Why more companies are switching to Power Apps

Microsoft Access is a solid database tool that has been around for decades. Many organizations have used it for years. For small teams and simple databases it works well, but at some point, many companies run into its limitations.

People now work from home, on the road, at customer locations, or across multiple offices. Teams are growing. External partners often need access to certain systems. And more and more work happens on mobile devices.

Access was designed in a very different time, when everyone sat at a desk in the office. Because of this, many organizations quickly experience their limitations. Some examples:

• Access is only accessible on Windows computers: Access runs only on Windows, not on Mac, tablets, or smartphones. Colleagues can access the database only from a Windows machine, either on-site or via a complex Remote Desktop setup. Want to give external partners access? That requires VPN connections and time-consuming maintenance.
• Slow performance with multiple users: Access works fine for small teams, but once more than 10–20 users work at the same time, the application becomes noticeably slower. This happens because Access uses a file-based system rather than a real server database.
• No mobile capabilities: Employees want to view or enter data on the go — in the warehouse, at a customer location, or from home. But Access has no mobile app. You need Remote Desktop, which is slow, inconvenient, and data-heavy. Access simply wasn’t designed for mobile work.
• 2GB database limit: Each Access database has a maximum size of 2GB. Some organizations never reach that limit, but others are forced to split data across multiple files or migrate to SQL Server.
• Maintenance becomes complex: The application has been running for years. The original creator is gone. The structure has grown organically. Now something needs to be updated, but no one knows how. Maintaining an Access application becomes harder, slower, and more risky over time.
• (Older versions) Access end of support: Some versions of Access still receive updates, such as Microsoft 365 Access. But older versions (pre-2019) no longer receive support. Versions released after 2019 will also reach end-of-support in the coming years.

Work from the cloud
Power Apps runs online, not on a single machine. That means:

• Employees can work anywhere: office, home, or on the go

• You grant access with a few clicks

• External partners work securely without VPN or extra infrastructure

Security is handled through Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory). Adding a user is as simple as adding an email address.

No user limits
Where Access slows down with many users, Power Apps supports dozens or even hundreds of simultaneous users without issues. It uses modern cloud infrastructure built for large-scale usage.

Automate processes
Power Apps integrates seamlessly with Power Automate, allowing you to:

• Send automatic emails

• Notify managers for approvals

• Sync data across systems

• Generate documents automatically

Works on your phone
Power Apps has a mobile app (iOS & Android), and every app works on mobile by default. Clear screens, large buttons, and simple input make it easy to use anywhere.

A practical example: contract management from Access to Power Apps

One of our clients had a contract management system built in Microsoft Access. The system had been running for 8 years and contained hundreds of contracts. Over time, the problems started piling up. The application was:

• Only accessible from the office

• Slow when multiple users were active

• Difficult to adjust or extend

• Not usable on mobile devices

We replaced Access with Power Apps, step by step. Here’s how we approached it:

Step 1: Rebuilding the screens
We recreated all Access forms and overviews in Power Apps. The new version is more modern, clearer, and easier to use.

Why is this easier in Power Apps:
Access is a desktop-first tool, so forms mainly work well on a PC. Power Apps is fully web-based and works directly in a browser, on tablets, and on mobile. That immediately makes it feel more modern and flexible.

Step 2: Automating processes
Manual tasks were automated. For example: when a contract is about to expire, the right person automatically receives a notification.

Why is this easier in Power Apps:
Simple alerts can be set inside the app. For more complex logic, you can use Power Automate to create multi-step workflows. For example approval flows, sending reports, or syncing data between systems.

Step 3: Migrating the data
We moved the data to a SQL Server on the client’s own premises. Power Apps connects to it securely.

Why is this easier in Power Apps:
If your database is set up properly, Power Apps can connect directly without needing to redesign your entire data structure. You can modernize the app’s frontend while keeping your existing database, saving a lot of time and effort.

Step 4: Adding new functionality
We added new features that Access simply couldn’t support, such as:

• Approving contracts on your phone

• Automatic notifications when action is required

• Integrations with other systems

Why extending functionality is easier in Power Apps:
Power Apps continuously receives new features from Microsoft: think AI capabilities, better integrations, and new UI components. Your app automatically benefits from these updates. With Access (except for Access 365), you need to wait for new versions and upgrade manually.

The result?
Employees can now work from anywhere.
The app is fast. And adding new features is far easier than before.