Excel as a Data Source - Yes or No

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Posted on 10 Nov 2023 04:18:20 by seanct

Hi,

I am pretty new to Power Apps, should I steer away from using Excel as my data source,

Seems to be quite restrictive, as opposed to Dataverse and SharePoint lists, also when trying to create a Power Automate flow there is no option to trigger the flow by adding an row in Excel, so need to mess about with email triggers etc

Appreciate your thoughts, got some work coming up and may be able to steer the client away from Excel ,

Cheers

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seanct 53 on 10 Nov 2023 at 07:23:35

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Re: Excel as a Data Source - Yes or No

Thanks Shaheer, perfect mate

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seanct 53 on 10 Nov 2023 at 07:22:06

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Re: Excel as a Data Source - Yes or No

Thanks EddieE, will watch the video, much appreciated.

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Shaheer Ahmad 2,194 Moderator on 10 Nov 2023 at 05:08:23

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Re: Excel as a Data Source - Yes or No

A Big "No" for using Excel as a database.
Limitation:
Limited Concurrent Users: Excel is not designed for concurrent usage by multiple users, and using it as a data source in a multi-user app may lead to issues.
Data Structure: Excel is a flat file format, and if your data is relational or requires complex queries, using Dataverse or SharePoint might be a better choice.
Limited Scalability: Excel may not be suitable for large datasets or complex applications due to performance concerns.
Integration Challenges: As you mentioned, integrating Power Automate flows with Excel can be more challenging compared to other data sources like Dataverse or SharePoint.
My Recommendation:
If your client's needs align with the limitations of Excel as a data source and they are aware of the potential challenges, it might be acceptable for small-scale or prototyping purposes. However, if scalability, concurrent usage, and integration capabilities are crucial, consider steering towards Dataverse or SharePoint lists.
Always consider the specific requirements of your project and discuss the pros and cons with your client to make an informed decision based on their needs and long-term goals.

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EddieE 4,641 Moderator on 10 Nov 2023 at 05:07:46

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Re: Excel as a Data Source - Yes or No

@seanct

Shane Young says 'No', and I tend to agree with him. This video has some great info about what you might encounter if using Excel as your Data Source

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtmZM3tm2Zs

I mostly use SharePoint, which is fine for most apps but will struggle if you need to scale your app.

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