Power Automate vs n8n

AI Automation comparison · Updated Mar 2026

🏆
Quick Verdict
n8n wins overall
n8n edges ahead with better pricing. Choose Power Automate if you need Deep Microsoft integration.
✍️ Writing n8n
💻 Coding n8n
👥 Teams n8n
💰 Budget n8n
🏢 Enterprise Power Automate
Choose Power Automate if…
Deep Microsoft integration; Desktop + cloud automation
Visit Power Automate →
Choose n8n if…
Open-source; Self-hostable
Visit n8n →

At a Glance

Power Automate n8n 🏆
Category AI Automation AI Automation
Pricing paid freemium
Starting Price From $15/mo Freemium
Best For automation, rpa, microsoft automation, open-source, self-hosted
Features Listed 6 6

Feature Comparison

Power Automate n8n 🏆
Cloud flows Open-source
Desktop RPA Self-hostable
AI Builder AI agent workflows
500+ connectors LLM integration
Business process flows Vector stores
Microsoft 365 integration 400+ integrations

Pricing Comparison

Power Automate
paid
$15/mo
Per user $15/mo. Per user with RPA $40/mo. Per flow $100/mo. Included in some M365 plans.
n8n
freemium
Best Value
Paid
Free self-hosted. Cloud Starter $24/mo. Cloud Pro $60/mo.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Power Automate
Pros
  • +Deep Microsoft integration
  • +Desktop + cloud automation
  • +AI Builder included
  • +Enterprise-grade security
Cons
  • Complex licensing
  • Best within Microsoft ecosystem
  • Can be slow
  • UI can feel clunky
n8n 🏆
Pros
  • +Open-source
  • +Self-hostable
  • +AI-native workflows
  • +Developer-friendly
Cons
  • Fewer integrations
  • Requires technical setup
  • Smaller community than Zapier

Winner by Buyer Type

Buyer Type Best Pick Reason
Solo Developer n8n Dev-friendly features + low cost
Marketing Team n8n Content creation & collaboration
Enterprise Power Automate Scalability & admin controls
Budget-Conscious n8n Best value at lowest price
Content Creators n8n Output quality & creative tools
Technical Teams n8n API access & developer features

Final Recommendation

🏆 Overall Winner
n8n
n8n comes out ahead in this comparison. At Freemium, it offers open-source. If Power Automate fits your workflow better based on the use-case breakdown above, go with that — but for most users, n8n is the safer default choice.

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