True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
Power Automate saves you 38%
Best for Power Automate
Microsoft's workflow automation platform. Per-user pricing at $15-$40/user/mo with premium connector
Best for n8n
Open-source workflow automation with self-hosted and cloud options. Free to self-host but server cos
Microsoft's workflow automation platform. Per-user pricing at $15-$40/user/mo wi...
Advertised
$15
/month
True Cost
$540
/month (typical)
Premium Connector Paywall
Standard connectors (Office 365, SharePoint) are included. Premium connectors (Salesforce, SAP, Data...
Process Mining Add-On
Process Mining capabilities for analyzing business processes cost $40/user/mo — the premium tier. Re...
AI Builder Credits Consumed Fast
AI Builder (document processing, prediction) uses credits that deplete quickly. Base allocation ofte...
Open-source workflow automation with self-hosted and cloud options. Free to self...
Advertised
$24
/month
True Cost
$300
/month (typical)
Self-Hosted Server Costs
Community Edition is free but requires infrastructure: VPS ($20-100/mo for adequate CPU/RAM), Postgr...
Execution Limits on Cloud
Cloud Starter: 2,500 executions/mo. Pro: 10,000. A single workflow running every 5 minutes = 8,640 e...
No Support on Community
Self-hosted Community Edition has no official support — only community forums and GitHub issues. Pro...
DevOps Maintenance Overhead
Self-hosted requires: updates, security patches, monitoring, backup management, and scaling. Budget ...
$20/mo annual
$50/mo annual
$100/mo annual
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission
Power Automate advertises $15/mo. n8n advertises $24/mo.
Power Automate has 3 documented hidden fees. n8n has 4.
Power Automate confidence: 73%. n8n confidence: 74%.
| Metric | Power Automate | n8n | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $15/mo | $24/mo | Power Automate |
| True Monthly Cost | $540/mo | $300/mo | n8n |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$525/mo | +$276/mo | n8n |
| # Hidden Fees | 3 | 4 | Power Automate |
| Confidence Score | 73% | 74% | n8n |
| Pricing Tiers | 3 | 4 | — |
| Affiliate Program | None | 20% recurring for 12 months | — |
Try the tool that fits your needs. Both offer free trials or free tiers.
Power Automate advertises $15/mo and n8n advertises $24/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, Power Automate has 3 documented hidden fees adding +$525/mo, while n8n has 4 hidden fees adding +$276/mo. Based on true cost, Power Automate is typically 38% cheaper.
Power Automate has 3 documented hidden fees: Premium Connector Paywall, Process Mining Add-On, AI Builder Credits Consumed Fast. These add approximately +$525/mo on top of the $15/mo advertised price.
n8n has 4 documented hidden fees: Self-Hosted Server Costs, Execution Limits on Cloud, No Support on Community, DevOps Maintenance Overhead. These add approximately +$276/mo on top of the $24/mo advertised price.
Choose Power Automate if: Microsoft's workflow automation platform. Per-user pricing at $15-$40/user/mo with premium connector. Choose n8n if: Open-source workflow automation with self-hosted and cloud options. Free to self-host but server cos. The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.
This comparison is based on manual research of official pricing pages, terms of service, and user reports. Power Automate data has a 73% confidence score and n8n has 74%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
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