Demystifying Microsoft Power Automate Pricing

All you need to know about Power Automate and its licensing options and features

Microsoft Power Automate, formerly known as Microsoft Flow, is a powerful tool that allows users to create automated workflows between apps and services to synchronize files, get notifications, collect data, and more. Understanding its pricing structure is crucial for businesses and individuals looking to integrate automation into their operations efficiently.

Microsoft Power Automate is a versatile tool that can streamline a variety of business processes, enhance productivity, and reduce manual workload. Here are some common use cases where Power Automate can be particularly effective:

1. Data Collection and Integration

Power Automate can automatically collect data from various sources such as forms, emails, and social media, and integrate it into a central system like a CRM or ERP. This automation saves time and reduces errors associated with manual data entry.

2. File Management and Storage

Organizations can use Power Automate to manage files across different platforms. For example, it can automatically save email attachments to a designated SharePoint folder, ensuring that important documents are stored correctly and are easily accessible.

3. HR and Administrative Tasks

Automating HR processes such as leave requests, onboarding, and document approvals can significantly improve efficiency. Power Automate can handle these tasks by routing requests to the appropriate parties and notifying employees of updates.

4. Customer Service and Support

Power Automate can help manage customer service tickets by routing them to the right department, sending automated responses, and tracking the status of each ticket, ensuring timely and organized customer support.

5. Financial Processes

Automating financial processes like invoice processing, expense approvals, and budget tracking can help organizations manage their finances more effectively. Power Automate can connect to financial systems and automate these workflows, reducing the risk of human error.

6. IT Operations

Power Automate can assist IT departments by automating routine tasks such as system monitoring, user account management, and software updates. This frees up IT staff to focus on more complex issues.

Power Automate Pricing Overview

Power Automate offers a range of pricing options to suit different needs and scales of operation. The pricing is divided mainly into two categories: per-user plans and per-flow plans.

Per-User Plans

The per-user plan is best suited for businesses that require predictable licensing costs. It allows licensed users to automate applications through API-based digital process automation (cloud flows) and UI-based robotic process automation (RPA) in attended mode. As of the latest information, the Power Automate Premium plan is priced at $15 per user/month, which includes unlimited cloud flows and desktop flows in attended mode, along with a 50 MB Power Automate Process Mining data storage and 5,000 AI Builder credits.

Per-Flow Plans

The per-flow plan is ideal for businesses that need to license individual automation bots that can be used for unattended desktop automation or a digital process automation flow accessible by an unlimited number of users within the organization. The Power Automate Process plan costs $150 per bot/month, providing cloud flows, desktop flows in unattended mode, and Dataverse entitlements.

Additional Offerings and Considerations

• Power Automate Hosted Process: For more extensive needs, there’s also the Power Automate Hosted Process plan, which includes additional features like Microsoft-hosted virtual machines and is priced at $215.00 per bot/month.
• Pay-as-you-go Model: Microsoft has introduced a pay-as-you-go pricing model for Power Automate cloud flow run and desktop flow run (attended mode), priced at $0.60 per flow run. This model allows organizations to scale their automation without per-user licenses and only pay for the number of runs they use.

Power Automate Capacity Add-ons

One of the key offerings for Power Automate is the capacity add-on, which allows organizations to increase their daily Power Platform request limits, accommodating workloads that demand higher usage capacity than the standard allocation. This add-on is particularly beneficial for businesses experiencing growth spurts or those with variable request volumes, ensuring that their workflows remain uninterrupted and efficient. This add-on allows organizations to purchase additional daily Power Platform requests, with each unit providing an extra 50,000 requests per day at the cost of $50 per month.

The integration of AI Builder capacity add-ons empowers businesses to harness artificial intelligence capabilities, pooling service credit capacity at the tenant level. This facilitates the creation of intelligent workflows that can learn, adapt, and perform complex tasks with minimal human intervention.

Beyond what comes with individual license plans (5,000 credits), AI Builder service credits can be purchased at $500 per unit per month, with each unit comprising 1 million service credits pooled at the tenant level. This approach allows for flexibility and scalability, ensuring that businesses only pay for what they use.

Conclusion

Microsoft Power Automate is a versatile tool that can significantly enhance productivity and efficiency by automating routine tasks. With its flexible pricing plans, businesses of all sizes can find an option that fits their budget and automation needs. As with any software solution, it’s essential to evaluate the features and benefits against the costs to ensure it aligns with your organizational goals.

For those looking to explore the capabilities of Power Automate, there is a free trial available, providing an opportunity to test the platform before committing to a paid plan. For a free trial, or more detailed pricing or licensing information, contact us.