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Comparison

n8n vs Power Automate

The verdict

Choose Power Automate when you are a Microsoft 365 company that needs IT-governed flows across Outlook, Teams and SharePoint, or desktop automation of legacy Windows apps. Choose n8n when your stack is mixed, you are building AI agents with any model provider, or you want to self-host. n8n bills per workflow execution with unlimited users, while Power Automate is licensed per user or per flow.

n8nPower Automate
Hostingn8n Cloud or self-hosted in your own cloud account or data centerMicrosoft cloud; desktop flows run on your Windows machines or Microsoft-hosted machines
Billing modelPer workflow execution on paid plans, unlimited users; free self-hosted Community EditionPer-user Premium licenses, per-flow or per-machine Process licenses, or pay-as-you-go, with daily action limits
Microsoft 365 depthGood nodes for Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint and Excel through Microsoft GraphDeepest available, running under your tenant identity and permissions
Non-Microsoft appsStrong across SaaS, databases and any REST APIMany connectors, but popular third-party ones are often premium
AI agentsAI Agent node with tools, memory and OpenAI, Anthropic and other providersAI Builder actions in flows; agents are built in Copilot Studio and call flows
CodeJavaScript or Python code steps anywhere in a workflowExpressions and custom connectors; heavier logic usually moves to Azure Functions
Desktop automation (RPA)None built inDesktop flows, attended and unattended
GovernanceSSO, environments and Git source control on Business and EnterpriseEnvironments, data loss prevention policies and Entra ID out of the box
PortabilityWorkflows are JSON you can export, version and move between instancesSolutions move between Power Platform environments, not to other tools

Choose n8n if

  • Your stack mixes Microsoft and non-Microsoft systems, or is mostly non-Microsoft
  • You are building AI agents and want to choose the model provider
  • Premium connector or per-user licensing is getting hard to justify
  • You want to self-host so data stays in your own environment
  • A technical owner can maintain workflows and version them in Git

Choose Power Automate if

  • Your company runs on Microsoft 365 and IT wants one governed platform
  • Automations live mostly in Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Dataverse
  • You need to automate a legacy Windows application with no API
  • Your licenses already cover the flows you need

The short version

Power Automate is the natural automation layer for a Microsoft 365 company. It is partly included in many licenses, governed by IT, and reaches into Outlook, Teams and SharePoint more deeply than anything else.

n8n is a general-purpose workflow engine that treats Microsoft as one system among many. It is stronger for AI agents, mixed software stacks, code-heavy workflows and self-hosting.

Where n8n wins

Mixed stacks. If your CRM is HubSpot, your accounting is QuickBooks Online and your support desk is Zendesk, n8n connects them all at the same billing rate. In Power Automate, many popular third-party connectors are premium, which can push every builder onto a paid license.

AI agents with model choice. n8n’s AI Agent node lets you pick OpenAI’s GPT models, Anthropic’s Claude models or others, attach tools such as database queries or other workflows, and inspect each step. See our SOP assistant guide for an agent built this way.

Code and version control. Code steps run JavaScript or Python inline. Workflows are JSON that you can review and keep in Git, and Business and Enterprise plans add proper environments.

Self-hosting. n8n can run inside your own AWS, Azure or Google Cloud account. Power Automate always runs in Microsoft’s cloud.

Simple user math. n8n plans include unlimited users. You pay for executions, not seats.

Where Power Automate wins

Microsoft 365 depth. SharePoint list triggers, Teams approvals, Outlook actions and Dataverse all run under your tenant’s identity and permissions. That is hard to match from outside the Microsoft ecosystem.

Already licensed. Many Microsoft 365 plans include cloud flows with standard connectors. For simple Microsoft-only flows, the platform cost is often zero.

Desktop flows. Power Automate can automate legacy Windows apps with no API, attended or unattended. n8n cannot.

IT governance. Environments, data loss prevention policies and Entra ID access control are built in. For companies where IT must approve every integration, this is a real advantage.

Copilot Studio. If your agent strategy runs through Microsoft Copilot, Power Automate flows are the natural action layer.

What we recommend

Microsoft-first companies should use Power Automate for Microsoft-centric work and avoid fighting the platform. Bring in n8n for AI agents, high-volume integrations across non-Microsoft systems, and anything that needs code or self-hosting. The two coexist well: n8n can call Power Automate flows through HTTP triggers, and the reverse.

If you are moving off Power Automate entirely, our Power Automate to n8n migration guide covers the plan. For budgeting a multi-workflow program, see the cost of an n8n automation program.

Frequently asked questions

Is n8n cheaper than Power Automate?

It depends on what you already own. If Microsoft 365 licenses cover your flows with standard connectors, Power Automate adds little cost. Once you need premium connectors for many users, or high-volume Process licenses, n8n's execution billing with unlimited users is often cheaper. Self-hosted n8n has no execution fees, only server and maintenance costs.

Can n8n connect to Microsoft 365?

Yes. n8n has nodes for Outlook, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint and Excel, and can call any Microsoft Graph endpoint with the HTTP Request node. You register an app in Entra ID and grant it the right permissions, which your IT team will want to review.

Does n8n do RPA like Power Automate desktop flows?

No. n8n automates through APIs, databases, files and webhooks. If you must drive a Windows application's screens, Power Automate desktop flows or another RPA tool is needed. Many teams use both, with n8n calling an RPA step only where no API exists.

Which is better for AI agents?

For agents that call several business systems and need a specific model, n8n gives more direct control over tools, memory, prompts and providers. If your agents live in Microsoft Teams and Copilot, Copilot Studio with Power Automate flows keeps everything inside the Microsoft stack.

How do we migrate from Power Automate to n8n?

Flows are rebuilt, not converted. Triggers and actions map to n8n nodes, conditions map to IF and Switch nodes, and Apply to each maps to item handling or loops. Our Power Automate to n8n migration guide covers the plan, including credential and permission changes.

Next steps

01 Browse free n8n templates Fifty starter workflows you can import today. No email required. 02 Take the 5-minute AI readiness assessment Get a score and a recommended first project in your browser. 03 Get a written scope and estimate Tell us what you want to automate. We reply within two business days.

Keep reading

Last updated October 14, 2026. Product details change often; check each vendor's current documentation and pricing.