Power Automate vs Zapier for Microsoft 365 teams
Short answer
If your company already pays for Microsoft 365 and your work lives in SharePoint, Teams and Outlook, start with Power Automate. Basic flows cost nothing extra. If your work spans many outside apps and you want quick setup with no IT help, Zapier can be quicker to set up. Both tools can do both jobs, so the choice comes down to where your data lives and who will maintain the automations.
Note: prices change, so check each vendor before you buy. I build Power Automate flows for a living, so I have a side. Below I say where Zapier wins.
What each tool is
Power Automate is Microsoft's automation tool. It builds flows: a trigger starts the flow, and actions run after it. Examples are "when a row is added to a SharePoint list, ask a manager to approve" or "send a Teams message when a file changes."
Zapier is a separate company's automation tool. It builds Zaps: a trigger starts the Zap, and actions run after it. Zapier is not tied to Microsoft. It connects Microsoft 365 apps to many other apps.
Price
The two tools bill on different units. Power Automate bills a person, or a flow with a Process license. Microsoft's licensing FAQ covers standard connectors under a Microsoft 365 plan, so a flow built only from those has no separate charge. A flow that uses a premium connector needs a Premium license for its owner. Zapier bills by task: Zapier says a task is one successful action step, and triggers, Filter, Paths and Formatter steps do not count. Zapier's pricing page lists Free, Pro, Team and Enterprise plans, each with a monthly task allowance. I print no prices here, since both vendors change them. Open both pricing pages on the day you decide.
Limits that matter
Power Automate. A single run can stay open for up to 30 days, so an approval can sit and wait for a person to respond. A scheduled flow can repeat as often as every 60 seconds. A flow left untriggered for 90 days can be switched off, unless the owner holds a premium license or the flow has a Process license. Daily request limits follow the license type, so check the license before you size a heavy flow.
Zapier. Speed of reaction comes from the plan: Free polls every 15 minutes, Pro every 2, Team every 1. For a form that must start work the moment someone submits it, that delay is real. Free also caps a Zap at two steps.
Side by side
Swipe sideways to see all columns.
| Need | Power Automate | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Cost with Microsoft 365 | no extra charge for standard connectors | Paid plans by task volume, or Free with limits |
| Pricing unit | Per user, or per flow with a Process license | Per task, by monthly tier |
| Premium connectors | need a Premium license | Included on Pro and up |
| Approvals in Teams and Outlook | Built in | Possible, with more setup |
| SharePoint and Teams fit | Native | Works through connectors |
| Apps outside Microsoft | Many, but some are premium | Built for this |
| Fastest update | Scheduled flows down to 60 seconds | 1 minute on Team, 2 on Pro, 15 on Free |
| Who runs it | Your IT team or a builder | Anyone, often without IT |
Where Zapier wins
Setup speed. Zapier's pricing page shows plans for single users with no admin setup. A person can connect two apps in a short session with no admin help.
Non-Microsoft apps. If your sales tool, forms tool and chat tool are all outside Microsoft, Zapier does not push you toward premium licenses for them. On Pro, premium apps are included.
Clear task pricing. You pick a task tier and pay that. You do not need to work out who owns a flow or which connector is premium.
No dependence on Microsoft admin rules. A small team without an IT person can start alone. Power Automate can need an admin for environments, data policies and licenses.
Where Power Automate wins
Cost for Microsoft work. If you only use standard connectors, there is no new bill. A team that builds five flows with standard connectors adds no new charge.
Approvals. Power Automate approvals reach people in Teams and Outlook, where they already work, and a run can wait up to 30 days for an answer.
Access control. Your IT team controls who can build and run flows with the same Microsoft 365 accounts. That helps if your company has rules about where data goes.
Fit with SharePoint. SharePoint lists, libraries and Teams tabs connect to flows without leaving Microsoft.
Pick Power Automate if
Your records sit in SharePoint, Teams, Outlook or Excel.
A request must wait days for a person to approve it.
You already pay for Microsoft 365 and want to avoid a second vendor.
IT wants a single admin view of every automation.
Pick Zapier if
Your main tools are outside Microsoft.
No IT help is available, and you want to start today.
You prefer paying by task volume and knowing the number up front.
You need only a few simple flows and the Free plan or a low tier covers them.
Can you use both?
Yes. You can use Power Automate for work inside Microsoft 365 and Zapier for links to outside apps. Keep a short list of what each tool owns. Two tools with no list means nobody knows where a broken automation lives.
How to choose
Our advice, not a Microsoft rule. Work through these in order.
- Write down each app the automation touches, and tag the Microsoft ones.
- Look up whether any app on that list is a premium connector in Power Automate.
- Guess your monthly task count, then find the matching Zapier tier and its price.
- Name the person who will repair it when it breaks. The tool that person knows wins ties.
- Build one real automation, such as a "Vendor 12 invoice received" alert, in both tools. Let each run for a week and compare misses.
When to get help
You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker with flows like these is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs to build". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.
I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.
See trackers I built: Tools I built
FAQ
Is Power Automate free with Microsoft 365?
Standard connectors are included with Microsoft 365 plans. Premium connectors need a Premium license. Check your own plan.
Is Zapier cheaper than Power Automate?
Not if you only use standard Microsoft connectors, because Power Automate adds no cost there. Zapier can cost less when you would otherwise need Premium licenses for many people. Price both for your own volume.
Does Zapier work with SharePoint and Teams?
Zapier connects to many Microsoft apps. Look at the app page on zapier.com before you plan around a specific trigger.
Can I switch from Zapier to Power Automate later?
Yes, but you rebuild each automation by hand. There is no one-click move. List each Zap, its trigger, its steps and its owner, then rebuild one at a time.
What is a Zapier task?
A task is a successful action step in a Zap. Triggers, Filter, Paths and Formatter steps do not count.
Sources
- Zapier pricing (plans, task tiers, update times, Free limits)
- Zapier task usage (what counts as a task)
- Microsoft Power Automate pricing
- Microsoft Learn, limits (30 day run, 60 second recurrence, 90 day inactivity)
- Microsoft Learn, licensing FAQ (Microsoft 365 standard connectors, premium license owner rule)