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Smart Home · head to head

Crestron vs Microsoft Power Automate

Crestron logo

Crestron

Smart Home

Enterprise-grade control and automation technology

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Power Automate logo

Microsoft Power Automate

Automation Integration

Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Crestron no published pricing or pricing tiers; no specific product prices disclosed.; Microsoft Power Automate free plan limited to 750 flow runs/month and standard connectors only; premium connectors require paid plans
  • They diverge on capability: Crestron covers Enterprise Control, Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Crestron and Microsoft Power Automate differ
AttributeCrestronMicrosoft Power Automate
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsControl systems, Mobile apps, Web interfaces, Touch screensWeb, Cloud, Desktop
CategorySmart HomeAutomation Integration
Founded19712016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Crestron

  • Enterprise Control
  • Powerful Programming
  • Extensive Integration
  • Reliability
  • 5000+ devices
  • Custom protocols
  • Web/Mobile apps
  • Touch panels

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.

Crestron

  • Conference room automationnot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Building managementnot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Campus-wide controlnot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Corporate AVnot Microsoft Power Automate

Microsoft Power Automate

  • Workflow Automationnot Crestron
  • Data Integrationnot Crestron
  • Process Automationnot Crestron
  • App Integrationnot Crestron
  • API Connectivitynot Crestron

Where each one falls short

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

Crestron

  • No published pricing or pricing tiers; no specific product prices disclosed.
  • The pricing page only announces a 10% global price increase effective March 1, 2022, without listing actual prices.

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

Crestron

On request
  • Professional$1000/month
    • Programming tools
    • Device control
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$10000/month
    • Large deployments
    • Custom solutions
    • Enterprise support

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 Crestron if

  • You need enterprise control.
  • You work on Control systems, Mobile apps, Web interfaces, Touch screens.
  • You also want powerful programming.
Crestron 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 Crestron or Microsoft Power Automate better?
Neither clearly leads. Crestron starts at On request and Microsoft Power Automate at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crestron or Microsoft Power Automate?
Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Crestron and Free for Microsoft Power Automate.
Does Crestron or Microsoft Power Automate run on more platforms?
Crestron runs on Control systems, Mobile apps, Web interfaces, Touch screens. Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop.
Can I use Microsoft Power Automate for free?
Yes. Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Crestron starts at On request.
What is Crestron best used for?
Crestron is most often used for conference room automation, building management, campus-wide control, corporate av. Of those, conference room automation and building management are not what Microsoft Power Automate is typically brought in for.
What can Crestron do that Microsoft Power Automate cannot?
Crestron covers Enterprise Control, Powerful Programming, Extensive Integration, Reliability. Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Crestron: How much do Crestron products cost?

Crestron does not publish specific product pricing or pricing tiers on their website. Customers must contact Crestron directly for pricing information on AV control systems and related products.

Source
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
Crestron: What was Crestron's most recent price change?

Crestron implemented a 10% global price increase effective March 1, 2022 on all products and services. Orders placed before March 1, 2022 that shipped by December 31, 2022 were honored at prior pricing. No retroactive increases applied to existing orders.

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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