Dataverse vs SharePoint: where should the data live?
Use SharePoint lists when the process is simple, the data is flat and your people already work in SharePoint. Use Dataverse when several tables relate to each other, security must be tight, or more than one app will share the data. Many solutions start in SharePoint and move when the process outgrows it.
SharePoint lists and Dataverse side by side
Both store business data for Power Apps and Power Automate. They differ in what they handle well. Figures below follow Microsoft’s own comparison.
| Question | SharePoint lists | Dataverse |
|---|---|---|
| What it stores | Lists, files and images. | Relational data, files, images, logs and more, in tables with rows and columns. |
| Size | Up to 30 million items, though Microsoft advises care with lists over 100,000 items. | No row limit stated by Microsoft. Storage is bought as capacity. |
| Relationships between data | Basic lookups between lists. | Built for relationships between tables, with standard tables for common business data. |
| Security | Site and list permissions, with roles such as Owner, Member and Visitor. | Role-based security, business units, row and column level security, and auditing. |
| Business rules | Calculated columns and flows. | Business rules, calculated columns, workflows and code on the server. |
| Outside users | Guests can be invited to a site, with limits. | Works with Power Pages portals, and guests must be in Microsoft Entra ID through B2B. |
| Developer access | REST and Graph APIs. | REST API, SDK, plug-ins and integration with services such as Event Hubs and Service Bus. |
| Licensing | Included with Microsoft 365 for most uses. | Usually needs Power Platform licences, and capacity is bought separately. We check yours on the first call. |
When SharePoint lists are enough
They are the quickest start, and most simple apps never need more.
One list, a few columns
A register, a request log or a checklist with little linking between records.
Your people live in SharePoint
The data sits next to the documents and the permissions you already manage.
Licences matter
Lists come with Microsoft 365, so you avoid extra per user cost for simple apps.
Quick to change
Staff can add a column without a data model or a release.
Excel in, Excel out
Microsoft lists export to and create from Excel, which suits spreadsheet-led teams.
Low risk to start
You can move to Dataverse later, so a simple start is not a dead end.
When Dataverse is the better home
It earns its cost when the data has structure, rules and several users of it.
Many related tables
Customers, orders, items and approvals that link to each other and must stay consistent.
Strict security
Different people must see different rows or columns, and you need an audit trail.
More than one app
Apps, flows, reports and agents share one set of tables and one set of rules.
A portal for outside users
Power Pages sites use the same Dataverse data, with sign-in for customers, vendors or partners.
Business logic on the server
Rules that apply whichever app the user comes from, not only in one screen.
Dynamics 365 or growth ahead
Dynamics 365 apps store their data in Dataverse, so connected data needs no extra integration.
Five questions that decide it
Answer in order. Most teams know by the third.
- 1
Do records link to many other records?
A flat list points to SharePoint. A web of linked tables points to Dataverse.
- 2
Who needs to see what?
If access is the same for everyone on a site, SharePoint is fine. If it varies by row or field, choose Dataverse.
- 3
Will outside users sign in?
Customer or partner portals on Power Pages work with Dataverse, so plan for it from the start.
- 4
How many apps will share the data?
One small app can live on a list. Several apps, flows and reports want one governed store.
- 5
What will licences cost over time?
Compare per user licences and capacity for Dataverse against what you already hold. We model this with you.
Or a mix
You do not have to pick one for everything
Many solutions use both, and move data when the process needs it.
Documents in SharePoint, records in Dataverse
Keep files in libraries your teams know, and store the structured records and approvals in Dataverse.
Start in lists, move later
Prove the process on lists, then move to Dataverse when relationships or security demand it. We plan the move so apps keep working.
Reports across both
Power BI can read both, so a dashboard does not force the choice.
How AscenWork works
We recommend the smallest thing that works
We look at your process before the product. If a list will do, we say so.
- Data model firstWe draw the tables and links on paper before anything is built.
- Licences checkedWe confirm what you hold and what each option adds, before you commit.
- Moves plannedIf you outgrow lists, we move the data and repoint the apps and flows.
- Handed overYour team gets the model, the security roles and notes on how it works.
Talk to an expert