What is the difference between Activepieces and Power Automate?

Activepieces is best for Teams wanting open-source workflow automation, while Power Automate is best for Microsoft 365 teams wanting enterprise automation. Activepieces starts at Free and Power Automate starts at $15/user/mo.

Is Activepieces or Power Automate cheaper?

Activepieces starts at Free and is free. Power Automate starts at $15/user/mo with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Power Automate?

Both Activepieces and Power Automate offer free tiers.

Activepieces vs Power Automate

Activepieces is open-source automation platform with a visual builder, 100+ integrations, and self-hosting option, while Power Automate is microsoft's automation platform connecting 400+ services with desktop and cloud flows. The biggest difference up front: Activepieces is free, while Power Automate starts at $15/user/mo. Activepieces is built for teams wanting open-source workflow automation, whereas Power Automate targets microsoft 365 teams wanting enterprise automation.

At a glance

	Activepieces	Power Automate
Best for	Teams wanting open-source workflow automation	Microsoft 365 teams wanting enterprise automation
Starting price	Free	$15/user/mo
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
100+ Integrations	✓	—
400+ Connectors	—	✓
AI Builder	—	✓
Cloud Flows	—	✓
Code Steps	✓	—
Desktop Flows	—	✓
Self-Hosted	✓	—
Visual Builder	✓	—

Activepieces

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Visual Builder as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Self-hosting requires Linux admin skills and ongoing server maintenance
Complex automations can break silently if a connected service changes its API

Try Activepieces → Full review

Power Automate

Strengths

Includes Desktop Flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
Includes Cloud Flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
Free with M365 limits — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes ai builder alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan has meaningful restrictions: free with m365 limits
Enterprise-focused design means the interface can feel heavy for smaller teams
Complex automations can break silently if a connected service changes its API
Overkill for freelancers or small teams who need something lightweight

Try Power Automate → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Activepieces is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Power Automate starts at $15/user/mo, but Free with M365 limits. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Activepieces offers 100+ Integrations, Code Steps and Self-Hosted that Power Automate lacks. Power Automate brings 400+ Connectors, AI Builder and Cloud Flows that Activepieces does not have.

Team fit: Activepieces is geared toward small teams teams, while Power Automate is aimed at enterprise teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Activepieces is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Power Automate is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Activepieces's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes visual builder as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows. Power Automate's biggest strengths are: includes desktop flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows. includes cloud flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows.

Watch out for: With Activepieces, users commonly note that may lack some advanced features. With Power Automate, the main complaint is that free plan has meaningful restrictions: free with m365 limits.

Choose Activepieces if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting open-source workflow automation
Budget is a hard constraint — Activepieces is free, Power Automate is not
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need 100+ Integrations and Code Steps
You care about includes visual builder as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows

Choose Power Automate if...

You need a tool built for microsoft 365 teams wanting enterprise automation
You specifically need 400+ Connectors and AI Builder
You care about includes cloud flows as a core feature, purpose-built for automation workflows
Your team size fits the enterprise profile Power Automate is designed for
The free tier works for you: free with m365 limits