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What is Microsoft Power Automate?
Microsoft Power Automate is a cloud service within the Microsoft Power Platform that lets users and IT teams automate workflows and business processes across multiple applications. The flows follow the principle of trigger, condition and action and can mostly be modelled graphically without traditional programming, which is why Power Automate counts among the low-code platforms. The product was renamed from the former Microsoft Flow at the Microsoft Ignite conference in 2019 and has since also gained robotic process automation capabilities. It complements existing systems such as email, file repositories, databases or ERP software, but does not replace them.
What is the difference between cloud flows and desktop flows?
Cloud flows run entirely in the Microsoft cloud and connect applications via interfaces, that is, via prebuilt connectors or REST APIs. Desktop flows, on the other hand, cover the field of robotic process automation and simulate clicks and keyboard input directly on the user interface of a local application. This variant is particularly suitable for older software without a usable programming interface. Since desktop flows operate on the user interface, however, they are sensitive to changes in the respective application, whereas interface-based cloud flows are generally the more robust solution.
Can Power Automate integrate ERP systems?
Yes; in the ERP context, Power Automate typically takes on the role of a connecting automation layer and closes organisational gaps without modifying the standard of the ERP system. The connection is particularly close for ERP applications from the Microsoft ecosystem such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, since the underlying Dataverse data platform can be accessed directly. Premium connectors are available for widespread third-party systems such as SAP, Salesforce or Oracle, and any ERP with an open REST interface can be connected via a custom connector. Legacy ERPs without an interface can alternatively be driven via desktop flows.
What does Power Automate cost?
Microsoft licenses user-based cloud automation via the Premium plan, which costs around 15 US dollars per user per month with annual billing and includes cloud flows along with standard and premium connectors. For unattended RPA bots, the Process plan comes in considerably higher at roughly 150 US dollars per bot per month, and the cloud-hosted Hosted Process plan correspondingly more (around 215 US dollars per bot per month). Basic automation functions are partly already included in Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 plans, while premium connectors, desktop automation and add-ons such as AI Builder must be accounted for separately. Actual prices vary by region, contract and licensing model, which is why reviewing a current quote is advisable before adopting.
Is Power Automate the same as RPA?
Only partly, because Power Automate covers several automation approaches. The desktop flows correspond to genuine robotic process automation, since they automate the user interface of applications and are thus comparable to specialised RPA tools. The cloud flows, by contrast, are interface-based integrations and functionally sit closer to integration and workflow platforms than to classic RPA. In practice, Power Automate combines both worlds in one product, but the emphasis is on the interface-based cloud flows.
Can Power Automate be used in compliance with the GDPR?
Power Automate can be operated in a data-protection-compliant way, but the responsibility for a legally sound setup lies with the company using it. Since flows can process personal data, the requirements of the GDPR must be observed, along with traceable documentation via an audit trail. Choosing the geographic region of an environment controls where data is stored and processed, and with the EU Data Boundary completed in 2025, Microsoft offers a corresponding framework for customers in the European area. If many flows are built by business users themselves, clear governance for permissions, connectors and critical flows is additionally needed to limit data protection and security risks.