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Microsoft Power Automate
Low-code cloud, desktop RPA and process mining automation for enterprises
From $15/mo powerautomate.microsoft.com
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powerautomate.microsoft.com
Pricing
From $15/mo
Free trial
Yes
Company
Microsoft CorporationUnited States
Platforms
WebWindows
What is Microsoft Power Automate?
Microsoft Power Automate is a low-code automation service for building workflows across apps, systems and websites. It combines cloud flows (digital process automation), desktop flows (robotic process automation) and process and task mining in one product within Microsoft Power Platform.
Users can start from scratch, use prebuilt templates, or describe a flow in natural language to Copilot. More than 1,400 prebuilt connectors cover services such as Dynamics 365, SAP and Salesforce, and custom connectors can be built. Desktop flows automate legacy systems through UI actions in attended or unattended mode, with an option for Microsoft-hosted virtual machines. Admin features include Managed Environments, data loss prevention and live monitoring.
It suits organizations already on Microsoft 365, since it works inside Teams, Excel, SharePoint and OneDrive. It runs as a cloud service, and an on-premises data gateway connects it to local systems.
Key features
- Cloud flows for digital process automation
- Attended and unattended desktop RPA
- Natural-language flow authoring with Copilot
- More than 1,400 prebuilt connectors plus custom connectors
- Process and task mining with AI recommendations
- AI document and image processing
- Hosted RPA on Microsoft-managed virtual machines
- Managed Environments and data loss prevention controls
Use cases
Who it's for
Enterprise IT and automation teamsMicrosoft 365 organizationsBusiness process analystsRPA developers
Approval workflows
Create, manage and share approval processes across an organization.
Legacy system automation
Use desktop flows to automate apps without APIs through UI actions.
Document processing
Extract and process data from documents using built-in AI models together with Power Apps and Dataverse.
KPI-triggered workflows
Connect to Power BI and start downstream flows when KPIs cross set thresholds.
Microsoft Power Automate pricing
From the vendor's site, checked Oct 26, 2026; we re-check prices monthly. Prices change — confirm on their pricing page.
Free trial
30 days
Free
- Includes premium features for 30 days
- UI-based cloud flows and standard connectors
Power Automate Premium
month
$15.00 user/month, paid yearly
- Cloud flows and attended desktop flows
- Process and task mining with 50 MB data
- Dataverse: 250 MB database, 2 GB file
Power Automate Process
month
$150.00 bot/month, paid yearly
- Unattended desktop flows
- Cloud flows accessible by unlimited users
- Dataverse: 50 MB database, 200 MB file
Power Automate Hosted Process
month
$215.00 bot/month, paid yearly
- Unattended RPA on a Microsoft-hosted Azure VM
- Cloud flows
Process Mining add-on
month
$5,000.00 tenant/month, paid yearly
- 100 GB process mining data
- Add-on for Premium plan only
| Cost for a team, per month | 1 person | 5 people | 20 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Automate Premiumper seat | $15 | $75 | $300 |
| Power Automate Processflat | $150 | $150 | $150 |
| Power Automate Hosted Processflat | $215 | $215 | $215 |
Billed yearly where the plan offers it. — means the plan doesn't allow that many people.
Which plan do you need?
- MakeCore$9/mo
- SmartsheetPro$9/mo
- Microsoft Power AutomatePower Automate Premium$15/mo
- ZapierProfessional$19.99/mo
The cheapest paid plan with a published price that fits. Custom and sales-quoted plans aren't included.
How Microsoft Power Automate compares
- At $15/mo, Microsoft Power Automate starts cheaper than 1 of 3 similar tools with published prices (median $12).
- Microsoft Power Automate has no free plan, while 3 of the 4 alternatives below have one.
- It has no public API, unlike 3 of the 4 others.
| Tool | Starts at | Free plan | Free trial | API | Open source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MMicrosoft Power Automate | $15/mo | — | — | — | ||
Z Zapier | $19.99/mo | — | Microsoft Power Automate vs Zapier | |||
N n8n | — | — | — | Microsoft Power Automate vs n8n | ||
M Make | $9/mo | — | — | Microsoft Power Automate vs Make | ||
S Smartsheet | $9/mo | — | — | Microsoft Power Automate vs Smartsheet |
Compare 8 capabilities
| Capability | Microsoft Power Automate | Zapier | n8n | Make | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosting | — | — | — | — | |
| MCP server | — | ||||
| AI agent builder | — | ||||
| Custom code steps | — | — | — | ||
| Prompt-to-workflow | — | — | |||
| Desktop RPA | — | — | — | — | |
| Custom connectors | — | ||||
| Embedded integrations | — | — | — | — |
Capabilities as stated on each vendor's own site; — means the site doesn't say. The closest alternatives in our directory by category. “Starts at” is the cheapest paid plan per month, as each vendor lists it.
Microsoft Power Automate data and privacy
Trains AI on your content
Not stated
Data retention
Not stated
Where data is stored
Not stated
Security and compliance
GDPR
From Microsoft Power Automate's own privacy and security pages , checked Oct 28, 2026. We only show what the vendor states in writing; “not stated” means the pages don't say.
Pros and cons
Strengths
- 30-day free trial includes premium features
- More than 1,400 prebuilt connectors
- Works inside Teams, Excel, SharePoint and OneDrive
- Covers cloud, desktop RPA and process mining in one product
Limitations
- Listed prices are billed yearly
- Not available on-premises; cloud service only
- Desktop app is Windows 10 and 11 only
- Process Mining add-on costs $5,000 per tenant per month
Microsoft Power Automate FAQ
How much does Power Automate cost?
Premium is $15 per user/month, Process is $150 per bot/month, and Hosted Process is $215 per bot/month, all paid yearly. Actual prices may vary by region.
Is there a free option?
There is a 30-day free trial that includes premium features.
What do I need to use it?
A web browser and an email address. A desktop app is available for Windows 10 and 11.
Can it run on-premises?
No. It is a cloud service, but it can connect to on-premises services through the on-premises data gateway.
How many services can it connect to?
More than 1,400 prebuilt connectors, plus custom connectors and desktop flows for systems without APIs.
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Microsoft Power Automate
From $15/mo