What is major different between PowerApps and Project Siena?

[yukonn]

Hi,

     I just wondering MS already built "Project Siena" and then why they build "PowerApps" again. I would like to know what is major different between PowerApps and Project Siena? For me, not so much different between this two Apps because  I never use before Project Siena. Yes, Project Siena UI is not user friendly but memory usage is less than PowerApps. All of PowerApp's formula and function is already has on "Project Siena". Why not improve "Project Siena" and build the new App same as previous.

    Project Siena is lunch two years ago and then still beta version. How much porpula the "Project Siena" in real life? What is the PowerApps? Can we use it on Production or should we build for Enterprise Apps?

Regards,

[hpkeong · Accepted solution]

Hi Yukonn:

Almost going to bed but awaken by your interesting question.

I started using Project Siena on the first day until it was switched to PowerApps.

1. Project Siena is not a cloud based apps to build apps

2. PS allowed apps to be, either Side-loaded or Published to Win Store (and even for selling)

3. PS only has static data and even saving is limited to xml (but can;t be opened by Excel)

4. Most of the PA and PS functions are similar (PA evoluted from PS) but PA has much better functions

We, PS initial user, wish PA to be a hybrid apps (PA + PS) but since MS CEO prefers Cloud-first Mobile-first, PS is almost going to retire soon.

PS users always glad to have apps published in Win Store for public to download (I myself has created free and charge-apps in Win 8, then 8,1 and Win 10) but PA only allowed sharing.

PA is more for productivity within Work Mail or School Mail but PS does not need any account.

Just sharing.

[Barb · Accepted solution]

Project Siena allowed folks to build apps for distribution via the Windows Store as well as appx files for company side-loading and could be tweaked in Visual Studio. You could add Live Tiles and more plus specify badges etc. in VS. PowerApps is inTRAnet only and restricted to customers within the same domain and there is no extensibility within Visual Studio. Project Siena supported many more REST functions natively but PowerApps requires you to build your own. You can't get the base code from an app built with PA as you could with Project Siena.

[yukonn]

Hi all,

     Thanks for your valuable comment on my post. PS is still beta version but going to retire soon but not officially. I found this Post regarding PS's future and their user feedback. This time MS may not be make again on PA like PS. PA is coming from PS but we still need to vote to get this kind of function on PA (eg. Barcode, Printing, Code Formatting, Iteration). Those are already vote on PS but they ignore it.

We hope PowerApps will bring more feature for us.

Regards,