Power Apps vs AppSheet: the app builder you already pay for is usually the answer

This page is written for a business choosing a low-code standard across a Google suite, a Microsoft suite, or a split of the two. It is not about whether to build an app at all rather than buy a packaged product — that question sits one level up, in Power Apps versus buying off-the-shelf software. Here the decision to build on a low-code platform is made, and the open question is which platform.

We are a Microsoft consultancy, so read the AppSheet sections with that in mind. We have tried to keep them to what Google publishes about its own product, and to say plainly where AppSheet is the better fit.

Which is cheaper for a small business, Power Apps or AppSheet?

Usually the one you already pay for. AppSheet Core is included with most Google Workspace editions, including the Business plans, once an admin turns it on. Power Apps use rights come with most Microsoft 365 business licences for apps built on Microsoft 365 data and standard connectors. Either way, paid tiers enter only when an app outgrows those limits.

On the Google side, the boundary is published in Google's admin help on managing AppSheet in your organization (opens in new tab): Core licences cover Business Starter, Standard and Plus, the Enterprise and Frontline editions, and others, while AppSheet Enterprise Plus is the paid step for advanced integrations and for sharing apps with people outside your organization. On the Microsoft side, Microsoft's Power Platform licensing overview (opens in new tab) describes the Microsoft 365 use rights as intended for Microsoft 365 data and standard connectors, with Power Apps Premium needed beyond that. Our guide to Power Apps licensing for small business covers which Microsoft licence fits once an app needs Dataverse or premium connectors.

So for a Workspace-only company, AppSheet costs nothing extra to try, while Power Apps would first need Microsoft accounts and licences for every user. For a Microsoft 365 company, the reverse is true.

How do Power Apps and AppSheet compare side by side?

AppSheet is a data-first, no-code builder that turns a spreadsheet or table into a working mobile and web app quickly. Power Apps is a broader low-code platform with full control over screens and logic, tied into SharePoint, Teams, Dataverse and Power Automate. The table lines them up on the factors a small business actually decides on.

When is AppSheet the better choice?

AppSheet is the better choice when the business runs on Google Workspace, the data already sits in Google Sheets, and the users are all inside the organization. A field inspection log, an equipment checkout list or a simple job tracker can go from spreadsheet to phone app quickly, with no new accounts and no added licence cost.

That last point matters more than any feature comparison. Introducing Power Apps into a Workspace-only company means creating Microsoft work accounts for every app user, which is a second identity system to secure and maintain just for one app. Unless the business is already planning a broader move, that overhead rarely pays for itself on a small app.

When is Power Apps the better choice?

Power Apps is the better choice when staff sign in with Microsoft 365 accounts and the data lives in SharePoint, Excel on OneDrive or a SQL database. It also wins when an app needs multi-step approvals, role-based screens, or a place inside Teams and SharePoint where people already work, because those pieces are native to the Microsoft stack.

The other deciding factor is how far the app will grow. A canvas app on a SharePoint list runs on the Microsoft 365 licences you already hold; when it outgrows the list, Dataverse adds relationships, security roles and auditing without changing platforms. If a request is really just a form that feeds an approval, though, start smaller: our comparison of Microsoft Forms and Power Apps shows when the free form plus a flow is the whole answer.

What if we run both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365?

Pick the suite that holds the data the apps will work on and the accounts your staff sign in with, then standardise on its app builder. Running both platforms means two sets of skills, two sets of permissions to audit, and apps that cannot easily share data. Split-suite businesses usually settle on one side within a year anyway.

The same reasoning applies to reporting: our Power BI vs Looker Studio comparison for small business weighs the identical Google-or-Microsoft choice on the dashboard line, and the two decisions are best made together. If the honest answer is that the company is drifting towards Microsoft 365 for mail, files and security, our guide to moving from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 covers what that larger change involves, and Power Apps becomes the natural default.

A quick way to decide

• Choose AppSheet if your company runs on Google Workspace, the data is in Google Sheets, and every app user is inside the organization.
• Choose Power Apps if staff sign in with Microsoft 365, the data is in SharePoint, Excel on OneDrive or a SQL database, or the app needs approvals, roles and a home in Teams.
• Standardise on one if you run both suites — follow the data and the sign-in, not the feature list, and make the reporting decision at the same time.

If Power Apps is the answer, start with one app that replaces a spreadsheet someone maintains by hand every week. Our fixed-fee Power Apps consulting service scopes that first build in writing up front — one price, senior US-based engineers, typical 2–4 week delivery, and 30 days of hypercare included.