TL;DR: Use Dataverse for Teams instead of SharePoint for a free, relational data platform with better performance and an upgrade path to full Dataverse.
💡 Challenge
When building Power Apps and Power Automate solutions, choosing the right data storage is crucial. If you want to avoid premium licensing costs but still need a robust, relational option, SharePoint quickly reaches its limits.
✅ Solution
Consider using Dataverse for Teams (DV4T) instead of SharePoint. It ships with Microsoft Teams, offers a true relational model, and gives you a clean upgrade path to full Dataverse when you need it.
🔧 How It’s Done
Here is why DV4T is worth choosing, and what to check when you do:
1. Native Teams integration
🔸 DV4T is built directly into Microsoft Teams for seamless collaboration.
🔸 No extra environment setup is required to get started.
2. Relational data & richer types
🔸 Unlike SharePoint, DV4T is a relational database, so you can model real relationships between tables.
🔸 It supports a wider variety of data types and customized key columns for cleaner data management.
3. Performance & fewer delegation issues
🔸 DV4T typically outperforms SharePoint, especially with larger data sets.
🔸 It avoids many of the common Power Apps delegation problems you hit with SharePoint.
4. Security & upgrade path
🔸 Manage fine-grained access to who can view or edit data.
🔸 When you outgrow it, upgrade in place to full Dataverse without rebuilding your tables.
🎉 Result
You get a scalable, relational, budget-friendly data platform for Power Apps and Power Automate, without premium licensing, and a smooth path to full Dataverse later.
🌟 Key Advantages
🔸 Relational data model with richer field types than SharePoint
🔸 Better performance and fewer delegation warnings
🔸 In-place upgrade path to full Dataverse
🛠️ FAQ
Q: What are the storage limitations of Dataverse for Teams compared to full Dataverse?
Dataverse for Teams provides 2GB of database storage and 20GB of file storage per team. This suits most team-based apps but may require upgrading to full Dataverse for larger enterprise solutions.
Q: Can I migrate from SharePoint lists to Dataverse for Teams without losing data?
Yes. Use Power Platform dataflows or third-party tools. Plan carefully, map SharePoint columns to Dataverse fields, and test relationships before the full migration.
Q: What happens to my Dataverse for Teams data if I upgrade to full Dataverse?
Your data, tables, and relationships are preserved during the upgrade. You gain features like advanced security roles, audit logs, and enterprise connectors while keeping all existing functionality.
Marcel Lehmann
Microsoft MVP