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Software · head to head

Cognito Forms vs Microsoft Power Automate

Cognito Forms logo

Cognito Forms

Software

Powerful forms made easy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Power Automate logo

Microsoft Power Automate

Software

Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cognito Forms individual free plan caps at 100 entries per month and 1 user; Microsoft Power Automate free plan limited to 750 flow runs/month and standard connectors only; premium connectors require paid plans

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cognito Forms and Microsoft Power Automate actually diverge.

Attributes where Cognito Forms and Microsoft Power Automate differ
AttributeCognito FormsMicrosoft Power Automate
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWebWeb, Cloud, Desktop
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cognito Forms

Nothing recorded that Microsoft Power Automate does not also cover.

Only in Microsoft Power Automate

  • Automated flows
  • Instant flows
  • Scheduled flows
  • Desktop automation
  • Process mining
  • Business process flows
  • Approval workflows
  • 500+ connectors

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cognito Forms

No use cases recorded yet. See the Cognito Forms review.

Microsoft Power Automate

  • Workflow Automationnot Cognito Forms
  • Data Integrationnot Cognito Forms
  • Process Automationnot Cognito Forms
  • App Integrationnot Cognito Forms
  • API Connectivitynot Cognito Forms

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cognito Forms

  • Individual free plan caps at 100 entries per month and 1 user
  • Pro plan ($24/mo monthly, $19/mo billed annually) still limits to 2 users and 2,000 entries per month
  • HIPAA compliance and single sign-on are restricted to the Enterprise tier ($174/mo monthly, $129/mo annual)

Microsoft Power Automate

  • Free plan limited to 750 flow runs/month and standard connectors only; premium connectors require paid plans
  • Not suitable for long-running workflows; can fail unexpectedly without warning
  • Limited to simple linear logic; fails with complex workflows involving multiple stakeholders
  • Tasks cannot automate at scale when requiring more than approximately 60 users

Pricing, plan by plan

Cognito Forms

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cognito Forms review.

Microsoft Power Automate

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 750 flow runs/month
    • Standard connectors only
    • Basic cloud flows
  • Premium$15/user/month
    • Cloud flows (DPA)
    • Attended RPA
    • 250 MB Dataverse database
  • Process$150/bot/month
    • Unattended automation
    • Cloud and desktop flows
    • 50 MB Dataverse database
  • Hosted Process$215/bot/month
    • Microsoft-managed virtual machine
    • Unattended automation
    • Same Dataverse entitlements as Process plan

Which should you pick?

Choose Cognito Forms if

  • You want to start without paying.
Cognito Forms review

Choose Microsoft Power Automate if

  • You need automated flows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Desktop.
  • You also want instant flows.
Microsoft Power Automate review

Questions people ask

Is Cognito Forms or Microsoft Power Automate better?
Neither clearly leads. Cognito Forms starts at Free and Microsoft Power Automate at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cognito Forms or Microsoft Power Automate?
Cognito Forms starts at Free and Microsoft Power Automate at Free.
Does Cognito Forms or Microsoft Power Automate run on more platforms?
Cognito Forms runs on Web. Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop.
Can I use Cognito Forms for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Cognito Forms do that Microsoft Power Automate cannot?
Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Power Automate: Is Power Automate included with Microsoft 365?

Yes. If you have an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription, you can use Power Automate at no extra cost for flows relying only on standard connectors (SharePoint, Outlook, Teams). Premium connectors (Salesforce, SAP, Oracle) require paid plans.

Source
Microsoft Power Automate: How many flow runs are allowed on the free plan?

Power Automate's free tier (included with Microsoft 365) is limited to 750 flow runs per month and standard connectors only. Out of 900+ total connectors, the free plan only includes Microsoft ecosystem apps and limited third-party apps.

Source
Microsoft Power Automate: What's the difference between Premium and Process plans?

Premium ($15/user/month) provides attended automation with cloud flows and standard RPA. Process plan ($150/bot/month) enables unattended automation where bots run without human intervention on virtual machines for high-volume, repetitive tasks.

Source
Microsoft Power Automate: Does Power Automate support long-running workflows?

No. Power Automate is not suitable for long-lasting workflows because they can run without warning and fail unexpectedly. The platform is built for linear, branching logic (if-then) rather than complex, multi-step business processes involving multiple stakeholders.

Source
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Related pages

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