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Azure Automation
Microsoft
What it is
Azure Automation is a cloud service for process automation, configuration management, patch management, and remediation automation on Windows and Linux. Its process automation plans separate job run time from watchers: job run time includes 500 minutes per month, while the watchers plan is listed as free and includes 744 hours per month. Configuration management has separate options for Azure and non-Azure nodes. The Azure-node plan includes a configuration pull service and change tracking; the non-Azure-node plan includes five nodes per month. An Update management plan lists update visibility and update deployment. These options cover automating processes as well as managing configurations and updates across the supported operating systems. Azure Automation is cloud deployed, and the listed capabilities include remediation automation. The pricing model is described as freemium, although the listed facts say there is no free plan. Prices are not shown for job run time, either configuration management plan, or Update management, so their included usage and node quantities do not establish their costs.
For and against
For
- Supports Windows and Linux.
- Includes process, configuration, patch, and remediation automation.
- Job run time plan includes 500 minutes per month.
- Watchers plan includes 744 hours per month.
Against
- No free plan is listed.
- Prices are not shown for several plans.
- Non-Azure configuration plan includes five nodes per month.
The verdict
Azure Automation covers process and system-management tasks through several cloud plan categories. Check the listed allowances and request pricing details for plans without stated prices.
Who it suits
Azure Automation suits organizations looking to automate processes or manage configuration, patches, and remediation across Windows and Linux systems. Its listed plans distinguish job run time, watchers, node management, and update management.
Plans and prices
Process automation — job run time
500 minutes per month included
Read 22 Sep 2026 · azure.microsoft.com
Process automation — watchers
744 hours per month included
Read 22 Sep 2026 · azure.microsoft.com
Configuration management — Azure node
Configuration pull service · Change tracking
Read 22 Sep 2026 · azure.microsoft.com
Configuration management — non-Azure node
5 nodes per month included
Read 22 Sep 2026 · azure.microsoft.com
Update management
Any node · visibility and update deployment
Read 15 Oct 2026 · azure.microsoft.com
Configuration management non-Azure node
5 free non-Azure nodes/month · Azure nodes free
Read 15 Oct 2026 · azure.microsoft.com
Process automation job runtime
500 free job-run minutes per subscription/month · runbook jobs and watchers
Read 15 Oct 2026 · azure.microsoft.com
On the record
- API extensibility
- Automation can connect to any online service exposing an API and can be extended with imported PowerShell modules or custom C# and Windows PowerShell code.azure.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- Microsoft Entra managed identities are the recommended default authentication method for runbooks and avoid provisioning or rotating secrets.learn.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company founding
- Microsoft's 2025 annual report says the company was founded in 1975.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters and size
- LinkedIn lists Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, a public-company status and more than 10,001 employees; it states approximately 228,000 employees worldwide.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- Crunchbase lists the legal name as Microsoft Corporation.crunchbase.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Concurrency limit
- An Automation account permits up to 50 concurrent jobs for enterprise or CSP subscriptions, with lower defaults for other subscription types.learn.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Configuration management
- Users can author PowerShell configurations, import scripts and generate node configurations for physical or virtual machines.azure.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- Microsoft Learn provides overview, runbook authoring, runtime, authentication, hybrid-worker, limits, networking and REST API documentation.learn.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Graphical runbook limitation
- Graphical runbooks can only be created or edited in the Azure portal and cannot run on Linux Hybrid Runbook Workers.learn.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Hybrid execution
- Extension-based Hybrid Runbook Workers execute jobs on Windows or Linux Azure, on-premises or Arc-enabled machines.learn.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Hybrid worker scale limit
- An Automation account supports up to 4,000 system Hybrid Runbook Workers and 4,000 user Hybrid Runbook Workers by default.learn.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: connectivity and support
- Trustpilot reviewers of Azure report connectivity problems, expensive service and poor customer support; the reviews cover Azure broadly rather than Automation alone.trustpilot.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: cost clarity and complexity
- TrustRadius reviewers request clearer cost estimates and describe the many settings and menu levels as daunting for newcomers.trustradius.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: deployment and integrations
- PeerSpot reviewers report that deployment can be challenging, third-party integrations may lack a suitable API and the interface could be improved.peerspot.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: documentation and imports
- A G2 reviewer reported trouble importing files and difficulty finding documentation for resolving the problem.g2.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Notable retirement
- Microsoft retired agent-based User Hybrid Runbook Workers on 31 August 2024 and stopped their jobs from 1 April 2025, directing customers to extension-based workers.learn.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- PowerShell SDK
- Azure PowerShell exposes Start-AzAutomationRunbook and related cmdlets for starting jobs and retrieving job output.learn.microsoft.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Praise: ease and cost
- G2 reviewers repeatedly describe Azure Automation as easy to use, cost-efficient and well integrated with Microsoft tools.g2.com · read 15 Oct 2026
