Where Power Automate Desktop is strong
Power Automate offers local attended desktop flows at no cost under its Free licence for work or school accounts. Windows 10 and 11 are supported, and the Windows 11 app is preinstalled. Microsoft combines desktop automation with cloud flows and Microsoft 365 integrations.
Its action catalogue and selector-based UI automation are useful when applications expose accessible UI elements. Microsoft tenants also provide central governance. Check the licence and environment requirements for your particular deployment.
Where TriggerFlow is different
TriggerFlow Pro costs £30 per device per month and brings the fleet dashboard, live screenshots, alerts and remote control into that plan. It requires no Microsoft tenant or Dataverse setup. Its visual approach uses image matching, with OCR and AI vision actions in Business, for Windows work where usable UI elements or APIs may be missing.
For client deployments, use separate client accounts and licence keys. Test the actual interface, timings and session conditions before choosing either product. Visual automation still needs maintenance when an application changes.
Compare the licensing models carefully
Checked 20 October 2026: Microsoft lists Premium at £11.50 per user/month, Process at £115.30 per bot/month and Hosted Process at £165.30 per bot/month, paid yearly and excluding VAT. Premium covers attended desktop flows; Process covers unattended flows; Hosted Process adds a Microsoft-hosted virtual machine.
Prices are not like-for-like. Power Automate licences include cloud flows and other entitlements; TriggerFlow is priced per device. Recheck prices and required licences before each purchase or publication.
Understand the setup requirements
Microsoft documents a Dataverse database requirement in the default environment for work or school accounts creating desktop flows. Windows Home editions support local attended runs but cannot trigger desktop flows from the cloud. Review the current prerequisites alongside your intended run mode.
Compare the practical details
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| Consideration | TriggerFlow | Power Automate Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Visual Windows workflows and supporting client fleets | Microsoft-centred automation and cloud integration |
| Attended automation on one PC | Starter: local workflow execution | Free local attended flows; see licence eligibility |
| Unattended automation | Scheduled local workflows; validate Windows session conditions | Process provides unattended desktop-flow capacity |
| Price model | Per device: Starter £15, Pro £30, Business £45/month | Per-user and per-bot licences; see current Microsoft prices |
| Fleet dashboard with live screenshots | Included in Pro | See Microsoft's documentation |
| Remote screen control built in | Included in Pro | See Microsoft's documentation |
| Visual (image/OCR) automation | Image matching; OCR and AI vision in Business | OCR actions and UI automation; see Microsoft references |
| Microsoft 365 integration | Desktop interactions; assess the specific workflow | Cloud flows and connectors |
| Setup requirements | Windows agent and TriggerFlow account | Supported Windows edition, account and environment requirements |