Microsoft Power Automate is a powerful tool for automating workflows, productivity, and connecting apps and services across your business. However, selecting one from the different Power Automate license options can be challenging. Whether you’re just exploring automation potential or want to scale your operations, understanding Power Automate license types, pricing, and the value they offer is essential.
Overview of Power Automate Licensing – From Free to Premium Plans
Power Automate offers a range of licenses to suit individuals, teams, and enterprises. The main categories include:
Free Plan: Ideal for personal productivity and trial use, offering basic automation capabilities with limited connectors and runs.
Price: Free for 30 days
Features:
- Experiment with UI-based cloud flows
- Access to standard connectors
- Ideal for evaluating the platform’s capabilities
Power Automate Premium License: Grants access to premium connectors (like Salesforce, SAP, and Oracle) and advanced features like AI Builder and RPA (Robotic Process Automation).
Price: $15 (£11.85) per user/month (paid yearly)
Features:
- Unlimited cloud flows (DPA) including automated, instant, and scheduled flows, allowing users to automate various tasks across different applications.
- Unlimited business process flows. Access to desktop flows (RPA) in attended mode with one bot included.
- Access to standard, premium, and custom connectors.
- 5,000 AI Builder service credits.
- Process mining capabilities with 50 MB of Power Automate process mining data storage (up to 100GB per tenant).
- Dataverse storage of 250 MB and 2 GB file capacity.
Premium licenses are crucial for integrating with enterprise systems and automating complex workflows. They also enable unattended desktop automation and API-based integrations, which are restricted in standard plans.
Power Automate Process: Plan is ideal for automating critical business workflows at scale using unattended robotic process automation (RPA) bots that can run independently of human interaction.
Price: $150.00 (£118.50) per bot/month (paid yearly)
Features:
- Cloud flows (DPA)
- Unattended desktop flows (RPA)
- 5,000 AI Builder service credits
- Dataverse entitlements: 50 MB database and 200 MB file capacity
Power Automate Hosted Process: Plan is best for running unattended RPA bots on Microsoft-hosted virtual machines, eliminating the need to manage your own infrastructure.
Price: $215.00 (£169.85) per bot/month (paid yearly)
Features:
- Cloud flows (DPA)
- Unattended desktop flows (RPA)
- Microsoft-hosted virtual machine
- 5,000 AI Builder service credits
- Dataverse entitlements: 50 MB database and 200 MB file capacity
Note: Prices are in USD and do not include tax. Actual prices may vary based on region and other factors. Always refer to the official Microsoft Power Automate Pricing page for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Power Automate License Comparison Table
License | Power Automate Premium | Power Automate Process | Power Automate Hosted Process |
|---|---|---|---|
Prices | $15 (£11.85) user/month (yearly) | $150.00 (£118.50) bot/month (yearly) | $215.00 (£169.85) bot/month (yearly) |
Cloud Flows (DPA) | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
Attended Desktop Flows (RPA) | ✓ Included | ✗ Not Included | ✗ Not Included |
Unattended Desktop Flows | ✗ Not Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
Hosted Virtual Machine | ✗ Not Included | ✗ Not Included | ✓ Included |
AI Builder Credits | 5,000 credits | 5,000 credits | 5,000 credits |
Dataverse Storage | 250 MB DB / 2 GB file | 50 MB DB / 200 MB file | 50 MB DB / 200 MB file |
Process & Task Mining | 50 MB included | ✗ Not Included | ✗ Not Included |
Best For | Individual + Attended Automation | Scalable Unattended Automation | Hosted Unattended Automation |
Choosing the Right Plan – Matching License Types to Business Needs
Selecting the appropriate Power Automate license depends on several factors:
- Size and Structure of Your Team: Small teams might benefit from the Per User plan, while departments with shared workflows may find the Per Flow plan more cost-effective.
- Automation Complexity: If your workflows require premium connectors or AI models, the Premium license is a must.
- Usage Patterns: Frequent, repetitive tasks involving legacy systems may call for RPA capabilities, available only with premium or add-on licensing.
- Integration Needs: Organizations needing to integrate with third-party systems like Dynamics 365, Salesforce, or custom APIs will need access to premium connectors.
Matching the license to your actual use case prevents overspending and ensures your team has access to the tools they need without unnecessary costs.
Budgeting and ROI – Understanding the Long-Term Value of Automation Licensing
Investing in Power Automate licensing should be viewed through the lens of long-term value and operational efficiency. While premium plans might seem costly upfront, the return on investment (ROI) can be significant:
- Time Saved: Automating manual tasks frees up employee time for higher-value work.
- Error Reduction: Automated processes are less prone to mistakes, leading to improved accuracy and compliance.
- Scalability: As business needs grow, Power Automate scales with you, supporting more users, complex workflows, and integrations without needing a complete platform overhaul.
- Strategic Insights: Automation can feed data into dashboards and reporting tools, enabling smarter decision-making.
To maximize ROI, regularly review your usage metrics and evaluate whether you’re using the most cost-effective license based on current and projected workflow demands.
Conclusion
Understanding the Power Automate license types and pricing structures is key to making informed decisions for your business. Whether you’re starting small or aiming for enterprise-wide automation, the right plan can unlock significant efficiency gains and a strong return on investment. Evaluate your current needs, plan for future growth, and align your automation strategy with a license that fits both your goals and your budget.
