Power BI vs Fabric Apps: 5 Rules to Choose the Right One

Rule 1: Analyze or Act00:00:30

Use a report if the user's goal is to analyze data (filtering, comparing). Build an app if the user needs to perform a workflow process like approving or resolving items.

Rule 2: Analytical vs. Product Experience00:01:45

A report is a static canvas for data, whereas an app is a full product experience requiring design work for navigation, screens, and user states.

Rule 3: Occasional Write-Back vs. App-Owned Data00:02:55

Simple write-back functionality can now be done in Power BI. An app is only necessary if the data belongs to a custom process with its own database and life cycle.

Rule 4: Analyst Maintained vs. Software Artifact00:04:35

Reports are easily maintained by analysts. Fabric apps involve code (TypeScript), dependencies, and deployment processes, requiring developers to handle maintenance.

Rule 5: Scale vs. Impact00:05:58

Broad reporting for many users is best handled by Power BI. Apps are best for high-impact, specific processes where the effort of maintaining a product is justified.