Microsoft Power Automate review
Powerful and free if you're on Microsoft 365, but complex and limited for non-Microsoft environments.
The short answer
Report outdated infoMicrosoft Power Automate is an enterprise automation platform included in most Microsoft 365 subscriptions, connecting 1,000+ services with deep Office integration. Standalone plans start at $15/user/month. It's the first tool small businesses running Microsoft 365 should activate, you're likely already paying for it.
Reviewed by the Aheri Systems team for small businesses and growing teams.
- Starting price
- Free for 30 days
- Free plan
- No free plan
- Best for
- Organizations already running on Microsoft 365 who want included automation
- Not ideal for
- Non-Microsoft businesses where Zapier or Make are more accessible
- Setup
- Technical, 1-2 hours
- AI features
- Copilot in cloud flows +4 more
Our Verdict
If your business uses Microsoft 365 and pays for Zapier separately, stop, you already have Power Automate. Activate it today and replace 70% of your simple Zapier workflows for free. The interface is more complex, but Microsoft's template library makes common automations click-and-go. Only buy the premium plan when you need Salesforce or ServiceNow connections.
Aheri Systems team review
How Microsoft Power Automate scores
At a glance
AI Features ⓘ Native AI features built into this tool. Does not include features added via third-party integrations.
Setup ⓘ How much technical skill is needed to set up and use this tool effectively.
TechnicalPricing Access ⓘ Whether pricing is accessible for small and growing businesses. Considers free tier quality and entry-level plan value.
From $15/user/mo (paid yearly)
The Catch
Automations that run on their own in the background need a $150 a month bot, and each bot runs one desktop flow at a time. AI agents are a separate product (Copilot Studio) with its own prepaid credits.
The Problem Microsoft Power Automate Solves
The Pain
You are a business that pays for Microsoft 365 and uses Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint daily, but still manually copies information between these tools. You didn't know Power Automate was included in your subscription, and you're paying for Zapier separately to do things you could do for free.
The Fix
Power Automate connects your Microsoft ecosystem and 1,000+ external services without any additional subscription. Approvals, notifications, document creation, and form processing are all built-in workflow templates ready to activate. If your business runs on Microsoft 365, this is already in your toolkit.
What is Microsoft Power Automate?
Microsoft Power Automate (formerly Flow) is an enterprise automation platform included with most Microsoft 365 subscriptions. It connects 1,000+ services and enables automated workflows between Microsoft apps, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, Excel, and hundreds of external tools. For businesses already paying for Microsoft 365, it's often the most overlooked free automation tool they already own.
Pros and Cons
+ What We Love
- ✓ Included in most Microsoft 365 Business plans, zero additional cost to get started
- ✓ Native integration with SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, and all Microsoft 365 apps
- ✓ RPA capability lets you automate legacy systems and desktop applications
- ✓ 1,000+ connectors including Salesforce, ServiceNow, and popular cloud tools
- ✓ AI Builder adds document processing and prediction capabilities on premium plans
- Watch Out For
- ! Interface is complex and less intuitive than Zapier or Make for beginners
- ! API call limits on included plans can be hit by active businesses quickly
- ! Premium connectors require upgrading from the included M365 version
What Can You Do With Microsoft Power Automate? (Examples)
A few ways growing businesses use Microsoft Power Automate. This is not an exhaustive list.
Microsoft Power Automate Pricing
Free trial
Free for 30 days
Cloud flows with standard connectors
Best for
Testing cloud flows before you buy
Premium
$15 per user a month, paid yearly
Cloud flows, attended desktop automation (RPA you run yourself), process and task mining (50MB), Dataverse storage
Best for
People who automate their own work across many apps
Process
$150 per bot a month, paid yearly
Cloud flows and unattended desktop automation
Best for
Businesses running automations in the background, with no one at the computer
Hosted Process
$215 per bot a month, paid yearly
Everything in Process plus a Microsoft-hosted virtual machine
Best for
Teams that want Microsoft to supply the virtual machine
Process Mining add-on
$5,000 per tenant a month, paid yearly
100GB process data, extra Dataverse storage
Best for
Large organisations analysing how their processes really run
Who Is Microsoft Power Automate For?
Best For
- ✓Organizations already running on Microsoft 365 who want included automation
- ✓Enterprise IT teams automating document approval and processing workflows
- ✓Businesses using SharePoint, Outlook, and Teams as their primary tools
- ✓Companies needing RPA (robotic process automation) at scale
Not Ideal For
- ✗Non-Microsoft businesses where Zapier or Make are more accessible
- ✗Small businesses intimidated by enterprise-oriented interfaces
AI in Microsoft Power Automate
Copilot is built into Power Automate: describe the automation you want in plain words and it builds the flow with you. Copilot also works in desktop flows (several features still in preview), Process Mining and the automation center. Microsoft turns Copilot on by default; in regions without its own AI hardware it runs through cross-region data sharing. Building your own AI agents is a separate product, Microsoft Copilot Studio, bought with prepaid credits.
Copilot in cloud flows
Describe what you need in plain words, over several messages, and Copilot builds the cloud flow with you.
Plan: Power Automate plans (Microsoft does not tie it to one plan on the pricing page) · Extra cost: None stated · Source
Copilot in desktop flows (preview)
Create desktop flows by recording with Copilot, turn plain words into scripts, repair automation errors and analyse flow activity.
Plan: Power Automate for desktop; preview features · Extra cost: None stated · Source
Copilot in Process Mining
Guides you through loading process data and answers questions about how your processes run.
Plan: Process Mining (add-on to Premium) · Extra cost: Process Mining add-on is $5,000 per tenant a month, paid yearly · Source
Copilot in the automation center
Ask in plain words about past flow runs, work queues and product features.
Plan: Power Automate · Extra cost: None stated · Source
Call Copilot Studio agents and use flows in Copilot for Microsoft 365
Start AI agents built in Copilot Studio from a flow, or use your flows as plugins inside Copilot for Microsoft 365 (preview).
Plan: Needs Copilot Studio or Copilot for Microsoft 365 · Extra cost: Copilot Studio is bought separately with prepaid credits (price not shown on the page); pay-as-you-go when credits run out · Source
Checked against Microsoft Power Automate's own website on 17 October 2026. AI features change often, so we re-check every 6 months.
Quick Facts
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What the marketing page does not tell you.
Hidden Costs
Power Automate Premium costs $15 per user a month (paid yearly) and covers cloud flows and attended desktop automation. Unattended bots cost $150 per bot a month (Process) or $215 with a Microsoft-hosted machine. Process Mining is a $5,000 a month add-on. Microsoft notes that the final price shows at checkout. Prices from microsoft.com, checked 17 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Microsoft Power Automate? +
Is Microsoft Power Automate free? +
What can I use Microsoft Power Automate for? +
Who is Microsoft Power Automate best for? +
How long does it take to set up Microsoft Power Automate? +
Can I use and pay for Microsoft Power Automate from any country? +
Microsoft Power Automate vs Zapier, which is better? +
What apps does Microsoft Power Automate integrate with? +
What are the limitations of Microsoft Power Automate's free plan? +
What are the best alternatives to Microsoft Power Automate? +
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