The state of Power Platform and Copilot for 2026 Survey

Howdy! A lot has changed over the last year in the Power Apps and Power Automate world, and most of it has been driven by AI. As we head into 2026, a lot of teams are asking the same questions: Are we behind? Are we over-investing? Are we focusing on the right things?

That’s exactly why I put this together.

Before I share my take on where things are heading, I want your help, and in return, I want to give you something genuinely useful. I created a short survey (about 5–10 minutes) to capture what’s really happening inside organizations right now: what people are actually using, what they’re struggling with, and where they plan to invest next.

If you fill it out and choose to leave your email, you’ll get a copy of the full results once the survey closes. That means real data you can use to sanity-check your plans, justify decisions, or simply see how your Power Platform and Copilot usage compares to companies like yours.

The more people who participate, the more valuable the insights become. I’ll aggregate the responses into a single report and also break down the findings in a follow-up blog post and YouTube video, calling out the trends, surprises, and gaps I see across the community.

Alright, with that context set, here’s how I see 2026 shaping up.

AI Prompts will lead the way

AI Prompts in Power Apps and Power Automate work well and they’re easy to use. I think 2026 is the year the light bulb really comes on for a lot of people. Prompts are a low-risk, low-friction way to start using AI without having to go all in.

Things like augmenting user input, extracting information from emails or files, generating summaries, charts, or documents… these are practical, approachable use cases. They deliver value quickly, and they don’t require rethinking your entire solution.

Power Apps won’t change much and that’s a good thing

Over the last year, the core Power Apps experience, especially Canvas Apps, didn’t change dramatically. We saw incremental improvements, Copilot added in more places, and continued work on modern controls, but nothing earth-shattering.

That’s not a bad thing. Stability is a win. There are millions of apps running today and moving away from “change for the sake of change” makes the platform more reliable for everyone.

This doesn’t mean Power Apps or Power Automate are going away. They’ve just reached a more mature, steady state. Anyone claiming they’re being replaced or phased out is missing the bigger picture: For many, they are the pathway to bringing AI to their business.

Copilot Studio usage will take off

Not in a dramatic explosion way, but in adoption. The demand for agents is very real. A lot of people are asking questions, experimenting, and watching from the sidelines. I think many of them are about to jump in.

The good news is that if you already know Power Apps and Power Automate, you know most of what you need to get started with Copilot Studio. You’re already 70–75% of the way there. This is a huge opportunity to lead agent adoption inside your organization.

There’s a reason I spent a large chunk of last year focused on agents. They’re coming and being ready matters.

Code-first and vibe-style apps are interesting… but still a question mark

Microsoft has invested heavily in things like Vibe apps, generative pages, and more code-forward approaches inside the Power Platform. They’re impressive and they open new doors, but they’re also different enough that it’s not totally clear where they’ll land long term.

I’ve built some cool demos with them and they work really well. The open question for me is adoption. Will someone in Finance actually open a tool and say “build me an app that does X”? Maybe. And if they do, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised. I’m just not convinced that’s the common path... yet.

The number of apps and flows will continue to grow

I see this happening for two main reasons.

First, the rise of AI tools is making more people think, “Hey, maybe I can build something myself.” When they hit the question of where to build, many will realize that low-code tools like Power Apps are easier, faster, and safer than spinning up custom code somewhere else.

Second, we’re seeing it firsthand with customers who come to us asking about agents. When we dig into their actual business problem, the solution often includes an app, a flow, or both. Agents are powerful, but they don’t replace everything.

Data entry is still easiest in a form. Processing emails, extracting information, and notifying people is still a great fit for flows. In many cases, adding AI to an existing app or flow delivers more value than building a fully autonomous agent right now.

The short version

I expect investment in Power Apps and Power Automate to increase in 2026. Some projects slowed down in 2025 while people waited to see if AI would magically solve everything. Now that expectations are more realistic, it’s clear that AI helps, but apps and flows are still the best way to solve a lot of real-world problems.

That combination is going to lead to a burst of new solutions this year.

Your turn

If you want real-world context instead of guesses, take a few minutes to fill out the survey and opt in for the results. You’ll see what tools others are actually using, where teams are investing, and how your plans compare to organizations dealing with the same challenges you are.

And, if you look at the results and realize you need help turning plans into working apps, flows, or agents, that Contact button at the top of the page is an easy next step. No pressure, just a conversation if you need it.