Time to pay the Microsoft 2025 Power Automate
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Microsoft Power Automate Free, covering what it is, what it does, what you get, and how it compares to paid tiers:
What Is Microsoft Power Automate Free?
Power Automate Free is a no-cost entry-level plan offered by Microsoft that allows individuals to automate repetitive tasks across Microsoft 365 and a limited number of other services. It is ideal for personal or very light business use.
What Does It Do?
Power Automate lets users create “flows” — automated workflows triggered by events, schedules, or manual inputs — to move data, send notifications, synchronize files, and connect multiple services.
Example Use Cases:
- Send an email alert when a new file is added to OneDrive.
- Save email attachments to SharePoint automatically.
- Receive a Teams message when a Microsoft Form is submitted.
- Post tweets from a SharePoint list.
What’s Included in the Free Plan?
| Feature | Included in Free Plan |
|---|---|
| Create Cloud Flows | ✅ Yes (manual, scheduled, automated) |
| Microsoft 365 Integration | ✅ Yes (Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, etc.) |
| Standard Connectors | ✅ Yes (e.g., OneDrive, Teams, Gmail) |
| Premium Connectors | ❌ No (e.g., Salesforce, Dataverse) |
| Desktop Automation (RPA) | ❌ No (UI flows, attended/unattended) |
| AI Builder | ❌ No |
| Execution Limit | ✅ ~750 runs/month* |
| Flow Frequency | ~15-minute intervals (not real-time) |
| Environment | ❌ No custom environments |
| Support | ❌ No guaranteed support |
*Note: Execution limits can vary based on Microsoft 365 license (e.g., if bundled with E3/E5 you may get higher limits).
Cost
- Free for all users with a Microsoft account (e.g., Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Microsoft 365).
- May also be bundled at no extra cost with Office 365 E3/E5 licenses (includes higher limits than basic free).
- For advanced features, paid plans start at:
- $15/user/month – Per-user plan (with premium connectors)
- $150/month – Per-flow plan (enterprise automation scale)
Summary Table
| Feature Category | Power Automate Free |
|---|---|
| Triggers & Flows | ✅ Manual, scheduled, auto flows |
| App Integration | ✅ Only standard connectors |
| Desktop Automation | ❌ Not included |
| Premium Connectors | ❌ Not included |
| Cost | 💵 Free |
| Ideal For | 💼 Light personal productivity |
