Best Process Automation

Microsoft Power Automate vs Zapier

Power Automate bills per user and adds desktop robots. Zapier bills per task and connects the most apps.

Updated By the Best Process Automation deskHow we scoreDisclosure

This guide is free and no vendor pays for a position. Links to vendors can earn the publisher a commission when you sign up. How the site makes money.

Short answer

Power Automate scores 8.1 against Zapier's 8.0, and for a Microsoft 365 company it is the better buy: cloud flows with standard connectors come with work accounts, and Premium at $15 per user a month covers premium connectors and attended desktop RPA13. Zapier is easier, 9.0 against 7.0 on ease, and counts 9,000+ apps2.

Pick Microsoft Power Automate if
your company signs in with Microsoft work accounts, or you must automate Windows desktop apps that have no API12.
Pick Zapier if
non-developers build the automations outside Microsoft 365, or the apps you need are in Zapier's 9,000+ catalog and missing from Power Automate's 1,400+ connectors26.
Microsoft Power Automate and Zapier compared
Microsoft Power AutomateZapier
Our score8.18.0
Free optionFree license for work or school accounts: standard connectors, no sharing1Free plan: 100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps2
Paid plans from$15 per user a month, paid yearly (Premium)3$19.99/mo billed annually, 750 tasks2
Billing unitUsers and bots; pay-as-you-go at $0.60 a run43Tasks: one per successful action step5
Desktop RPAYes, on Windows; unattended bot $150 a month3No desktop or screen automation listed2
AppsMore than 1,400 connectors69,000+2
AI building helpCopilot creates cloud flows from natural language7Copilot drafts Zaps on every plan8
Security reportsSOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001910SOC 2 Type II and SOC 311
Self-hostingNo; cloud only, with an on-premises data gateway6No; AWS in the United States11

Scores by criterion

Microsoft Power Automate

Score breakdown for Microsoft Power Automate
Ease of use 20%7.0
Power 25%8.5
Integrations 15%9.0
Price and value 20%7.5
Security and governance 10%8.5
Support and ecosystem 10%9.0

Zapier

Score breakdown for Zapier
Ease of use 20%9.0
Power 25%8.0
Integrations 15%9.0
Price and value 20%6.0
Security and governance 10%7.5
Support and ecosystem 10%8.5

Visit Microsoft Power Automate (opens the Microsoft Power Automate website)Visit Zapier (opens the Zapier website)

Questions people ask

Is Power Automate better than Zapier?

For Microsoft 365 companies, yes: it scores 8.1 against 8.0 here, and its cloud flows with standard connectors come with work accounts1. Outside Microsoft 365, Zapier is easier, scoring 9.0 on ease against 7.08.

Is Power Automate free?

Cloud flows with standard connectors are free for work or school accounts, without sharing1. Premium connectors need Premium at $15 per user a month, paid yearly3.

Which costs less, Power Automate or Zapier?

For one builder, Power Automate: Premium costs $15 a month with an official limit of 40,000 requests a day313, while Zapier's $19.99 Professional tier covers 750 tasks a month2. Power Automate's price grows with each licensed user.

Sources

  1. Microsoft Learn. Types of Power Automate licenses. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  2. Zapier. Plans & Pricing | Zapier | Zapier. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  3. Microsoft. Power Automate Pricing. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  4. Microsoft Learn. Pay-as-you-go meters. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  5. Zapier Help Center. How is task usage measured in Zapier?. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  6. Microsoft. Power Automate: Business Process Workflow Automation. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  7. Microsoft Learn. Copilot in Power Automate. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  8. Zapier Help Center. Use the power of AI to generate Zap workflows. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  9. Microsoft Learn. ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Information Security Management Standards. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  10. Microsoft Learn. System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type 2. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  11. Zapier. Zapier | Secure and Compliant AI Orchestration at Scale. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  12. Microsoft Learn. Prerequisites and limitations. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
  13. Microsoft Learn. Requests limits and allocations. Checked 9 Nov 2026.