SharePoint Workflow Automation in 2026: The Complete Guide

For years, one tool quietly ran half the business processes inside SharePoint. SharePoint Designer built the approvals, the routing, and the reminders that kept purchase requests, onboarding, and document sign-offs moving. Then the classic engine reached its end. On April 2, 2026, Microsoft removed the SharePoint 2013 workflow engine from Microsoft 365 tenants, and those workflows stopped running.

So the question for 2026 is not whether to modernize SharePoint workflow automation. That decision has been made for you. The real question is which platform to choose, and for most teams that choice comes down to two: Microsoft Power Platform and NITRO Studio by Crow Canyon Software. Both can automate SharePoint workflows, but they differ in how they are built, who can build with them, where they run, and how they are priced. This guide compares them across all of those, from capabilities and deployment to the pricing model.

This guide explains what SharePoint workflow automation is in 2026, what your platform options are, how NITRO Studio and Power Platform differ on capabilities, deployment, and pricing, and how the model you choose shapes your cost for years.

What is SharePoint workflow automation?

SharePoint workflow automation is the automated movement of documents or list items through a sequence of actions or tasks tied to a business process. That is the definition Microsoft uses for a SharePoint workflow. In plain terms, it replaces the manual back-and-forth of email and spreadsheets with rules that run on their own.

A typical SharePoint workflow handles tasks like these:

• It routes a purchase request to the right approver based on the amount.
• It sends a reminder when a task has been sitting too long.
• It updates a status field and notifies the requester once a step is complete.
• It generates and stores a signed PDF after a form is approved.

Low-code workflow automation and no-code workflow automation describe how these processes get built. No-code means a business user configures the workflow in a visual designer with no scripting. Low-code means a builder can add custom logic when a process needs it. The two usually travel together. Most steps are no-code, and the harder edge cases get a low-code assist. This includes SharePoint forms automation, where a form captures the data and the workflow acts on what it collects. 

The state of SharePoint workflow automation in 2026

The legacy era is over, and two dates frame what replaced it. Microsoft retired SharePoint 2010 workflows in November 2020. The date that matters for most teams came next.

SharePoint 2013 workflows were removed from Microsoft 365 on April 2, 2026, with no option to extend them.

After that date, those workflows stopped running in the cloud and can only be viewed as raw XML.

On SharePoint Server, the picture is different. These workflows stay supported only until the server itself reaches the end of support.

SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019 extended support ends on July 14, 2026.

After that date, workflows still running on those servers run on unsupported infrastructure, which becomes a security and compliance concern. And because Power Platform is a cloud service, on-premises teams need a different path.

Note for SharePoint Server Subscription Edition: SharePoint Server Subscription Edition has a different path. Microsoft released SharePoint Workflow Manager as a supported engine for SharePoint 2013 workflows on SE beyond July 2026. If your organization runs SE, review the SharePoint Workflow Manager documentation before migrating legacy workflows.

Microsoft’s recommended path forward is Power Apps, Power Automate, and Microsoft Forms, all part of the Power Platform. Alongside it sits a set of platforms built specifically for SharePoint and Microsoft 365, including NITRO Studio from Crow Canyon Software. Both can automate SharePoint workflows. The difference shows up in how they are built, administered, and licensed.

NITRO Studio and Power Platform: your two main options

NITRO Studio is a no-code/low-code Application Builder Platform purpose-built for Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. It is more than a workflow or forms tool. It is a unified solution with native capabilities for forms, workflows, portals, dashboards, list views, and reporting, all under one license. It runs inside your own SharePoint environment, and it is built for the citizen developers who already run the processes, with no coding required for most use cases.

Microsoft Power Platform is Microsoft’s cloud-based, multi-app ecosystem: Power Apps for apps and forms, Power Automate for workflows, Power BI for analytics, Power Pages, and Copilot Studio. For SharePoint and InfoPath modernization, Microsoft’s recommended path is Power Apps, Power Automate, and Microsoft Forms together. It is broad and capable, and it is licensed per user.

This NITRO Studio vs Power Platform guide compares the two across the dimensions that actually decide a Microsoft 365 workflow automation project: capabilities and architecture, administration, who can build, where each can run, and how each is priced.

SharePoint automation comparisons usually scratch the surface, only matching up basic features like drag-and-drop builders, approval workflows, and Teams integrations. By 2026, almost every serious platform checks those boxes, so the basics rarely decide anything.

The differences that shape your decision sit deeper. They show up in how each platform is built and administered, who on your team can build with it, where it can run, and how it is priced. 

This guide gives you the summary comparison across those dimensions. For a full, side-by-side NITRO Studio vs Power Platform look at capabilities and migration effort, read our dedicated comparison, Power Apps vs NITRO Studio: The Honest InfoPath Replacement Comparison for 2026.

Beyond the basics: How NITRO Studio and Power Platform differ

Price is the difference that compounds the most, but it is not the only one. NITRO Studio and Power Platform take different approaches to where they run, how they are administered, and who is meant to build with them. This SharePoint workflow automation comparison sets the two side by side on the points that matter for an operational project.

Read the table from a SharePoint team’s side, and NITRO Studio is the simpler, lower-risk path. It removes the parts of Power Platform that slow projects down. There is no Dataverse to model, no connectors to license and wire up, and no tenant-wide governance to negotiate before a single workflow ships. The work lives in SharePoint, your data stays in your own Microsoft 365 or SharePoint tenant, and the people who run the process build and maintain it.

Where NITRO Studio pulls ahead:

• Nothing extra to assemble. Forms, workflows, approvals, portals, dashboards, and reports are built in, so there is no Dataverse schema or connector setup before you start.
• Your data stays in SharePoint. NITRO Studio runs inside your own Microsoft 365 or SharePoint tenant, which matters for regulated buyers in Government, Healthcare, Banking, and other industries where security matters.
• Citizen developers own it. Business users build and maintain processes with visual designers, with no Power Fx or scripting for most use cases.
• Full functionality in government clouds. NITRO Studio keeps every capability in GCC and GCC High, where Power Platform loses connectors and features.
• It runs everywhere you do. On-premises in connected or air-gapped mode, and across four SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365 hosting options.
• One predictable license. Flat-rate pricing covers unlimited forms and workflows, so the cost does not climb as you build.

Power Platform still has real strengths. If you need automation across many non-Microsoft systems, robotic process automation, or deep analytics through Power BI, it is the broader toolkit. But for SharePoint and Microsoft 365 work that business users own, NITRO Studio is the stronger fit, and a practical Power Platform alternative and Power Automate alternative.

Flat-rate pricing: how NITRO Studio charges

NITRO Studio is priced as a flat annual subscription rather than per user. It starts at $5,988 per 100 users per year. It does not charge per workflow, per form, or per execution, so the bill does not change as you build more processes. There are no usage overages or surprise fees. What you commit to is what you pay.

It is also built for the people who actually run the processes. NITRO Studio is designed around the citizen developer model, with a low learning curve and no scripting required for most use cases. Your existing builders in HR, finance, operations, and IT can create and maintain workflows themselves. Teams that want to go further and code can, but no one has to.

A note on scope: NITRO Studio is the platform itself. Crow Canyon also offers purpose-built business applications, such as NITRO Help Desk for IT and HR, NITRO Purchasing, and NITRO Asset Management, each licensed separately and built on NITRO Studio. 

Per-user pricing: how Power Platform charges

Microsoft licenses Power Platform per user. Many organizations already have basic Power Automate through their Microsoft 365 subscription, which covers standard connectors and simple flows at no extra cost. That is a real strength, and it is enough for light automation.

The cost starts once you need more. Premium connectors, full automation capabilities, and the broader Power Platform require paid licenses:

•  Power Automate Premium is $15 per user per month, which is $18,000 per year for 100 users.
•  Power Apps Premium is $20 per user per month, which is $24,000 per year for 100 users.

Workflows rarely stand alone, since you need forms to capture the data and apps to present them. Adding the two paid licenses together comes to $35 per user per month, or $42,000 per year for 100 users. At 100 users, that is about seven times NITRO Studio’s flat $5,988 per year for the same forms and workflows. It is easy to look at $15 or $20 a month and assume it is cheaper than a flat annual price, so the yearly totals are worth keeping in view.

That figure scales with headcount, so adding another 50 users raises the bill again. The per-user model rewards small pilots and penalizes broad rollouts, which is the opposite of what most organizations want from their automation.

There is a second consideration for SharePoint Server customers. Power Platform is cloud-based, which changes what on-premises use looks like and rules out air-gapped environments. We cover that in the deployment section below.

Flat-rate vs per-user automation: side by side

Here is how the two pricing models compare on the points that matter for a SharePoint workflow automation decision.

Low-code vs no-code: what the labels mean for your team

This is where buyers get surprised. Power Apps is marketed as low-code, and for a developer, it is. For the business users who built the original SharePoint and InfoPath forms, it behaves more like pro-code, because Power Apps uses a formula language called Power Fx, Dataverse requires you to design a data schema, and complex logic means building branching flows in Power Automate. 

The practical question is who maintains the automation a year from now. If the answer is a developer on staff or budgeted, the per-user, specialist-oriented model can work. If the answer is the same, citizen developers who run the process, a no-code/low-code platform built for that profile is the safer bet.

Which is the best low-code workflow tool?

There is no single best tool for every organization. The honest answer for the best SharePoint workflow tool depends on your environment, your team, and your budget. Both NITRO Studio and Power Platform are described as low-code, but they target different builders. NITRO Studio is a true no-code/low-code platform built for citizen developers, so most teams build and run automation without writing code. Power Platform’s low-code often needs a technical builder for anything beyond the basics.

Choose NITRO Studio when:

• You run on SharePoint Online or Microsoft 365 and want a predictable, flat-rate cost as you scale. Online deployments are a strong fit.
• You run SharePoint on-premises (SharePoint Server 2016, 2019, or Subscription Edition), including air-gapped environments where Power Platform cannot go.
• Your builders are citizen developers, not professional developers, and you want them to own the processes.
• You have data residency or compliance requirements that rule out a cloud-only platform.
• You want forms, workflows, portals, dashboards, and reports from one platform under one license.

The Power Platform is a fit when:

• You are already invested in Power Apps and Power Automate and have developer capacity.
• You need deep automation across many non-Microsoft services through premium connectors.
• You need robotic process automation (RPA), which Power Automate provides.

For most SharePoint and Microsoft 365 teams that want broad automation without a per-user bill and without hiring specialists, NITRO Studio, with its flat-rate, SharePoint-native model, is the more durable choice.

Deployment and data residency

For regulated buyers, where the platform runs matters as much as what it costs.

NITRO Studio supports six deployment models across two infrastructure categories, so you can match it to your security and data residency needs.

• On-premises (2 models) – on SharePoint Server 2016, 2019, and Subscription Edition:
  • Normal Mode. NITRO Studio is installed in your on-premises tenant and communicates with Crow Canyon’s Azure.
  • NITRO Secure (air-gapped). A disconnected, high-security mode where the on-premises installation does not communicate with any external service, designed for the most security-sensitive operations such as defense, intelligence, space, and nuclear. 

• SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365 (4 models). NITRO Studio has two parts: your data, held in your Microsoft 365 tenancy, and the NITRO Studio software, hosted in Azure. The Azure component can be hosted in four ways:
  • Shared, in Crow Canyon’s Azure tenancy. A simple, cost-effective option.
  • Commercial or Public Azure (dedicated), in your own commercial Azure tenancy.
  • Microsoft GCC (dedicated), in your GCC environment for higher compliance needs.
  • Microsoft GCC High (dedicated), for highly restricted environments such as government departments.

Power Platform’s on-premises story is different, and it is worth being precise. Power Platform is cloud-based, so it does not run in air-gapped SharePoint environments at all. For connected on-premises SharePoint, you can reach on-premises data, but it takes setup. You install the on-premises data gateway, configure authentication using Windows or Basic, and create the connections inside your Power Platform environment. NITRO Studio runs inside SharePoint itself, on-premises and in the cloud, including air-gapped deployments through NITRO Secure, with no gateway to install.

For GCC and GCC High deployments, NITRO Studio runs inside the customer’s own Microsoft government tenant, not on infrastructure managed or hosted by Crow Canyon. This is where a quiet but important difference appears. Power Platform functionality is reduced in GCC and GCC High environments, while NITRO Studio’s is not. For Government, Healthcare, Banking, and other industries where security matters, that gap can decide the project.

Frequently Asked Questions