Getting started Power Apps Developer Plan for free

Step by Step: How to Set Up a Free Power Apps Development Environment

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In this blog, we will show how to set up a free power apps development environment step by step. Power Apps is a platform that allows you to build custom business applications, and having your own environment can be extremely beneficial when it comes to testing and experimenting with your designs. Whether you are a seasoned developer or just starting out, this guide will help you set up your own Power Apps environment quickly and easily.

Prerequisites

  • A work or school email address

Step 1: Go to: https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/developerplan/

Step 2: Click Get started free.

Step 2: Power Apps Developer Plan - Getting started for free
Step 2: Power Apps Developer Plan – Getting started for free

Step 3: Enter your work or school email address > Click Next.

Step 3: Enter your work or email address
Step 3: Enter your work or email address

Step 4: If your work or school email address is already a Microsoft customer you can choose to sign up.

Step 4: Sign in with you your already existing account details.
Step 4: Sign in with you your already existing account details.

NOTE: If you’re not already a Microsoft customer you will get a message to contact your IT admin to get access like the image below. It requires an existing subscription or license to Microsoft products to sign up for the Trial environment.

Step 4: Image of the message if your email address is not currently a Microsoft customer.
Step 4: Image of the message if your email address is not currently a Microsoft customer.

To solve this you can create your own free organization sandbox by applying to the Microsoft Developer Program here, https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/dev-program. The Microsoft Developer Program gives you an instant sandbox pre-configured with sample data, including Teams Developer Portal, where you can start developing on the Microsoft 365 platform.

After signing up to the developer program you can use the work email address of your user in the sandbox tenant, and set up a free power apps development environment😉

Image showing the Microsoft 365 Developer Program sign-up page.
Image showing the Microsoft 365 Developer Program sign-up page.

Step 5: Clicking Sign In will prompt you to Sign In. Proceed with the steps and continue.

Step 5: Sign in with your existing account details.
Step 5: Sign in with your existing account details.

Step 6: After signing in you need to add your Country or Region and your Business phone number. If you want to receive information about products and services, as well as let Microsoft share information to partner you can select that.

Step 6: Provide information about the country or region, business phone number, and contact consent.
Step 6: Provide information about the country or region, business phone number, and contact consent.

Step 7: Click Get Started to open your new trial environment.

Step 7: Sign up to open your new trial environment.
Step 7: Sign up to open your new trial environment.

Clicking Get Started displays an indication for a brief moment while the license configuration is getting ready.

Step 7: Process indication when creating the trial environment.
Step 7: Process indication when creating the trial environment.

Step 8: Before accessing the environment you need to provide some contact information before proceeding, or you can close it if you don’t want to provide the information.

Step 8: Provide contact information to allow Microsoft to help with your apps.
Step 8: Provide contact information to allow Microsoft to help with your apps.

Step 9: Your list of environments will show the new trial environment has been created.

Step 9: Showing the list of the newly created trial environment in the make.powerapps.com portal.
Step 9: Showing the list of the newly created trial environment in the make.powerapps.com portal.

Note: It takes a few minutes before the Dataverse database is created, and you will then see the new environment under Build apps with Dataverse.

Step 9: Showing that the new trial environment has been created with a Dataverse database.
Step 9: Showing that the new trial environment has been created with a Dataverse database.

Step 10: You are now ready to build apps in your new free development environment.

I hope you found it helpful!

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