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Automation & Integration · head to head

Microsoft Power Automate vs Salesforce Flows

Microsoft Power Automate logo

Microsoft Power Automate

Automation & Integration

Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salesforce Flows logo

Salesforce Flows

Automation & Integration

Automation inside Salesforce

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; Salesforce Flows not suitable for highly complex scenarios with intricate decision-making or bulk data processing
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Salesforce Flows covers Visual flow builder.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Power Automate and Salesforce Flows differ
AttributeMicrosoft Power AutomateSalesforce Flows
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, DesktopSalesforce Cloud, Web, Mobile
Founded20161999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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
  • 500+ connectors

Only in Salesforce Flows

  • Visual flow builder
  • Approvals
  • Scheduled actions
  • Screen flows
  • Multi-step workflows
  • Conditional logic
  • Error handling
  • Salesforce native

Both cover

  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Power Automate

  • Workflow Automation
  • Data Integration
  • Process Automation
  • App Integration
  • API Connectivity

Salesforce Flows

  • Workflow Automation
  • Data Integration
  • Process Automation
  • App Integration
  • API Connectivity

Both are used for workflow automation, data integration, process automation, app integration, api connectivity, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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

Salesforce Flows

  • Not suitable for highly complex scenarios with intricate decision-making or bulk data processing
  • No automatic record locking, causing conflicts when multiple users update same records
  • Limited error handling compared to Apex
  • Requires Enterprise edition or higher for full capabilities
  • Auto-launched Flows cannot display screens to users
  • Complex dependency management and configuration challenges when deploying between environments

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

Salesforce Flows

Free
  • Salesforce FreeFree
    • 2 user licenses
    • Basic workflows
    • Limited automation
  • Starter$25/user/month
    • Sales flows
    • Lead routing
    • Email marketing analytics
  • Professional$100/user/month
    • Sales quoting
    • Forecasting
    • AppExchange access
  • Enterprise$165/user/month
    • Full Flow Builder
    • Custom objects
    • Sandboxes

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 Salesforce Flows if

  • You need visual flow builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Salesforce Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want approvals.
Salesforce Flows review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Power Automate or Salesforce Flows better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Salesforce Flows at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Power Automate or Salesforce Flows?
Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Salesforce Flows at Free.
Does Microsoft Power Automate or Salesforce Flows run on more platforms?
Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop. Salesforce Flows runs on Salesforce Cloud, Web, Mobile.
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.
What can Microsoft Power Automate do that Salesforce Flows cannot?
Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation. Salesforce Flows covers Visual flow builder, Approvals, Scheduled actions, Screen flows. Both handle 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
Salesforce Flows: Which Salesforce editions include Flows?

Salesforce Flow Builder is included in Enterprise Edition ($165/user/month) and above. Professional Edition lacks advanced automation capabilities and Flow Builder access. Starter and lower editions have limited Flow support.

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
Salesforce Flows: What are the main limitations of Salesforce Flows?

Flows are limited by DML operations (max 150 data elements that modify data), SOQL queries (max 100 data elements that retrieve data), and are not designed for bulk processing. Auto-launched Flows do not support screens and have limited error handling compared to Apex.

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
Salesforce Flows: Can Salesforce Flows integrate with external systems?

Yes, through MuleSoft connectors and Salesforce API Catalog. Pre-built connectors exist for systems like Asana, and admins can create custom connectors. Complex integrations may still require Apex or third-party platforms.

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
Salesforce Flows: When was Salesforce Flow redesigned?

Flow Builder was introduced in Spring '19 as a replacement for the previous Flow Designer, providing a more familiar interface similar to other Salesforce Lightning Builder tools.

Source
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