How much does PowerApps cost per user in 2026?

PowerApps Premium costs $20 per user per month ($240/year). Organizations with 2,000+ users can negotiate volume pricing at $12 per user per month. The pay-as-you-go option runs $10 per active user per app per month through Azure. That doesn't include Power Automate flows, premium connectors, AI Builder credits, or Dataverse storage, all of which cost extra.

Is the PowerApps per-app plan retired?

For new customers, yes. Microsoft ended new sales of the PowerApps per-app plan on January 2, 2026, removing the $5 per user per app per month SKU from the licensing guide with no prior announcement. Existing Enterprise Agreement (EA) and Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) customers can still renew their per-app licenses. Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA) customers can use it until their agreement expires, then have 60 days to migrate. New customers must choose PowerApps Premium ($20/user/month) or pay-as-you-go ($10/active user/app/month), which represents a 100-300% higher starting cost compared to the per-app plan.

What is the cheapest PowerApps alternative?

Most PowerApps alternatives use per-user SaaS pricing, ranging from $8 to $50+ per user per month. The cheapest long-term alternative is a perpetual license platform like m-Power, a low-code development platform built by mrc, which charges a one-time fee with no per-user costs and unlimited users. At scale, m-Power costs significantly less than any per-user platform over a 3-5 year period.

Is there a low-code platform with no per-user fees?

Yes. m-Power by mrc offers a one-time perpetual license with unlimited users, unlimited applications, and no recurring per-user costs. m-Power runs directly over existing databases (DB2, SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL) and can be deployed on-premise or in the cloud. mrc has served over 1,500 customers since 1981.

Can I replace PowerApps with an on-premise solution?

Yes. While PowerApps is primarily cloud-based with limited on-premise options, platforms like m-Power let you deploy fully on-premise within your own infrastructure. This gives IT complete control over data, security, and compliance. m-Power connects directly to your existing on-premise databases without requiring data migration to a cloud service like Dataverse.

Shadow AI refers to the use of AI tools by employees without IT approval or oversight. This includes consumer AI platforms like ChatGPT, unsanctioned AI coding assistants, and AI-built applications that were never reviewed, secured, or documented by IT.

How is shadow AI different from shadow IT?

Shadow IT was typically one unauthorized tool or subscription. Shadow AI produces output: AI-generated code, applications, automations, and workflows. IT teams don't just inherit an unauthorized tool — they inherit artifacts that are running somewhere, touching company data, with no documentation or defined owner.

Why won't stricter policies stop shadow AI?

According to Gartner, shadow AI is the number one indicator of unmet business needs. Employees aren't using unauthorized tools because they're careless — they're using them because the approved path is too slow. If IT takes six weeks to deliver what an AI tool can produce in an afternoon, policy alone won't change the math. Block one tool and employees find another.

What risks does shadow AI create for IT teams?

Shadow AI creates two main categories of risk. First, data exposure: 60% of organizations have already experienced a data exposure event from employees using public AI tools, according to Cisco. Second, maintenance burden: AI-generated applications often have no security model, no documentation, and no defined IT owner. When something breaks or an audit asks questions, IT inherits the problem.

How can IT teams get ahead of shadow AI?

The most effective approach is making the governed path faster than the workaround. When IT can deliver AI tools connected to your existing data — running inside your environment, under your security model — fast enough to satisfy business demand, shadow AI stops being the default option.

What is an AI workflow?

An AI workflow is a business process that includes AI at one or more steps. The AI analyzes data, makes decisions, or triggers actions as part of the larger process.

What is a data-driven AI workflow?

A data-driven AI workflow runs over your existing business data. The AI reads from your systems and reacts to what it finds. The workflow writes results back to your systems.

How is AI changing workflow automation?

Traditional automation follows pre-defined rules. AI brings intelligence to workflows by interpreting text, detecting tone, classifying content, making judgment calls, and providing suggestions based on policies.

What types of workflows are good candidates for AI?

Workflows involving analysis, content generation, interpretation, and decision making. Examples include support ticket routing, document classification, lead scoring, invoice processing, and anomaly detection.

How can I create an AI workflow over my data?

You need a platform that works over your data and lets you design workflows visually. With m-Power, you connect to your existing data, create AI Assistants and Agents over select parts of your data, and add them to your workflows.

What are internal tools?

Internal tools are custom-built software applications created specifically for internal use by a company’s teams, designed to automate processes, streamline workflows, integrate systems, or improve productivity.

Why use low-code platforms for building internal tools?

Low-code platforms significantly speed up development, require fewer technical resources, facilitate easy integration with existing systems, and offer flexibility and security without the need for extensive coding.

Sal Stangarone – mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

A PowerApps Alternative That Lets You Own the Platform (No Per-User Fees)

By Sal Stangarone / Low-code

If you’re evaluating PowerApps for the first time in 2026, the pricing just changed.

I know…SaaS pricing changes all the time. So what? The business world has gotten used to it.

But here’s the thing. When you’re dealing with a low-code platform that creates and runs your business applications, it’s different. Your business often relies on the applications that it’s created. A pricing change can have major implications for everything you’ve built and everyone who depends on it.

I want to dig into this idea, using PowerApps’ recent change as an example. Is SaaS really the best approach for low-code?

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Shadow AI Is the New Shadow IT (and Better Policies Won’t Stop It)

By Sal Stangarone / Artificial Intelligence

Something is happening in your organization right now that you probably don’t have full visibility into.

It’s happening in organizations across the globe.

Business analysts are building reporting dashboards with AI tools, connected to live company data, with no IT involvement.

Finance staff are pasting budget projections into consumer AI platforms to run analysis faster than waiting on a request.

HR employees are running sensitive policy documents through a chatbot to get quick summaries.

Staff in operations are building workflow automations using free AI builders they found online.

None of it went through IT.

That’s shadow AI. And the reason it matters isn’t just that data is leaving your environment…though it is. It’s that this behavior is accelerating faster than any governance policy can catch up with.

Eventually, everything these people built becomes your problem to secure, maintain, and explain to auditors.

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Shadow AI Is the New Shadow IT (and Better Policies Won’t Stop It)Read More »

How to Build AI Workflows Over Your Data

By Sal Stangarone / Artificial Intelligence, Workflow

Some things don’t really “click” until you see them in action. You hear people talking about some new technology, trend, or tool. But you don’t really “get it” until you see it.

That’s how data-driven AI workflows were for me.

I’d heard the AI hype. Then I saw an AI assistant working over live business data. My wheels started spinning. It opened up so many possibilities.

Then I saw that AI assistant added to a workflow. Data was passed to the assistant, which then made a decision…and led to another workflow step, which could then lead to another assistant and so on.

That’s when it really clicked. You can do anything with this.

In this article, I’ll explain more about AI workflows and why they’re so important to businesses. What are they? How do they work? Why should you care?

Also, we’ve included a video that walks through the whole process of creating an AI workflow from start to finish. After all, some things don’t really “click” until you see them in action.

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How to Build AI Workflows Over Your DataRead More »

m-Power’s AI Update: Bring AI to Your Data, Applications, and Workflows

By Sal Stangarone / Artificial Intelligence

Over the last year or so, we’ve focused on one big goal: Bring AI to your business data, applications, and workflows…on your terms.

We’ve just released a new m-Power update that makes this goal a reality. m-Power now lets you build:

AI Assistants that understand your data and your rules
AI Workflows that automate multi-step processes
AI-powered Chatbots that live inside your applications and provide assistance using live data and company documents
AI Content Retrievers that turn documents and knowledge bases into live, searchable AI knowledge
AI Tool Functions that connect AI directly to your applications and live business data
AI Agents that can coordinate tasks, call tools, and move work forward within your rules

All of this runs over the systems you already use, with IT in control of data access, security, and deployment.

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Coming soon: AI that understands your business

By Sal Stangarone / Artificial Intelligence

Can you believe that ChatGPT isn’t even 3 years old?

Yet, AI is everywhere now. Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene, AI adoption exploded. It’s in everything now, from physical products to business software.

We’ve been following AI’s evolution closely, asking two questions on repeat: How do we bring AI to your business data, applications, and workflow? How do we make it useful in your environment, under your rules?

Over the last few years, we’ve noticed something. Many of the “AI features” added to business software stop at a chat interface. Sure, it’s handy for quick answers. Less helpful when you need to advance a workflow, act on a record, respect role based security, or perform tasks autonomously.

You need AI that understands your data, calls the right systems, and fits the way your team already builds.

That is the bar we set. Bring AI to the business. Plug it into your applications and workflows. Keep IT in control. Deliver value on day one.

The good news: It’s almost here.

Coming soon to m-Power.

Stay tuned.

MS Access Modernization: Why (and How) to Move to the Web

By Sal Stangarone / Access

Key takeaways from this article

What’s wrong with MS Access?
There’s nothing inherently wrong when it’s used as intended. The real issue is that simple Access apps can quietly balloon into complex, mission-critical systems that Access wasn’t built to support.
When should you not use Access?
MS Access falters in multi-user environments, in projects that require integration, apps that require mobile access, or once your database grows past its 2 GB limit.
Can we just build web apps directly over our Access database?
Not reliably. Access has no native web deployment and its file-based engine isn’t designed for web concurrency. While you can connect a web server to an Access file for very light scenarios, it’s fragile and doesn’t scale. For web apps, you need to move the data to a server database (e.g., SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL).
How can you migrate Access to the web?
As demonstrated in the below video, moving Access data to a relational database and building web applications over it is pretty straightforward with the right tools.

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MS Access Modernization: Why (and How) to Move to the WebRead More »

Choosing a Web Query Alternative: One Consultant’s Methodical Approach

By Sal Stangarone / Web Query, web reporting

When IBM announced the end of Db2 Web Query for i, it caught many businesses off guard. Web Query was the go-to reporting tool for IBM i shops. Suddenly, those companies were left asking the same question: Now what?

Rick Flagler, an experienced IBM i consultant, heard that question from his clients almost immediately. They depended on Web Query for reporting and needed a reliable replacement that wouldn’t compromise functionality.

Rick approached the challenge with the precision you’d expect from a seasoned consultant. First, he created a “shopping list” of features that a Web Query replacement should include. He then dove into the landscape of BI tools built for IBM i, narrowing the field to those that ran natively and aligned with his clients’ needs.

From there, Rick didn’t rely on vendor claims or promises…he put each option to the test. He reviewed report designs, requested proof-of-concept demos, and evaluated each product’s ability to meet his criteria.

While I’m happy to say that his search led to m-Power, I’m just scratching the surface here. Rick wrote an article on the whole process, and goes into more details on his approach and criteria. You can read it here: “Life After IBM Db2 Web Query for i: Finding an Alternative.”

If you’re looking for a Web Query replacement, this article is well worth the read. It provides great insight into a thoughtful software evaluation process, what to look for in a BI replacement, and how an experienced consultant approaches this task.

To learn more about m-Power and how it can replace Db2 Web Query, check out this page: IBM Db2 Web Query Replacement

Internal Tools: How to Build Apps That Streamline Your Business

By Sal Stangarone / Application Development, Internal Tools, Low-code

Imagine being stuck in an endless email chain…just to get a simple approval. Or worse, imagine wasting hours pulling data from disconnected spreadsheets only to realize it’s already outdated.

The fact is, most internal processes are a mess.

Teams jump between tools. Spreadsheets do things they were never meant to do. Manual workarounds become the standard. Everyone knows it’s inefficient, but…no one knows how to fix it. Or, they’re just used to it.

That’s where internal tools come in.

Internal tools are custom apps built to solve problems inside your business. They help your team work faster, cut out repetitive tasks, and replace duct-taped processes with real solutions.

Better yet, they fit into your own infrastructure and unique business processes. When done right, these custom internal tools are invisible. They just work. They streamline processes and never get in the way.

The best part? Creating internal tools isn’t that hard. You don’t need a huge development team or a massive budget. With the right plan (and the right tools), anyone can build internal tools that make a real difference.

In this article, I’ll walk through how to do it. You’ll learn what works, what to avoid, and how to make internal tools a real advantage for your business.

Sound good? Let’s get into it.

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How to Build a Web-Based Dashboard (+ Video Guide)

By Sal Stangarone / Business Dashboards, Dashboards

Dashboards should make your life easier. Many don’t.

What happens? Some try to show everything at once…without really showing anything useful. Others take months to build and still don’t have the right data. Yet, making a change might take weeks. I could go on.

The good news? Dashboards have come a long way. They’re accessible from anywhere. They update in real time. And with the right tools, you can build one in a day—not a quarter.

In this article, you’ll learn how to build web-based dashboards in minutes that actually help people do their jobs. We’ll cover different types—like KPI dashboards, executive dashboards, and other business dashboards your different teams might use. You’ll learn some best practices, mistakes to avoid, and the best approach to development.

Sounds good? Let’s get started.

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How to Build a Web-Based Dashboard (+ Video Guide)Read More »

How to create a custom, web-based scheduling calendar in 12 minutes

By Sal Stangarone / calendar, scheduling

Let’s be honest: There’s no shortage of web-based calendar tools these days. You’ll find dozens of off-the-shelf scheduling calendars that you can set up and deploy in your business.

The problem is, they’re all generic and every business is different. While these off-the-shelf scheduling applications might fit most of your needs, they won’t provide a perfect fit. They might do some things very well but lack key features in other areas.

But, what if you could create a custom scheduling application…faster than it takes to deploy a generic solution? What if you could create a data-driven, web-based calendar that was 100% tailored to your business…in a little over 10 minutes? It’s possible, and we’ve created a video to show you how it’s done.

Want to try it for yourself? Set up an m-Power Test Drive.

Author name: Sal Stangarone

Key takeaways from this article