n8n vs Power Automate

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings

Analysis generated Live tool data as of 2026-11-14
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n8n or Power Automate: which should you choose?

Dimensionn8nPower Automate
PricingFreemium; execution-based pricingFreemium; per-user plans
DeploymentSelf-host (Docker) or CloudCloud (Azure)
Primary focusAI workflows & developer automationRPA & business process automation
Key integrations500+ (Slack, GitHub, OpenAI, etc.)1000+ (Microsoft stack, SAP)
AI featuresAI agent builder, multi-agent, RAG, MCPCopilot authoring, GPT support, AI processing
Best forTechnical teams needing flexibility & controlMicrosoft-centric orgs needing low-code RPA

If you're a developer or IT Ops professional needing deep customization, code-level control, and AI agent orchestration with full traceability, n8n is your pick—it's open-source, self-hostable, and has a vibrant community. For non-technical users deep in the Microsoft ecosystem, Power Automate offers a familiar low-code path with RPA, but it locks you into per-user pricing and cloud dependence. Choose n8n for flexibility and control; choose Power Automate for Microsoft-centric business process automation.

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n8n
n8n

n8n is a visual workflow automation platform where AI agents and integrations run on a canvas you can read, trace, and audit.

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Power Automate
Power Automate

Power Automate automates business workflows with cloud flows, desktop RPA, and process mining inside Microsoft 365.

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Pricing
Freemium
Paid
Plans
Community EditionFree
Starter€20/mo billed annually
Pro€50/mo billed annually
Business€667/mo billed annually
EnterpriseCustom
Free trialFree trial
Premium$15/user/mo billed annually
Process$150/bot/mo billed annually
Hosted Process$215/bot/mo billed annually
Popularity
5.9k views
5.5k views
Skill Level
Advanced
Intermediate
API Available
Platforms
WebAPI
WebDesktopMobileAPI
Categories
🤖 Automation & Agents🕸️ Agent Frameworks & Orchestration
🤖 Automation & Agents
Featuresn8nPower Automate
Visual drag-and-drop canvas showing inputs and outputs beside every step
Build and run AI agents, including multi-agent and RAG setups (2026-10-09)
Watch agents work live or reopen any past run in the same workflow
Structured inputs and outputs enforced around AI actions
Human approval for tool calls and human-in-the-loop guardrails
MCP Server Trigger, MCP Client and instance-level MCP
Hosted and embedded chat for agents
Top up n8n Assistant credits beyond your plan's monthly allotment (2026-10-14)
JavaScript or Python code steps inside any workflow
Custom nodes and bash scripts on self-hosted installs
500+ native integrations plus any API via HTTP or GraphQL
Import cURL commands to auto-create request nodes
Trigger workflows from webhooks, queues, the n8n API or CLI
Light evaluations on every plan, plus metric-based evaluations
Re-run just the step that broke, with version history and workflow diff
Cloud flows (DPA) to automate apps, data, and services in the cloud or on-premises
Desktop flows (RPA) to automate legacy systems with prebuilt or custom UI actions
Attended and unattended RPA to run automation with human interaction or autonomously
Hosted RPA on Microsoft-managed Azure virtual machines with elastic scaling
Copilot in Power Automate for natural-language flow authoring and editing
Copilot in Power Automate for desktop to accelerate bot development
Task and process mining to uncover optimization opportunities before automating
AI processing for document and image extraction, prediction, and analysis
Built-in GPT support to turn raw data into content inside a flow
AI insights and recommendations for optimization and automation opportunities
More than 1,000 API connectors plus custom API connectors
Managed Environments and data loss prevention for centralized governance
360-degree live monitoring with exception handling and work queues
Native Microsoft 365 experiences in Teams, Excel, OneDrive, and SharePoint
Automation-infused apps, websites, and agents across Microsoft Power Platform
Integrationsn8nPower Automate
Slack
Jira
Notion
Google Sheets
Salesforce
HubSpot
GitHub
PostgreSQL
Datadog
ServiceNow
Asana
Zoom
LangSmith
OpenAI
Anthropic
Microsoft Teams
Excel
SharePoint
Outlook
OneDrive
Power BI
Power Apps
Power Pages
Copilot Studio
Dataverse
SAP

Who should pick n8n, and who should pick Power Automate?

  • IT Ops engineer
    Pick: n8n

    Needs to automate onboarding and incident response with custom logic, code snippets, and full visibility—n8n's node-level control and audit logs fit perfectly.

  • Business analyst in a Microsoft shop
    Pick: Power Automate

    Wants to automate approvals and document processing without writing code, leveraging prebuilt templates and Copilot—Power Automate's low-code interface is ideal.

  • Security operations (SecOps) analyst
    Pick: n8n

    Needs to enrich threat intelligence with SOAR-like workflows and trace every step for auditing—n8n's traceability and SIEM log streaming are unmatched.

  • Process automation lead in an enterprise
    Pick: Power Automate

    Requires both attended and unattended RPA, plus process mining to identify automation opportunities—Power Automate offers an all-in-one solution.

  • Developer building custom AI agents
    Pick: n8n

    Wants multi-agent orchestration, RAG, and direct API access with code inserted anywhere—n8n's flexibility and MCP support are key.

Frequently Asked Questions

n8n vs Power Automate: which should you choose?

If you're a developer or IT Ops professional needing deep customization, code-level control, and AI agent orchestration with full traceability, n8n is your pick—it's open-source, self-hostable, and has a vibrant community. For non-technical users deep in the Microsoft ecosystem, Power Automate offers a familiar low-code path with RPA, but it locks you into per-user pricing and cloud dependence. Choose n8n for flexibility and control; choose Power Automate for Microsoft-centric business process automation.

Which tool is better for non-technical users?

Power Automate is more accessible with its low-code interface and prebuilt templates, especially for Microsoft-centric teams. n8n requires more technical skill to build complex workflows.

Can I self-host n8n?

Yes, n8n supports self-hosting via Docker, giving you full control over your data. Power Automate is cloud-only.

Does Power Automate offer RPA?

Yes, Power Automate includes desktop flows for attended and unattended RPA, with hosted RPA on Azure.

Which tool has better AI agent capabilities?

n8n has an advanced AI agent builder with multi-agent and RAG support, while Power Automate focuses on AI-assisted authoring and document processing.

Are there any security concerns with n8n?

A recent CVE (2026-59208) affected n8n cloud instances, but it's patched. Self-hosted users should update promptly.

What is execution-based pricing?

n8n charges based on the number of workflow executions, not per user. This can be more cost-effective for low-volume but may hit caps for high-volume flows.

Can I use Power Automate without Microsoft 365?

Technically yes, but its strengths lie in Microsoft integration. If you don't use M365, n8n might be more platform-agnostic.

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Where can you read more about n8n and Power Automate?

n8n
View n8n reviewn8n alternatives
Power Automate
View Power Automate reviewPower Automate alternatives

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