Logic Apps vs. Power Automate: Choosing the Right Automation Tool for Dynamics 365 Business Central
As organizations continue investing in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, many are exploring automation tools to improve efficiency, reduce manual processes, and increase system visibility. Microsoft offers powerful platforms for building automated workflows: Power Automate and Azure Logic Apps. Both are part of Microsoft’s broader cloud ecosystem and can integrate seamlessly with Business Central—but they’re built for different audiences and use cases.
To help you decide which one is right for your business, we take a closer look at the differences in the architecture, use cases, scalability, and cost of both options.
Target audience and use cases
Power Automate is designed for business users and citizen developers. It provides a user-friendly, no-code/low-code interface and a library of ready-to-use templates. Power Automate is ideal for automating repetitive tasks like sending approval requests, syncing data between Business Central and Microsoft 365 apps, or notifying team members when invoices are posted.
On the other hand, Azure Logic Apps is a better fit for IT teams and developers who need more control, flexibility, and scalability. It’s part of the Azure Integration Services suite and is designed for advanced enterprise integration scenarios, such as:
- Connecting Business Central to legacy on-premises systems
- Building complex, multi-step business workflows
- Handling large data volumes with reliability, retry policies, and error handling
While Power Automate might require some IT involvement initially to get users set up, it is a great tool for end users to quickly create automated workflows without needing the help of an experienced developer.
Logic Apps, on the other hand, is better suited for more complex tasks and is designed for use by technical staff and software developers who are already familiar with working in the Azure environment.
Integration with Dynamics 365 Business Central
Both platforms support Business Central connectors, but with subtle differences.
Power Automate natively supports Business Central through pre-built connectors and templates. Users can quickly automate tasks like:
- Sending email reminders for overdue sales invoices
- Creating SharePoint folders when a new customer is added
- Generating Teams notifications when purchase orders are approved
Logic Apps uses the same underlying connector framework but can be configured with more granular control. Developers can use custom connectors, integrate with Azure Functions for advanced logic, or call Business Central APIs directly.
If you’re looking to automate standard Business Central processes and stay within the Microsoft 365 environment, Power Automate is a natural fit. But if you need to interact with third-party systems, manage error handling at scale, or enforce governance and security policies centrally, Logic Apps might be a better choice.
Development and management experience
Power Automate is web-based and extremely intuitive. Business users can design flows using drag-and-drop components, and there’s little need to write code. It’s deeply integrated into the Microsoft 365 environment and is available directly within Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint.
Logic Apps is managed through the Azure Portal. It supports Visual Studio Code, Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, and DevOps pipelines, which means teams can build, test, and deploy Logic Apps as part of a structured software delivery process. This is especially useful for developers who prefer working in code editors rather than drag-and-drop UIs. Logic Apps also supports version control and testing strategies that Power Automate does not handle as robustly.
For IT teams already managing workloads in Azure, Logic Apps can be incorporated into existing deployment and monitoring strategies. For business teams working within Business Central or the Microsoft 365 suite, Power Automate offers a more approachable and integrated experience.
Cost and licensing
This is one of the most misunderstood areas. Power Automate is typically licensed per user or per flow. For small-scale automation, this is often the most cost-effective solution. Basic Power Automate capabilities are usually included in your Microsoft 365 or Dynamics 365 licenses; however, premium features might require a premium or enterprise license. Ask your partner for more details.
Logic Apps follows an Azure consumption-based model. You pay for what you use: each trigger or action has a metered cost. This can be very efficient at scale and especially for workflows that run infrequently or process large volumes of data. However, costs can escalate quickly if not carefully managed, so be sure to keep a close eye on costs when using Logic Apps.
If predictability and simplicity are more important than fine-grained control over pricing, Power Automate may be preferable. If you’re optimizing for large, complex workflows that benefit from Azure’s economies of scale, Logic Apps might be more cost-effective.
Monitoring and governance
Logic Apps has a clear advantage in monitoring, diagnostics, and governance. Built on the Azure platform, Logic Apps provides rich logging through Azure Monitor, integration with Application Insights, and role-based access control through Azure Active Directory. You can set up alerting, dashboards, and automated remediation in ways that Power Automate currently cannot match.
Power Automate has improved in recent years, with features like flow checker, usage analytics, and data loss prevention policies within the Power Platform Admin Center. However, its governance and monitoring capabilities are still better suited for small to mid-sized automation initiatives or departmental use cases.
A note of caution for both tools: Shared environment-level connections in Power Automate or Logic Apps can inadvertently grant access to unintended users or flows. Administrators should be aware of security risks when using these tools.
So…which tool should you use?
Both Power Automate and Logic Apps offer excellent tools for integrating with Dynamics 365 Business Central, but they serve different purposes.
Choose Power Automate if:
- You want fast, simple automation managed by business users
- You’re working within the Microsoft 365/Dynamics 365 ecosystem
- You need to automate standard Business Central tasks without developer support
Choose Logic Apps if:
- You need enterprise-grade integration across multiple systems
- You require advanced control over deployment, version control, security, and error handling
- You want to align automation with a broader Azure-based architecture
In many organizations, the right answer isn’t either/or—it’s both. You can empower business teams to automate their own processes with Power Automate, while your IT team uses Logic Apps to build secure, scalable integrations in the background.
Contact ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert to learn more about using Power Automate and Logic Apps more effectively in your business.