I get it—SharePoint is familiar, easy to set up, and widely used. Many organizations default to SharePoint lists as a backend when building Power Apps and Power Automate solutions. But here’s the problem:

A SharePoint list is not a database.

As your solution scales, using SharePoint as your primary data source can lead to performance issues, security risks, and maintainability headaches. If you want a robust, scalable, and future-proof Power Platform solution, you need a proper data model—and often, that means using Dataverse instead.

🚨 Why SharePoint Lists Fall Short

🔴 Performance Issues – SharePoint lists struggle with large datasets. Once you hit the 5,000-item threshold, you’ll start running into delegation limits and slow queries.

🔴 Data Integrity Risks – SharePoint lacks referential integrity (no enforced relationships), making it easy for data inconsistencies to creep in.

🔴 Limited Security Controls – Column- and row-level security? Not in SharePoint. You’ll need workarounds to properly manage access.

🔴 Complex Business Logic? Good Luck – SharePoint isn’t built for complex workflows, validation rules, or structured processes.

✅ Why Dataverse is a Better Choice

✔ Scalability & Performance – Designed for structured data, Dataverse supports millions of records without hitting delegation issues.

✔ Data Integrity – Enforced relationships, option sets, and calculated fields ensure cleaner, more reliable data.

✔ Advanced Security – Row- and column-level security, role-based access control, and managed permissions make Dataverse enterprise-ready.

✔ Rich Integrations – Seamless integration with Power Apps, Power Automate, and external data sources, plus native ALM capabilities for DevOps processes.

💡 When Should You Still Use SharePoint?

✅ For simple, low-volume, departmental apps with minimal complexity. ✅ When you need a document library—SharePoint is still great for storing and managing files. ✅ For lightweight lists that won’t grow significantly over time.

But if you’re building a mission-critical application that needs scalability, security, and structure—Dataverse should be your go-to.

Final Thoughts

The best Power Platform solutions start with a solid data model. Choosing the right backend from the start saves you time, effort, and rework down the road. Don’t let a SharePoint list hold your solution back.

What’s been your experience? Have you had to migrate from SharePoint to Dataverse before? Let’s discuss in the comments!