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Automation & Integration · head to head

Microsoft Power Automate vs Fivetran

Microsoft Power Automate logo

Microsoft Power Automate

Automation & Integration

Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fivetran logo

Fivetran

Automation & Integration

The most trusted data movement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Power Automate free plan limited to 750 flow runs/month and standard connectors only; premium connectors require paid plans; Fivetran billed on monthly active rows, so the bill tracks how much source data changes rather than how much is stored or queried
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Fivetran covers Automated data pipeline.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Power Automate and Fivetran differ
AttributeMicrosoft Power AutomateFivetran
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, DesktopWeb, Cloud
Founded20162012

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

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 Microsoft Power Automate

  • Automated flows
  • Instant flows
  • Scheduled flows
  • Desktop automation
  • Process mining
  • Business process flows
  • Approval workflows
  • Microsoft 365

Only in Fivetran

  • Automated data pipeline
  • Change Data Capture
  • Data transformation
  • Real-time sync
  • Monitoring
  • Data quality
  • Scheduling
  • Notifications

Both cover

  • 500+ connectors
  • Encryption
  • SOC2
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Power Automate

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

Fivetran

  • Managed data pipelines from SaaS sources into a warehousenot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Keeping a warehouse in sync with production databases without writing connectorsnot Microsoft Power Automate

Where each one falls short

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

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

Fivetran

  • Billed on monthly active rows, so the bill tracks how much source data changes rather than how much is stored or queried
  • Each connection follows its own cost curve, so total spend is hard to predict before running a pipeline
  • The free plan allows 500,000 monthly active rows, 3,500 activation rows and 5,000 model runs
  • Transformations are metered separately, from $0.01 per model run above 5,000 down to $0.002 above 100,000
  • A schema change upstream that touches many rows raises the bill without any change on the customer's side

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Fivetran

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited connectors
    • Basic support
  • Standard$300/month
    • 500+ connectors
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$1000/month
    • Custom connectors
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Fivetran if

  • You need automated data pipeline.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want change data capture.
Fivetran review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Power Automate or Fivetran better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Fivetran at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Power Automate or Fivetran?
Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Fivetran at Free.
Does Microsoft Power Automate or Fivetran run on more platforms?
Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop. Fivetran runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use Microsoft Power Automate for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Microsoft Power Automate best used for?
Microsoft Power Automate is most often used for workflow automation, data integration, process automation, app integration. Of those, workflow automation and data integration are not what Fivetran is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Power Automate do that Fivetran cannot?
Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation. Fivetran covers Automated data pipeline, Change Data Capture, Data transformation, Real-time sync. Both handle 500+ connectors, Encryption, SOC2, HIPAA.

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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