Automation Duel: Power Desktop and Power Cloud Face-Off
Tags: powerplatform, powerautomate, designpatterns, powerfuldevs
Published: 2024-04-29 06:55:32

## Intro:

With lot of foucs on operation efficiency with businesses, the commitment to enhancing workflows, elevating productivity, and reducing manual operations is driving the inevitable rise in the utilization of Low-Code platforms. The Power Platform provides both Cloud and Desktop automation solutions. Each serves diverse automation requirements, and comprehending their differences is crucial for selecting an option that meets the unique needs of a business.


## Comparision:

| Features /   Maturity  	| Cloud Flows 	| Power Automate   Desktop 	| Notes 	|
|:---:	|:---:	|:---:	|:---:	|
| Work Flow Orchestration  	| Super Efficient - with lot of connectors 	| Can only trigger cloud flow 	|  	|
| UI   Automation 	|   	| Matured   with UI task. 	| Enables   user to  capture and replay user   interactions and work with local files and folders 	|
| Extensibility   with Connectors  	| Enable to   build custom connectors for  API's  	| Limited   action due to Desktop environment.  	|  	|
| Security –   Data / Process compliance control 	| Can be   managed via DLP policies and Azure AD . Need more configuration effort 	| Very   useful to have specific controls as its based on VMs 	| Power   Automate Desktop operates on the local system, which can be a boon for   companies with stringent security and data privacy needs. Because the data   processing happens on the local infrastructure, the sensitive data never has   to leave the user’s environment, minimizing exposure to external risks. 	|
| API   Extension 	|   	|  Does not inherently interact with APIs  	|  	|
| Easy of   Scaling 	|   	| Scaling is   limited to the capacity of the local machine and network 	|  	|
| Cost 	|   	|   	|  	|
| Development   Speed / Time to Market 	| Quick   development with cloud flow templates and a trigger-action model 	| Power   Automate Desktop: May offer faster development for local desktop tasks   without the need for cloud integration 	|  	|
| Out of Box   Templates and other Platform Integration 	| Plenty out   of box template 	|   	|  	|
| Strong   Operating Model – Control / Governance 	|   	| Managed at   local level .  	|  	|
| Support   for In-depth Reporting and Analytics 	|   	| VM based   hence more telemetry available 	|  	|
| Learning /   Up Skilling – Citizen Developer 	|   	| Training   may focus more on RPA and desktop-specific tasks. Scripting knowledge   preferrable 	|  	|



![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/nwe4mvj8flz842dwyfex.png)


## Closing Remarks:
 
The Cloud version is a great example of how cloud-based systems can work together. It makes automation easy and helps connect and simplify business tasks like never before. On the other hand, Power Desktop is a powerful tool for Robotic Process Automation (RPA). It gives users the ability to handle and master complex local tasks using advanced features. Choose carefully, because this choice could unlock your business’s full potential. Every workflow could improve how your business operates and every task could become a symbol of efficiency.

**<u>References</u>**:
1) [Desktop](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/desktop-flows/introduction)

2) [Cloud](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/overview-cloud)