Software · head to head
Microsoft Power Automate vs n8n
Microsoft Power Automate
Software
Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps
- 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; n8n starter tier limited to 1 project and 5 concurrent executions
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, n8n covers Workflow automation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Power Automate and n8n actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Power Automate | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Platforms | Web, Cloud, Desktop | Web, Docker, Self-hosted |
| Founded | 2016 | 2019 |
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 Microsoft Power Automate
- Automated flows
- Instant flows
- Scheduled flows
- Desktop automation
- Process mining
- Business process flows
- Approval workflows
- 500+ connectors
Only in n8n
- Workflow automation
- Visual editor
- Conditional execution
- Looping
- Error handling
- Scheduling
- Webhooks
- REST API
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Power Automate
- Workflow Automationnot n8n
- Data Integrationnot n8n
- Process Automationnot n8n
- App Integrationnot n8n
- API Connectivitynot n8n
n8n
- Building AI agents and workflow automation for technical teamsnot Microsoft Power Automate
- Visual workflow design with capability to write custom JavaScript or Python codenot Microsoft Power Automate
- Enterprise deployments with self-hosted or cloud optionsnot Microsoft Power Automate
- Integrating 500+ pre-built applications with custom API connectionsnot 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
n8n
- Starter tier limited to 1 project and 5 concurrent executions
- Starter and Pro tiers restricted to Cloud hosting only, not self-hosted
- Business tier requires 6 months minimum commitment at €667/month
- SSO/SAML/LDAP authentication requires Business or Enterprise tier
- Dedicated support with SLA available only on Enterprise plan
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
n8n
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the n8n review.
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 n8n if
- You need workflow automation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Docker, Self-hosted.
- You also want visual editor.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Power Automate or n8n better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and n8n at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Power Automate or n8n?
- Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and n8n at Free.
- Does Microsoft Power Automate or n8n run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop. n8n runs on Web, Docker, Self-hosted.
- 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 n8n is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Power Automate do that n8n cannot?
- Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation. n8n covers Workflow automation, Visual editor, Conditional execution, Looping.
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 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 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 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