Microsoft Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) allows users to create automated workflows between apps and services, including robust automation capabilities for Excel Online and desktop Excel.
Power Automate
- Excel
- Automation, Data Analytics, PLM & ERP, Process Control
- Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Cloud Computing, Digital Marketing, Digital Twin, Information Technology (IT), Machine Learning, Software as a Service (SaaS)
Features:
- Automate Excel tasks, data entry automation, file manipulation (copy, move, rename Excel files), extract data from Excel, populate Excel templates, trigger workflows based on Excel changes, connect Excel to hundreds of other services (SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, etc.)
Pricing:
- Freemium
- Powerful for automating repetitive tasks involving Excel and other Microsoft 365 services, enables integration with a wide range of applications, no-code/low-code interface for building flows, free tier available.
- Can be complex to set up advanced workflows, desktop Excel automation requires Power Automate Desktop (different licensing), performance limitations for very large Excel files or extremely complex logic, primarily for workflow automation (not in-Excel calculations).
Best for:
- Business users and IT professionals looking to automate repetitive tasks and create workflows involving Excel and other Microsoft 365 services or third-party applications.