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Make vs Microsoft Power Automate

Make and Microsoft Power Automate are both workflow automation tools. Make is aimed at small businesses and agencies, while Microsoft Power Automate is aimed at small businesses and enterprise. Only Make has a free plan.

Make

Visual automation with branching scenarios

Microsoft Power Automate

Microsoft's workflow automation and RPA platform for Microsoft 365

PricingFreemiumPaid · $15
Starting priceNot published$15/mo
Free planYesNo
Free trial—30 days
Built forSmall businesses, AgenciesSmall businesses, Enterprise
Platformswebweb, windows, ios, android
CountryCZ · 2012US · 2016
Rating——

Choose Make if

Operations teams and power users comfortable with visual logic who want Zapier-like breadth at lower cost.

  • Far cheaper per credit than Zapier tasks
  • Handles complex branching and data visually
  • Strong HTTP module for any API

Look elsewhere if: Users wanting the simplest possible setup (Zapier) or developers who prefer code and self-hosting (n8n).

Choose Microsoft Power Automate if

Organizations standardized on Microsoft 365 that need governed workflow automation and desktop RPA for legacy apps.

  • Deep native integration with Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint and Dynamics
  • Many Microsoft 365 licences already include standard connector flows
  • Combines API automation and desktop RPA in one platform

Look elsewhere if: Small teams on mostly non-Microsoft SaaS apps who want quick, simple automations (Zapier, Make, n8n).

Make vs Microsoft Power Automate pricing

Make

    Microsoft Power Automate

    • Premium$15/user/moBilled yearly; cloud flows, attended desktop RPA, process mining
    • Process$150/bot/moBilled yearly; unattended desktop flows for one bot
    • Hosted Process$215/bot/moBilled yearly; adds a Microsoft-hosted virtual machine
    • Process Mining add-on$5,000/tenant/moBilled yearly; requires Premium, 100 GB data storage

    Make · Key features

    • Visual scenario builder with routers, iterators and aggregators
    • 2,000+ app modules plus HTTP, JSON and webhooks
    • Advanced data mapping and functions
    • Error handling, scheduling and execution history
    • AI modules and Make AI Agents
    • Templates and team collaboration

    Cons

    • Learning curve for non-technical users
    • Scenario debugging can be fiddly
    • Fewer native apps than Zapier

    Microsoft Power Automate · Key features

    • Cloud flows triggered by events, schedules or buttons across 1,000+ connectors
    • Desktop flows that automate Windows apps and websites through RPA
    • Attended bots on user PCs and unattended bots on VMs
    • Copilot that drafts flows from a plain-language description
    • Approvals built into Teams, Outlook and the mobile app
    • Process and task mining to find bottlenecks before automating

    Cons

    • Licensing is confusing, with premium connectors and per-bot charges
    • Designer is slower and less intuitive than Zapier or Make
    • Error messages and debugging can be hard for non-developers

    Make vs Microsoft Power Automate: FAQ

    Do Make and Microsoft Power Automate have a free plan?

    Make has a free plan. Microsoft Power Automate has no free plan, a 30-day free trial.

    Not sure yet?