Make.com vs Power Automate – Which is Better for Microsoft 365 Users?

Make.com and Power Automate are two of the top options for automating workflows and connecting apps for Microsoft 365 users. But which one is the better choice?

Make.com is a no-code automation platform that allows anyone to build workflows and integrations between different apps and services without needing to code.

Power Automate is Microsoft's own workflow automation tool deeply integrated with Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Azure and other Microsoft stacks.

In this post, we'll compare the key strengths of both platforms and look at scenarios where Make.com has advantages over Power Automate for Microsoft 365 users.

After reading this blog, you may be curious... How do I begin creating automations for my business using Power Automate. The Collab365 Power Automate Success Path takes you on a journey to become a pro in automation!

Power Automate Strengths Over Make.com

There are certainly some areas where Power Automate excels:

1. Deep Microsoft Integration: If your organization heavily relies on Microsoft's ecosystem, Power Automate's deep integration with Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Azure, and more can't be beaten.
2. Enterprise Governance and Controls: For industries that need rigorous compliance, Power Automate's granular administrative controls, auditing capabilities, and governance features make it a more secure choice.
3. On-Premise Solutions: Organizations that haven't fully transitioned to the cloud will appreciate Power Automate's on-premise data gateway, connecting with data sources securely behind firewalls.
4. Extensive Templates: The vast collection of pre-built templates that Microsoft offers can drastically reduce the time spent on creating common workflows, from HR processes to document approvals.
5. Advanced Workflow Capabilities: While Make.com is excellent for basic to intermediate workflows, Power Automate offers more advanced functionalities like error handling, conditional logic, and more, catering to complex enterprise needs.

Key Scenarios Where Make.com Excels

Based on its strengths, here are the prime situations where Make.com would be a better fit than Power Automate:

1. Versatile Integration Capabilities: When you're trying to connect to niche or less common apps, Make.com often offers connectors that Power Automate lacks. For instance, Power Automate might not have a direct connector to platforms like Feedly, but Make.com does.
2. Rapid Setup and Prototyping: If you're looking to quickly establish a workflow or test out an idea, Make.com's intuitive interface allows for faster setup, making prototyping a breeze.
3. Affordability for Smaller Operations: With a free tier that supports up to 1,000 operations (an "operation" refers to a single triggered action, like adding an item to a list), Make.com is cost-effective for smaller teams or businesses that don't need extensive automations.
4. Better for No-Code Beginners: The learning curve for Make.com is often considered more beginner-friendly, especially for those unfamiliar with Microsoft's ecosystem.
5. Open Integration Ecosystem: Make.com's ability to integrate with platforms like Zapier and Integromat provides a broader range of connectivity options, expanding its utility beyond its own connectors.

Real-World Examples where you'd choose Make.com:

Social Media Metrics Reporting:

• Process: Whenever your company's Twitter handle receives mentions, automatically save the data to a SharePoint list and post a brief summary in a dedicated channel on Microsoft Teams for marketing insights.
• Why Make.com: Leveraging Make.com's vast integration with social media platforms alongside Microsoft 365 connectors can provide a holistic view of your online presence. This approach combines the strength of Make.com's app integrations with the collaborative power of Microsoft 365.

Customer Inquiry Response:

• Process: When a potential client fills out an inquiry form on your website, save the details to an Excel spreadsheet on OneDrive and alert the sales team in a specific Microsoft Teams channel.
• Why Make.com: Make.com's capability to integrate website forms with Microsoft 365 tools ensures timely responses and proper data storage, ensuring no lead goes unnoticed.

E-commerce Order to Teams Notification:

• Process: When a new order is placed on your e-commerce platform, push the order details to a SharePoint list and send a notification with a brief summary to your order processing team on Microsoft Teams.
• Why Make.com: By tapping into Make.com's strengths in e-commerce integrations combined with Microsoft 365 connectors, businesses can ensure that their internal teams are promptly notified, ensuring efficient order processing within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Incorporating Microsoft 365 connectors in Make.com scenarios showcases the platform's flexibility in working not just with third-party apps, but also with Microsoft-centric applications, enabling users to get the best of both worlds.

Real-World Examples where you'd choose Power Automate:

Document Approval Workflow:

• Process: Whenever a new document is uploaded to a specific SharePoint folder, trigger an approval process where the document is sent to the respective manager in Microsoft Teams. After approval, a notification is sent to the original uploader and the document status is updated in SharePoint.
• Why Power Automate: Given Power Automate's deep integration with SharePoint and Teams, it excels at handling such document-centric workflows within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, ensuring smooth approvals without needing to juggle between apps.

Scheduled Team Reports:

• Process: At the end of each week, collate the sales figures from a Dynamics 365 instance and send a summarized report via email through Outlook to the whole team, also copying the data to an Excel sheet stored in OneDrive.
• Why Power Automate: With native connectors to Dynamics 365, Outlook, and OneDrive, Power Automate can gather, process, and distribute data seamlessly across Microsoft services without any additional configuration.

Event Registration to Calendar Entry:

• Process: When an employee registers for an internal training session using a Microsoft Form, their registration details are automatically added as an event in their Microsoft Outlook Calendar with all the necessary event details.
• Why Power Automate: Power Automate’s innate capability to connect Microsoft Forms with Outlook Calendar ensures that employees never miss out on registered events. Its deep integration within the Microsoft ecosystem makes this automation swift and reliable.

Conclusion

Using Power Automate for Microsoft to Microsoft: If most of your business processes revolve around Microsoft products like Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and Dynamics 365, Power Automate is your go-to. It's tailor-made by Microsoft to work seamlessly with their suite, making automation of tasks within this ecosystem straightforward and efficient.

Using Make.com for "The World" to Microsoft (and vice versa): If your business uses a mix of Microsoft products and other tools or apps (like Slack, Trello, or Google Workspace), Make.com provides a more flexible solution. It's like a Swiss Army knife, allowing you to connect and automate a wide range of apps, including Microsoft's, without a steep learning curve.

In Simple Terms: Think of Power Automate as a specialist doctor for Microsoft products, while Make.com is a general physician who can treat a variety of conditions. Choose based on what best fits your business's needs!

We use Make.com extensively at Collab365 for getting data into Microsoft 365, but we also use it to connect non Microsoft 365 services together. We love it so much we partnered with them so why not get a free account?