Automation & Integration · head to head
Microsoft Power Automate vs Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Power Automate
Automation & Integration
Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Microsoft Teams
All industries
Meet, chat, call, and collaborate in just one place
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; Microsoft Teams resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Power Automate and Microsoft Teams actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Power Automate | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, Cloud, Desktop | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Category | Automation & Integration | All industries |
| Founded | 2016 | 1975 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Microsoft Power Automate
- Automated flows
- Instant flows
- Scheduled flows
- Desktop automation
- Process mining
- Business process flows
- Approval workflows
- 500+ connectors
Only in Microsoft Teams
- Chat & channels
- Video conferencing
- Screen sharing
- File collaboration
- Office integration
- Live events
- Phone system
- Apps & workflows
Both cover
- SharePoint
- SOC2
- HIPAA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Power Automate
- Workflow Automationnot Microsoft Teams
- Data Integrationnot Microsoft Teams
- Process Automationnot Microsoft Teams
- App Integrationnot Microsoft Teams
- API Connectivitynot Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams
- Remote meetingsnot Microsoft Power Automate
- Team collaborationnot Microsoft Power Automate
- Document sharingnot Microsoft Power Automate
- Project managementnot Microsoft Power Automate
- Webinarsnot 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
Microsoft Teams
- Resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives
- Limited channel structure; maximum of 200 public and 30 private channels per team
- Cannot invite guest users to specific channels; guest access grants full team visibility
- Unable to chat during screen sharing; limits real-time collaborative communication
- Limited customization options for branding and interface; cluttered UX compared to Slack
- Channels cannot be moved between teams; requires manual replication for reorganization
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
Microsoft Teams
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited chat
- 100 participants in meetings
- 5GB file storage
- Microsoft Teams Essentials$4/month
- 300 participants in meetings
- 10GB cloud storage
- Phone & web support
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
- Everything in Essentials
- 1TB OneDrive storage
- Web & mobile Office apps
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard$12.5/month
- Everything in Basic
- Desktop Office apps
- Webinar hosting
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.
Choose Microsoft Teams if
- You need chat & channels.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- You also want video conferencing.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Power Automate or Microsoft Teams better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Microsoft Teams at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Power Automate or Microsoft Teams?
- Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Microsoft Teams at Free.
- Does Microsoft Power Automate or Microsoft Teams run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop. Microsoft Teams runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- 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 Microsoft Teams is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Power Automate do that Microsoft Teams cannot?
- Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation. Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels, Video conferencing, Screen sharing, File collaboration. Both handle SharePoint, 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.
SourceMicrosoft Teams: Does Microsoft Teams have a free tier?
Yes. Microsoft Teams offers a free Home tier with unlimited chat, 60-minute group meetings for up to 100 people, 5GB cloud storage, and basic file sharing, though limits are restrictive for growing teams.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
SourceMicrosoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' paid plans?
Microsoft Teams Essentials costs $4/user/month (chat, calling, meetings, 10GB storage). Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $7/user/month (includes desktop Office apps, 1TB storage). Premium plans with Copilot start at $23.50/user/month.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
SourceMicrosoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' primary features?
Teams provides real-time chat, video and voice calling, meetings with up to 300 participants, file sharing and storage integration with OneDrive, recording and transcripts, and deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
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.
SourceMicrosoft Teams: What integrations does Teams support?
Microsoft Teams integrates with calendar apps (Outlook, Google Calendar), project management tools (Trello), and works with Zapier for custom workflow automation. Teams also has native connectors to many Microsoft 365 apps and third-party services.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Power Automate
More on Microsoft Teams
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