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Automation & Integration · head to head

Microsoft Power Automate vs Paragon

Microsoft Power Automate logo

Microsoft Power Automate

Automation & Integration

Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paragon logo

Paragon

Automation & Integration

Embedded integration platform for SaaS

From
$299/month
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: Microsoft Power Automate free plan limited to 750 flow runs/month and standard connectors only; premium connectors require paid plans; Paragon no price is published for either plan, and both require a quote
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Paragon covers Embedded workflows.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Power Automate and Paragon differ
AttributeMicrosoft Power AutomateParagon
Starting priceFree$299/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, DesktopWeb, Embedded
Founded20162021

Identical on both: 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
  • 500+ connectors

Only in Paragon

  • Embedded workflows
  • Native integrations
  • Workflow builder
  • Error handling
  • Monitoring
  • Analytics
  • Webhooks
  • 500+ apps

Both cover

  • Salesforce

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Power Automate

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

Paragon

  • Embedding third party integrations into a SaaS productnot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Managing customer facing connectors without building each onenot 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

Paragon

  • No price is published for either plan, and both require a quote
  • Cost scales with the number of customer tenants using the integrations, so the bill follows an end customer count rather than the vendor's own usage
  • SAML SSO, self hosting, dynamic field mapping and SLAs are all Enterprise only

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

Paragon

$299/month
  • Starter$299/month
    • 50 integrations
    • Basic support
  • Growth$999/month
    • 200 integrations
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$5000/month
    • Unlimited integrations
    • 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 Paragon if

  • You need embedded workflows.
  • You work on Web, Embedded.
  • You also want native integrations.
Paragon review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Power Automate or Paragon better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Paragon at $299/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Power Automate or Paragon?
Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Power Automate and $299/month for Paragon.
Does Microsoft Power Automate or Paragon run on more platforms?
Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop. Paragon runs on Web, Embedded.
Can I use Microsoft Power Automate for free?
Yes. Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paragon starts at $299/month.
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 Paragon is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Power Automate do that Paragon cannot?
Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation. Paragon covers Embedded workflows, Native integrations, Workflow builder, Error handling. Both handle Salesforce.

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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