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Automation Integration · head to head

Microsoft Power Automate vs ServiceNow

Microsoft Power Automate logo

Microsoft Power Automate

Automation Integration

Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ServiceNow logo

ServiceNow

Customer Support

The world works with ServiceNow

From
On request
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; ServiceNow listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller UP3 Services Ltd at £81.00 per licence per month for ServiceNow
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, ServiceNow covers ITSM.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Power Automate and ServiceNow differ
AttributeMicrosoft Power AutomateServiceNow
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, DesktopWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryAutomation IntegrationCustomer Support
Founded20162004

Identical on both: 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 ServiceNow

  • ITSM
  • IT Operations
  • Customer workflows
  • Employee workflows
  • App development
  • AI/ML capabilities
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • SAP
  • SOC2
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Power Automate

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

ServiceNow

  • Enterprise IT managementnot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Digital transformationnot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Workflow automationnot 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

ServiceNow

  • Listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller UP3 Services Ltd at £81.00 per licence per month for ServiceNow

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

ServiceNow

On request
  • IT Service Management$undefined/month
    • Incident management
    • Problem management
    • Change management
  • IT Operations Management$undefined/month
    • Discovery
    • Service mapping
    • Event management
  • Customer Service Management$undefined/month
    • Omnichannel engagement
    • Self-service
    • Case management

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 ServiceNow if

  • You need itsm.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want it operations.
ServiceNow review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Power Automate or ServiceNow better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and ServiceNow at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Power Automate or ServiceNow?
Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Power Automate and On request for ServiceNow.
Does Microsoft Power Automate or ServiceNow run on more platforms?
Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop. ServiceNow runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Microsoft Power Automate for free?
Yes. Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ServiceNow starts at On request.
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 ServiceNow is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Power Automate do that ServiceNow cannot?
Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation. ServiceNow covers ITSM, IT Operations, Customer workflows, Employee workflows. Both handle Salesforce, SAP, 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
ServiceNow: Does ServiceNow offer a free trial?

ServiceNow provides product trials and demos for prospects. Organizations can request a demo to see the platform capabilities for IT service management, customer service management, and business workflows.

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
ServiceNow: How is ServiceNow priced?

ServiceNow uses subscription-based pricing with custom quotes based on the number of users and modules selected. Organizations must contact ServiceNow directly to receive pricing for their specific deployment needs.

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
ServiceNow: What implementation support does ServiceNow provide?

ServiceNow offers professional services, customer success management, and training programs to help organizations maximize value from the platform. Implementation support is available through direct services teams and certified implementation partners.

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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