n8n vs Microsoft Power Automate
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
AI tool · Freemium
A workflow automation tool with strong AI and agent nodes, available as a cloud service or self-hosted.
AI tool · Paid
Microsoft's workflow and robotic process automation tool, with Copilot to build flows from descriptions.
Our verdict
n8n is a flexible workflow tool built around AI agent nodes and code steps, and it can run on your own servers, which suits technical teams who want control. Microsoft Power Automate is a workflow and desktop robotic process automation tool that fits naturally into Microsoft 365 organisations, with Copilot to build flows from plain descriptions. The main split is self-hosting and AI agents (n8n) versus Microsoft integration and desktop automation (Power Automate).
Pick n8n if you are a technical team that wants to build AI agent workflows with code steps and may want to self-host.
Pick Power Automate if your organisation already runs on Microsoft 365 and Teams, or you need desktop RPA and approvals.
| Key difference | n8n | Microsoft Power Automate |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Self-hosted automation and AI agent workflows | Microsoft 365 integration and desktop RPA |
| Price | Freemium | Paid; premium connectors cost extra and licensing is confusing |
| Platforms | Web and self-hosted | Web and Windows |
| Building flows | Node-based editor with JavaScript or Python code steps | Cloud flows, with Copilot to create flows from descriptions |
| Licence | Source-available (fair-code), not OSI open source; check commercial terms | Commercial Microsoft licensing; review terms for your plan |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose n8n if you need…
- Self-hosted automation
- Technical teams building AI agents and workflows
Choose Microsoft Power Automate if you need…
- Microsoft 365 organisations
- Desktop RPA
Side-by-side
| n8n | Microsoft Power Automate | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | No-code & automation · Workflow automation | No-code & automation · Workflow automation |
| Price | Freemium | Paid |
| Platforms | Web, Self-hosted | Web, Windows |
| Works with | Slack, Google Workspace, Notion | Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams |
| Hands-on tested by us | Not yet | Not yet |
| Last checked | 2026-10-29 | 2026-10-29 |
What each one is
n8n
A workflow automation tool with strong AI and agent nodes, available as a cloud service or self-hosted. Powerful and flexible, especially self-hosted. Its licence is source-available (fair-code) rather than OSI open source, so read the terms for commercial use.
Microsoft Power Automate
Microsoft's workflow and robotic process automation tool, with Copilot to build flows from descriptions. Natural choice inside Microsoft shops. Licensing is confusing and premium connectors cost extra.
Best for
n8n
- Self-hosted automation
- Technical teams building AI agents and workflows
Microsoft Power Automate
- Microsoft 365 organisations
- Desktop RPA
Strengths
n8n
- Node-based workflow editor
- AI agent nodes
- Code steps in JavaScript or Python
- Self-hosting
Microsoft Power Automate
- Cloud flows
- Desktop RPA
- Copilot flow creation
- Approvals
Frequently asked questions
Should I use n8n or Microsoft Power Automate?
n8n is a flexible workflow tool built around AI agent nodes and code steps, and it can run on your own servers, which suits technical teams who want control. Microsoft Power Automate is a workflow and desktop robotic process automation tool that fits naturally into Microsoft 365 organisations, with Copilot to build flows from plain descriptions. The main split is self-hosting and AI agents (n8n) versus Microsoft integration and desktop automation (Power Automate). Pick n8n if you are a technical team that wants to build AI agent workflows with code steps and may want to self-host. Pick Power Automate if your organisation already runs on Microsoft 365 and Teams, or you need desktop RPA and approvals.
What is the difference between n8n and Microsoft Power Automate?
n8n: A workflow automation tool with strong AI and agent nodes, available as a cloud service or self-hosted. Microsoft Power Automate: Microsoft's workflow and robotic process automation tool, with Copilot to build flows from descriptions. n8n suits self-hosted automation, while Microsoft Power Automate suits microsoft 365 organisations.
Are n8n and Microsoft Power Automate free?
n8n: Freemium. Microsoft Power Automate: Paid.
What are other alternatives to n8n and Microsoft Power Automate?
Other options people compare them with include Make, Zapier, Pipedream, IFTTT, Airtable.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.