Software · head to head
Microsoft Power Automate vs Workato
Microsoft Power Automate
Software
Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; Workato the pricing page names four product lines, Enterprise iPaaS, Agentic solutions, API Management and Data Orchestration, and publishes no figure for any of them, gating all of it behind Schedule a demo
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Workato covers Process orchestration.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Power Automate and Workato actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Power Automate | Workato |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $99/month |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Cloud, Desktop | Web, On-premise |
| Founded | 2016 | 2014 |
Identical on both: 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 Workato
- Process orchestration
- Master data management
- Integration templates
- Real-time sync
- Error handling
- Monitoring
- API management
- Workflow analytics
Both cover
- Salesforce
- SAP
- Oracle
- SOC2
- 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
Workato
- 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
Workato
- The pricing page names four product lines, Enterprise iPaaS, Agentic solutions, API Management and Data Orchestration, and publishes no figure for any of them, gating all of it behind Schedule a demo
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
Workato
$99/month- Starter$99/month
- Up to 50 recipes
- Basic integrations
- Email support
- Professional$299/month
- Unlimited recipes
- Premium integrations
- Priority support
- Enterprise$999/month
- Custom SLA
- Dedicated support
- Advanced security
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 Workato if
- You need process orchestration.
- You work on Web, On-premise.
- You also want master data management.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Power Automate or Workato better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Workato at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Power Automate or Workato?
- Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Power Automate and $99/month for Workato.
- Does Microsoft Power Automate or Workato run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop. Workato runs on Web, On-premise.
- Can I use Microsoft Power Automate for free?
- Yes. Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workato starts at $99/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.
- What can Microsoft Power Automate do that Workato cannot?
- Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation. Workato covers Process orchestration, Master data management, Integration templates, Real-time sync. Both handle Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, SOC2.
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