Automation & Integration · head to head
Microsoft Power Automate vs Workday
Microsoft Power Automate
Automation & Integration
Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -

Workday
All industries
Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR
- From
- On request
- 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; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Workday covers Human capital management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Power Automate and Workday actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Power Automate | Workday |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Unknown | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Cloud, Desktop | Cloud/Web |
| Category | Automation & Integration | All industries |
| Founded | 2016 | 2005 |
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 Workday
- Human capital management
- Financial management
- Planning
- Analytics
- Payroll
- Time tracking
- Talent management
- Procurement
Both cover
- Salesforce
- SOC2
- HIPAA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Power Automate
- Workflow Automationnot Workday
- Data Integrationnot Workday
- Process Automationnot Workday
- App Integrationnot Workday
- API Connectivitynot Workday
Workday
- HR managementnot Microsoft Power Automate
- Financial planningnot Microsoft Power Automate
- Workforce planningnot Microsoft Power Automate
- Compliancenot Microsoft Power Automate
- Analyticsnot 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
Workday
- High implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
- Long deployment timelines (12-18 months standard) before ROI
- Steep per-employee pricing at enterprise scale ($408-504 PEPM)
- Limited pre-built templates and customization; often requires extensive configuration
- Requires significant IT and change management resources during implementation
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$215/bot/month
- Microsoft-managed virtual machine
- Unattended automation
- Same Dataverse entitlements as Process plan
Workday
On request- Small Business$undefined/month
- Core HR
- Payroll
- Time tracking
- Medium Enterprise$undefined/month
- Full HCM suite
- Financial management
- Advanced analytics
- Large Enterprise$undefined/month
- Complete platform
- Custom configurations
- 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.
Choose Workday if
- You need human capital management.
- You work on Cloud/Web.
- You also want financial management.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Power Automate or Workday better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Power Automate starts at Free and Workday 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 Workday?
- Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Power Automate and On request for Workday.
- Does Microsoft Power Automate or Workday run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
- Can I use Microsoft Power Automate for free?
- Yes. Microsoft Power Automate has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workday 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 Workday is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Power Automate do that Workday cannot?
- Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle Salesforce, 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.
SourceWorkday: What is Workday GO and what market is it designed for?
Workday GO is a product designed for small and midsize organizations, bringing together HR and finance solutions with transparent pricing and fast activation in 30 to 60 days. It includes HCM, benefits, payroll, talent, and more at a lower price point than standard Workday.
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.
SourceWorkday: What is Workday Skills Cloud and how does it fit into HCM?
Workday Skills Cloud is an intelligent skills foundation built into Workday HCM. It is described as the world's most open intelligent skills foundation and fuels data-driven talent strategies across recruiting, learning, and workforce planning.
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.
SourceWorkday: Does Workday include payroll and benefits management?
Yes. Workday HCM includes benefits administration and payroll capabilities as part of its core suite. Global payroll processing is available across multiple countries and tax jurisdictions.
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.
SourceWorkday: What is the typical pricing model for Workday HCM?
Workday HCM uses per-employee (PEPM) annual subscription pricing. Companies at scale typically pay $34-42 PEPM. Enterprise organizations with 5,000+ employees typically pay $408-504 per employee annually. Pricing decreases with larger commitments and longer contract terms.
SourceWorkday: How long does Workday implementation typically take?
Standard implementations are lengthy, often taking 12-18 months. Workday GO promises faster activation in 30-60 days. Implementation costs typically equal 100-150% of the first year's software subscription fees.
SourceRelated pages
More on Microsoft Power Automate
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