is its flexibility in design layout and the ability to connect to many different data sources.
Is it possible to embed a canvas app within a model-driven app?
Yes, it is possible to embed a canvas app within a model-driven app, thereby achieving more complex functionalities.
From the developer’s perspective, how does creating a Model-Driven App differ from creating a Canvas App?
In developing a Canvas App, a developer typically starts by designing the user interface, while in a Model-Driven App, the developer would start by defining the business logic and data model.
Are Model-Driven Apps created from a blank canvas similar to Canvas Apps?
No, unlike Canvas Apps, Model-Driven Apps are created from structures called entities in the Dataverse that determine the app’s appearance and behavior.
Which app type is better suited for complex business solutions, Canvas Apps or Model-Driven Apps?
Generally, Model-Driven Apps are better suited for complex business solutions as they are designed to simplify the process of managing large amounts of data and they have autogenerated UI optimized for various devices.
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