The announcement that Microsoft ended Power Apps per app sales sounds final. For a CSP customer, it can be misleading. Separately, every app user needs the right entitlement, while pay-as-you-go counts monthly active users. Keep these questions apart before changing a production app.
In early 2026, a simple claim spread through discussion forums: “Per app is gone; everyone must move to Premium.” Microsoft’s announcement draws a distinction between sales channels. A customer buying through a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) is in a different position from a new customer in another programme. The availability of a SKU also says nothing about whether one pass can cover several colleagues who take turns using the app.
This guide is for administrators deciding how to license a particular app, its users and its environment. Neither a quote nor contractual entitlement can be inferred from the licence name in the admin centre alone. Confirm the exact SKU with your sales channel and the current terms.
What changed in 2026?
Microsoft ended sales of Power Apps per app to new customers on 2 January 2026. Its clarification of 6 March 2026 says that both existing and new CSP customers may continue to purchase, use and renew per app subscriptions. Microsoft said the temporary gap in CSP price lists would be resolved in early April. The blanket claim that “nobody can buy per app” is therefore wrong.
Existing Enterprise Agreement customers may continue using and renewing the SKU. Existing MPSA customers may use it until their current agreement ends, after which Microsoft describes a 60-day transition window; the SKU is no longer offered to them. Do not apply a rule from one channel to another. Microsoft’s Power Platform licensing overview also flags the different treatment of existing customers and CSP.
| Customer situation | What Microsoft says | Check before changing |
|---|---|---|
| New customer outside the CSP exception | The per app SKU is no longer available for new purchases | Sales programme and an alternative product |
| Existing Enterprise Agreement customer | May continue to use and renew the SKU | Agreement dates and true-up terms |
| Existing MPSA customer | May use the SKU until the current agreement ends | End date and 60-day transition plan |
| New or existing CSP customer | May continue to buy, use and renew | SKU availability through the partner |
The table summarises the public announcement. It is not a recommendation to buy more per app capacity without comparing costs. First count the people and apps involved.
Per app is not one licence for everyone
Per app passes are allocated as capacity to an environment, while each user consumes an entitlement for a particular app. Microsoft explains how passes are allocated and consumed when an app is shared. A pass does not float back into the pool when someone closes a browser window. Every user needs the appropriate entitlement.
This corrects a common but misleading test: several people opening an app one after another does not prove that one pass is enough. Delayed or permissive technical enforcement does not change the licensing requirement. Plan for the people who need the app, the number of apps and the environments involved—not the number of simultaneous browser sessions.
Administrators do not assign a per app pass to a person in the Microsoft 365 admin centre like a normal user licence. They allocate capacity to an environment in the Power Platform admin centre and enable per app licensing for the app. When troubleshooting, check allocation and consumption in the environment as well as the user’s licence list.
How pay-as-you-go works
Power Apps pay-as-you-go (PAYG) bills usage to a linked Azure subscription. The Power Apps per-app meter counts unique active users per app per calendar month. Reopening the same app during that month does not create another charge for that user. Opening two different metered apps counts once for each. This is not billing per click or per concurrent session.
PAYG is not automatically the cheapest option. It can suit usage that varies by month or an app used by a small share of a wider audience. Power Apps Premium per user may work better for a stable group using several premium apps. Compare monthly active users for each app, your contracted prices and any related capacity charges. Do not base the estimate only on the number of people with whom the app has been shared.
The environment boundary matters. Microsoft’s PAYG FAQ says that you cannot use PAYG for some apps in an environment while continuing to consume per app passes for others in that same environment. Users who already have an appropriate Power Apps per-user licence are excluded from the per-app meter. Microsoft 365 entitlements may also exclude users of apps with standard connectors. Check the actual connectors, environment and licences before making the switch.
A Microsoft 365 licence does not cover every app
Microsoft 365 Business Premium or E3 does not automatically entitle a user to run every Power Apps app. Microsoft 365 may cover standard scenarios, while premium connectors, Dataverse, on-premises gateways and custom APIs can require additional rights. Microsoft’s licensing FAQ recommends checking the app’s licence designation and the context in which it is used.
Some older apps using connectors that were subsequently reclassified may fall under transitional rules. That is not a general rule for new apps. Record each production app’s connectors, type, environment, users and any applicable historical exception. If it invokes a Power Automate flow, check the separate flow rights and its relationship to the app. See our Power Automate licensing guide.
What changes in February 2027?
From February 2027, Microsoft plans to enforce existing premium licence requirements more consistently in scenarios where checks have been less strict. Its current FAQ specifically mentions managed environments, model-driven apps and apps used outside the relevant Dynamics 365 context. Users without the required entitlement may then be blocked from opening the app.
This is enforcement of existing rights, not a new “2027 licence”. An app working today is not reliable proof that the same users will have access next year. Prepare early, but do not assume that every app in the tenant automatically needs Power Apps Premium. The app type and usage context matter.
Checks before ordering
- Inventory the apps. Record each environment, app type, connector, Dataverse use, related flows and operational owner.
- Group the users. Identify existing premium entitlements, regular users and genuinely occasional users.
- Confirm the sales channel. CSP, Enterprise Agreement and MPSA are treated differently under the 2026 announcement.
- Check allocated capacity. Inspect the environment, pass assignment setting and consumption—not just user licences in Microsoft 365.
- Model the options. Compare per app, PAYG and Premium using monthly active users per app and your contracted prices.
- Test access. Pilot with real roles and environments before stricter checks take effect.
Frequently asked questions
Has Power Apps per app ended for every customer?
No. Microsoft ended sales to new customers on 2 January 2026 but expressly exempted new and existing CSP customers, who may continue to buy, use and renew per app. Other sales channels have different rules.
Can several people share one pass if they use the app at different times?
No such floating entitlement is described. A pass allocated to an environment covers one user’s right to one app. Technical access during a test does not create a licensing exception.
Does PAYG charge for every launch?
No. The per-app meter counts unique active users per app per month. Reopening the same app in that month does not count that person twice.
Is Business Premium enough for a model-driven app?
Do not infer that from the Microsoft 365 plan name. Model-driven apps use Dataverse and generally need suitable Power Apps premium rights or another specific entitlement under Microsoft’s licensing guide.
Must we move to PAYG because of February 2027?
No. Identify the apps and users that need premium rights, check existing entitlements and measure actual usage first. PAYG is one option, not a required migration.
Make the licensing decision in the right order
Separate SKU availability in your sales channel, each user’s entitlement and the way usage is billed. Only then compare per app, PAYG and Premium. A defensible answer needs an inventory of real apps and users against Microsoft’s current rules, rather than a blanket upgrade or a floating-pass assumption.
