Microsoft Planner: features, use cases and plans
October 24, 2026Microsoft Project: features, use cases and plans
October 24, 2026
Microsoft product guide
Microsoft Power Automate
Power Automate is Microsoft’s workflow tool. It connects your apps and runs routine steps automatically, so approvals, notifications and data entry no longer depend on someone remembering.
- Best for: repeatable approvals, notifications and data transfers
- Where it runs: cloud flows, plus desktop automation on Windows
- Included in: Microsoft 365 plans for standard connectors
- Premium plans add more connectors and desktop automation
What Power Automate does for your business
The features clients ask about most, with an example of each in daily use.
Cloud flows
Trigger actions when something happens, such as a new email, form entry or file. In practice: Save every invoice attachment to the right SharePoint folder automatically.
Approvals
Route a request to the right person and record the decision. In practice: Purchase requests go to the manager, then to finance, with a full history.
Notifications
Send Teams messages or emails when conditions are met. In practice: Alert the sales channel when a large deal changes stage.
Connectors
Link Microsoft 365 apps with hundreds of other services. Premium connectors need a premium licence. In practice: Create a task in Planner when a ticket arrives in your help desk.
Desktop flows
Automate repetitive work in desktop apps and legacy systems on Windows. Requires premium licensing. In practice: Copy data from an old system with no API into a spreadsheet each night.
Copilot to build flows
Describe the automation in plain language and get a draft flow. In practice: Type “when a form is submitted, add it to a list and notify the team” and review the result.
Which plans include Power Automate
Basic cloud flows with standard connectors come with Microsoft 365. Power Automate plans add premium connectors and more capacity.
| Plan | Power Automate version | Listing |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard Standard connectors only | Included | View listing |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium Standard connectors only | Included | View listing |
| Microsoft 365 E3 Standard connectors only | Included | View listing |
| Power Automate Premium Per user, premium connectors and desktop automation | Premium | View listing |
| Power Automate per user plan Per user, cloud flows with premium connectors | Premium | View listing |
| Power Automate per flow plan Per flow, for shared business processes | Premium | View listing |
Variants of these plans without Teams, and Non-Profit and Education versions, are also available. Ask us and we will point you to the right one.
For IT buyers
Licensing and deployment notes
- Standard vs premium: Flows that use premium connectors, custom connectors or desktop automation need paid Power Automate licences, even if the rest of your tools are standard.
- Per user vs per flow: Per-user plans license the person running flows. Per-flow plans license a specific flow regardless of who uses it.
- Governance: Set data loss prevention policies to control which connectors can be combined, and keep flows owned by service accounts, not people who may leave.
- Limits: Flows have run, API and capacity limits that vary by licence. Check them before building high-volume processes.
- Environments: Use separate environments for test and production on larger projects.
- Ownership: When an employee leaves, their personal flows can stop working. Plan ownership transfer.
Not sure which plan fits your team?
Tell us how many people need Power Automate and what they use it for, and we will recommend a plan.
Disclaimer: Microsoft may change features, pricing, plans or packaging at any time. Details here are a guide, not an offer; confirm current details on the listing or with us before you buy.
