Operations
Microsoft Power Automate
Microsoft tool for cloud workflows, desktop RPA and process mining
What is Microsoft Power Automate?
Power Automate is Microsoft's automation service for building cloud flows that connect apps and services, and desktop flows that automate tasks on Windows PCs (robotic process automation). It offers 1,400+ connectors, Copilot help for building flows in natural language, and process mining. It also works inside Microsoft 365 apps such as Teams, Excel and SharePoint.
Good for
- Routing approval requests and documents in SharePoint and Teams
- Copying data from invoices or legacy desktop apps into Excel or an ERP system
- Automating repetitive data entry on a Windows PC
Key features
- Cloud flows connecting apps and services, with 1,400+ connectors
- Desktop flows (RPA) for Windows apps, attended or unattended
- Hosted RPA on Microsoft-managed virtual machines
- Process and task mining to find bottlenecks
- Copilot for creating and editing flows in natural language
- Automation inside Microsoft 365 apps such as Teams, Excel and SharePoint
Limitations to know about
- The free trial covers only UI-based cloud flows and standard connectors
- Unattended desktop automation needs the per-bot Process or Hosted Process plan
- Power Automate for desktop runs only on Windows (not on ARM processors); Windows Home editions cannot trigger desktop flows from the cloud
Microsoft Power Automate pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Power Automate Premium | $15.00 per user/month, paid yearly | Cloud flows, attended desktop flows, process and task mining (50 MB), Dataverse storage |
| Power Automate Process | $150.00 per bot/month, paid yearly | Cloud flows and unattended desktop flows |
| Power Automate Hosted Process | $215.00 per bot/month, paid yearly | Unattended desktop flows on a Microsoft-hosted virtual machine |
| Power Automate Process Mining add-on | $5,000.00 per tenant/month, paid yearly | Requires Premium; 100 GB of process data storage |
Microsoft Power Automate alternatives
Zapier
No-code tool that connects web apps and runs automated, AI-assisted workflows
Make
Visual no-code tool for building automated workflows and AI agents across apps
Workato
Enterprise platform for integrations, workflow automation, APIs and AI agents
n8n
Workflow automation and AI agent builder you can self-host or use in the cloud
Activepieces
Open-source no-code builder for automations and AI agents, cloud or self-hosted
IFTTT
Links apps and smart-home devices through simple automations called Applets
Head to head: Microsoft Power Automate vs Zapier
Guides that use Microsoft Power Automate
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Power Automate free?
No, Microsoft Power Automate does not have a free plan. It offers a 30-day free trial covering UI-based cloud flows and standard connectors. Paid plans start at $15/user/mo.
How much does Microsoft Power Automate cost?
Microsoft Power Automate's cheapest paid plan, Power Automate Premium, costs $15 a month billed annually per user. Paid yearly; includes cloud flows, attended desktop flows and process/task mining (50 MB). There is also an enterprise plan priced on request. Prices as published on Microsoft Power Automate's pricing page on 23 September 2026.
What is Microsoft Power Automate used for?
Power Automate is Microsoft's automation service for building cloud flows that connect apps and services, and desktop flows that automate tasks on Windows PCs (robotic process automation). People use it for routing approval requests and documents in SharePoint and Teams, copying data from invoices or legacy desktop apps into Excel or an ERP system and automating repetitive data entry on a Windows PC.
What are the alternatives to Microsoft Power Automate?
Tools that do a similar job include Zapier, Make, Workato, n8n and Activepieces. Each has its own page here with its plans, limits and prices.
Who makes Microsoft Power Automate?
Microsoft Power Automate is made by Microsoft Corporation, based in Redmond, Washington, US. The company was founded in 1975.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Microsoft Corporation's own pages, read on the dates shown.
- microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/products/power-automate/pricing (pricing, plans, free trial) read 23 September 2026
- microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/products/power-automate (features, connectors count, platforms) read 23 September 2026
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/desktop-flows/introduction (desktop flows description) read 23 September 2026
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/desktop-flows/requirements (Windows requirements, sign-in account comparison) read 23 September 2026
- news.microsoft.com/facts-about-microsoft/ (company.founded, company.hq) read 23 September 2026