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Software · head to head

Microsoft Power Automate vs Temporal

Microsoft Power Automate logo

Microsoft Power Automate

Software

Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Temporal logo

Temporal

Software

Durable execution platform for fault-tolerant workflows.

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; Temporal cloud pricing scales with action volume, with per-million overage fees ($50 per million initially)

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Power Automate and Temporal differ
AttributeMicrosoft Power AutomateTemporal
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, DesktopWeb, API, Self-hosted
Founded2016Unknown

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 Temporal

Nothing recorded that Microsoft Power Automate does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Power Automate

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

Temporal

  • AI pipeline orchestration and long-running AI workflowsnot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Distributed system workflows requiring state durabilitynot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Complex backend processes with retry requirementsnot Microsoft Power Automate
  • High-volume asynchronous task executionnot Microsoft Power Automate
  • Microservices coordination with guaranteed state consistencynot 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

Temporal

  • Cloud pricing scales with action volume, with per-million overage fees ($50 per million initially)
  • Enterprise customers incur additional storage costs beyond base allocations
  • Self-hosted deployments require operational expertise to deploy and maintain the Temporal Service
  • No native workflow UI builder; workflows must be defined in code
  • Free tier limited to self-hosted option only; no free cloud tier

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

Temporal

Free
  • Open-sourceFree
    • Self-hosted deployment
    • Full platform functionality
    • Community support
  • Essentials$100/month
    • 1 million actions monthly
    • 1 GB active storage
    • 40 GB retained storage
  • Business$500/month
    • 2.5 million actions monthly
    • 2.5 GB active storage
    • 100 GB retained storage
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • 10 million actions monthly
    • 10 GB active storage
    • 400 GB retained storage

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 Temporal if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API, Self-hosted.
Temporal review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Power Automate or Temporal better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Temporal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Power Automate or Temporal?
Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Temporal at Free.
Does Microsoft Power Automate or Temporal run on more platforms?
Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop. Temporal runs on Web, API, 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 Temporal is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Power Automate do that Temporal cannot?
Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation.

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
Temporal: What programming languages does Temporal support?

Temporal provides native SDKs for Go, Java, .NET, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and TypeScript.

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
Temporal: Can I run Temporal on-premises or self-hosted?

Yes. Temporal is available as open-source software under the MIT license, allowing self-hosted deployment. Temporal Cloud is also available as a managed service alternative.

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
Temporal: What is included in the free tier?

$1,000 in free credits for new users to explore Temporal Cloud. Self-hosted Temporal is available free with full platform functionality.

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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