Software · head to head
Salesforce Flows vs Microsoft Power Automate
Microsoft Power Automate
Software
Automate tasks across cloud and on-premises apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Salesforce Flows not suitable for highly complex scenarios with intricate decision-making or bulk data processing; Microsoft Power Automate free plan limited to 750 flow runs/month and standard connectors only; premium connectors require paid plans
- They diverge on capability: Salesforce Flows covers Visual flow builder, Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Salesforce Flows and Microsoft Power Automate actually diverge.
| Attribute | Salesforce Flows | Microsoft Power Automate |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Salesforce Cloud, Web, Mobile | Web, Cloud, Desktop |
| Founded | 1999 | 2016 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 Salesforce Flows
- Visual flow builder
- Approvals
- Scheduled actions
- Screen flows
- Multi-step workflows
- Conditional logic
- Error handling
- Salesforce native
Only in Microsoft Power Automate
- Automated flows
- Instant flows
- Scheduled flows
- Desktop automation
- Process mining
- Business process flows
- Approval workflows
- 500+ connectors
Both cover
- HIPAA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Salesforce Flows
- Workflow Automation
- Data Integration
- Process Automation
- App Integration
- API Connectivity
Microsoft Power Automate
- 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.
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
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
Pricing, plan by 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
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
Which should you pick?
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.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Salesforce Flows or Microsoft Power Automate better?
- Neither clearly leads. Salesforce Flows starts at Free and Microsoft Power Automate at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Salesforce Flows or Microsoft Power Automate?
- Salesforce Flows starts at Free and Microsoft Power Automate at Free.
- Does Salesforce Flows or Microsoft Power Automate run on more platforms?
- Salesforce Flows runs on Salesforce Cloud, Web, Mobile. Microsoft Power Automate runs on Web, Cloud, Desktop.
- Can I use Salesforce Flows for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Salesforce Flows best used for?
- Salesforce Flows is most often used for workflow automation, data integration, process automation, app integration.
- What can Salesforce Flows do that Microsoft Power Automate cannot?
- Salesforce Flows covers Visual flow builder, Approvals, Scheduled actions, Screen flows. Microsoft Power Automate covers Automated flows, Instant flows, Scheduled flows, Desktop automation. Both handle HIPAA.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
SourceSalesforce 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.
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.
SourceSalesforce 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.
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.
SourceSalesforce 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.
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