Power Automate
Microsoft's RPA and workflow tool for automating routine work. Directly targets manual back-office tasks.
Visit official site →What is Power Automate?
The deciding factor is usually whether your employer already runs Microsoft 365. If it does, a free license tied to your work account lets you build cloud flows across SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive at no extra cost, which is why it spreads through offices without any procurement conversation. If it does not, this is the wrong starting point. The real ceiling arrives at premium connectors and desktop automation, both of which need the $15 per user Premium license. Check your license before investing time.
Three things Power Automate does best
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Already licensed inside most Microsoft workplaces
The Power Automate Free license comes with any work or school account in a Microsoft Entra tenant and covers cloud flows built on standard connectors — SharePoint lists, Outlook mail, Teams messages, Excel files. You can ship a working approval flow without asking anyone to buy anything.
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Automates old software that has no API
Power Automate for desktop records mouse clicks and keystrokes, so it can drive legacy accounting or ERP screens that never exposed an interface. Attended runs on your own machine come with the Premium license; unattended runs on a server need a Process license at $150 per bot.
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Shows you which processes to fix first
Process mining reads event logs from the systems you already use and draws the actual path work takes, including where it stalls and loops. It is included with Premium, with 50 MB of process data storage per license — enough to evaluate a single workflow, not a department.
Power Automate has a free plan, so the fastest way to judge it is to try it on one real task.
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