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It's a split decision.
Choose n8n when developers need inspectable workflows, code alongside visual steps, or a self-hosted option. Its Community Edition has no vendor hosting or support, and Cloud plans cap executions. Choose Power Automate for Microsoft 365 integrations, desktop RPA, and process mining; its plans bill per user, bot, or tenant. Compare the licensing model with your expected workflow volume, bot use, and hosting requirements before committing. The platforms differ enough that migration should be treated as a workflow rebuild, not a direct swap.
01Side by side
| n8n | Power Automate | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Cloud plans priced by executions; self-hosted Community Edition is free. | Plans priced per user, bot, or tenant. |
| Free tier | Free self-hosted Community Edition; server capacity sets limits. | 30-day trial for UI-based cloud flows. |
| Open source and licence | Open source; licence terms need checking. | Open-source status not stated. |
| Self-hosting | Self-host on-premises or with Docker. | Self-hosting option not stated. |
| Integrations | Examples include Slack, Jira, Notion, and Claude. | More than 1,000 connectors; native Microsoft 365 integration. |
| Deployment model | Cloud or self-hosted workflows and AI agents. | Cloud flows, desktop RPA, and hosted bot VMs. |
| Platforms | Web. | Web and Windows. |
| Limits and scaling | Cloud executions capped by plan; self-hosting limited by server. | Per-user and per-bot plans; execution limits not published. |
n8n Choose n8n if
- Choose n8n if you need to inspect and rerun individual workflow steps.
- Choose n8n if you want to self-host on-premises or with Docker.
- Choose n8n if execution-based Cloud plans fit your workload.
Power Automate Choose Power Automate if
- Choose Power Automate if your workflows rely on Microsoft 365 apps.
- Choose Power Automate if desktop RPA is a requirement.
- Choose Power Automate if process mining belongs in the same platform.
02Pricing at real usage
n8n has a free Community Edition for teams that run and maintain their own infrastructure; executions are limited by server capacity, and vendor hosting and support are not included. Cloud Starter costs $24 per month, or $20 per month with annual billing, for 2,500 executions and five concurrent executions. Pro costs $60 monthly or $50 with annual billing for 10,000 executions; higher tiers reach $120 monthly for 50,000. Starter and Pro are hard-capped, with no execution overages. Power Automate offers a 30-day trial, then Premium at $15 per user per month, billed yearly. Unattended bots cost $150 per bot monthly; hosted bots cost $215 per bot monthly. Process Mining is a $5,000-per-tenant monthly add-on for Premium, billed yearly. Compare execution volume with seat and bot counts before estimating cost.
03API, SDKs and integration
n8n centers development on a visual workflow builder, with the option to drop into code. Its product pages name integrations such as Slack, Jira, Notion, and AI models including Claude Sonnet 4.6. Power Automate pairs cloud flows with desktop RPA and lists more than 1,000 prebuilt connectors, including native Microsoft 365 integrations such as Teams, Excel, and SharePoint. It also offers custom connectors, Copilot-assisted authoring, and process and task mining. These are different integration surfaces: n8n emphasizes building and inspecting workflow steps, while Power Automate covers cloud services and UI actions on desktop. Neither vendor publishes API styles, SDK language support, or CLI details on the product pages. For a code-first integration, confirm the required endpoints, authentication methods, SDK support, and documentation with the vendor before choosing. Also check whether the connectors your workflows need are available on the plan you expect to use.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
n8n is open source and can be self-hosted on-premises or with Docker. Its Community Edition has unlimited users, workflows, and executions subject to your server, but lacks SSO, LDAP, queue mode, and admin roles. Business adds SSO/LDAP, multiple environments, Git version control, and queue mode. The product facts identify n8n as open source but do not name its licence; check the licence terms before embedding or redistributing it. Power Automate's product pages describe cloud flows, desktop RPA, and a Microsoft-hosted Azure VM option for bots; they do not state a self-hosting option. Neither vendor publishes data-export or migration details on these product pages. Ask about workflow export formats, connector configuration portability, and whether desktop automations can be recreated elsewhere. Treat a platform change as a rebuild until those details are confirmed.
Questions people ask
What are the downsides of using Power Automate?
Costs depend on whether you need user, bot, or tenant licensing: Premium is $15 per user monthly, while unattended Process is $150 per bot monthly. Hosted Process costs $215 per bot monthly, and Process Mining adds $5,000 per tenant monthly. Desktop RPA also makes Windows-based UI automation part of the design.
Is there any better tool than n8n?
That depends on the workload. Power Automate is a better fit when you need more than 1,000 listed connectors, Microsoft 365 integration, desktop RPA, or process mining. n8n fits teams that prioritize inspectable workflows, code in the visual builder, and self-hosting. Compare the required connectors and deployment model.
What is an automation tool?
An automation tool connects triggers, actions, and decision steps so a process can run with less manual work. n8n builds visual workflows and AI agents, with code available in the builder. Power Automate automates cloud services and desktop interfaces through cloud flows and RPA.
Does Power Automate desktop still exist?
Yes. Power Automate includes desktop flows for robotic process automation, including attended and unattended automation. The Premium plan includes attended desktop flows; Process and Hosted Process include unattended desktop flows. Hosted Process also includes a Microsoft-hosted virtual machine on Azure.