Microsoft Azure Logic Apps Reviews

For one of the projects that we used, this solution dealt with SharePoint and Power apps. So there, we have to do some kind of connectivity and calculations on the fly. It was related to reading a file and our heavy processing. That was one scenario. There have been a few others as well.

If we are working with a service-oriented architecture, as an architect as a baseline, it supports us very well in terms of expandability, and the kind of robustness it brings, especially with its serverless nature is fabulous. That's not a problem. So that's how we view it. It allows us to focus on a particular functionality within this context, and that's great. 

However, the challenge lies in the fact that it's often difficult for most developers to integrate it into their daily activities seamlessly. That's where it becomes problematic. 

There are two challenges. First, it's a bit costly at the end of the day. It's difficult to calculate pricing, and that affects the business. That's one challenge. 

Second, it's asynchronous. So, getting a development team to work on it, making it function properly, is a challenge. Salespeople often have this new notion of sequential programming, so they don't fully understand how it can be used in a disconnected or asynchronous mode. It's difficult for them. It's challenging. In terms of analytics and navigation, using all these modern architectures, it's there, and it works nicely. But if somebody is using a legacy application or needs to make an extension, then it becomes difficult because those applications don't really support asynchronous processes, especially building applications this way. It's challenging to sell those things.

So, pricing and handling asynchronous processes are the two main areas that need improvement.

The primary challenge is handling the costs, especially the difficulty in providing precise, concrete numbers to the business. This becomes a significant issue because we can't predict what kind of processes will be required. Once you invest, there are various variables in the market, such as manufacturing, and once you get connected, you need a connector, which often comes at an additional premium cost. Every business is sensitive to this aspect. 

Sorting out the licensing is very complex, particularly when using multiple services. For example, if you want to use Power Apps, Logic Apps, SharePoint, and other services, things become complex and confusing. You can't go to the business and provide a clear budget because businesses prefer a specific number they can allocate. However, it's challenging to provide precise, point-to-point cost estimates because there isn't much detailed information available online. The cost estimates are often high-level.

Here is an example. We are building a chatbot, and one part of it is based on the number of requests. We're a company with 7,000 employees. If the chatbot becomes successful, we could have 100 questions or even 20 to 30 interactions per day per user. However, if it's not successful, it might drop down to just 1 to 2 interactions per day from 20 to 30. The cost variation is so significant that it's challenging to present a consistent cost to the business. It could range from ten thousand dollars per month to maybe just one thousand dollars. The range is hard to explain, and in reality, we don't know. And then there are hidden costs. When you try to connect to something, you suddenly realize it's also license-based, user-based, like seven engineers not using it. The price can increase unexpectedly from a couple of hundred dollars to maybe a few thousand dollars per month or even more. This complexity is causing people to avoid using it.

I have been working with Azure Logic Apps for a couple of years. We did a few projects here and there. Normally, for Azure Logic Apps, we worked in patches, with a few clients agreeing to use it for specific functionality. Most of them are related to SharePoint or Office. They're on the cloud directly. But we haven't come across a situation where the entire application is built around Azure Logic or all these modern services, purely Azure. Generally, it's whether Azure databases may be slow. They use Power Apps and SharePoint in the backend, which is the most popular approach. It's a double operation.

The stability is more the way we develop it. It is not a problem with the apps.

It is scalable. I have never seen a situation where there are scalability issues.

We work with enterprise and medium customers.

The customer service and support are very tricky. They will promptly come to help. Most of the time, they are able to help. But if things get complex, it is difficult to get the information from them. Generally, if you have a paid service, they are good.

Neutral

It is a service, so we don’t need to install it.

Deployment is okay once you set up the process correctly. Normally, it doesn't work in isolation. So whenever we update, there will be two or three of these. PowerApp and other things will be updated. The update is okay. It's not a problem. If you have to move between environments, then it's something we need to think about. There's no particular standard for people to have different things, and in some cases, we do have. It can be resolved.  

We used this solution for one or two projects, but it cost a lot. Very expensive.

Overall, I would rate Microsoft Azure Logic Apps an eight out of ten. It is a good product but not the best.

I would advise that you should know how service architecture works. You should know where the service is going to be adjusted in their application. It's not that you'll start putting everything. You need to understand the nature when you go with service architecture. If you don't understand, then there is a problem. 

Otherwise, it is okay. It's a good solution. You may have a few challenges, but it will be okay. It's a nice solution.

Logic Apps are used for integration. We use Azure Data Factory (ADA) for most cases, but in a few instances, we'll go with Logic Apps if ADA is not sufficient.

The use cases are very limited. But for a few specific things, especially when we want to integrate with .NET web applications, we'll go with Azure Logic Apps.

Its integration capabilities are great, allowing connectivity with various applications and services. 

If Logic Apps could be built-in as part of Azure Functions, it would be better. We don't need to use it for every case, only for special cases. However, Logic Apps require writing more logic and are more critical in terms of performance.

It's not a useful tool. When I use it for bigger cases, I don't think it's much faster. The main issue is performance, especially when dealing with large amounts of data. Performance-wise, that's the only thing Microsoft should focus on.

We are currently using Azure Logic Apps. It has been around for four months. 

I would rate the stability of this solution a six out of ten. It is average. 

The scalability is good. I would rate it a seven out of ten. Currently, the usage mostly depends on the project. We are using it with five to six team members.

The technical support is good, especially from Azure. We are getting good support.

Positive

The initial setup was a little complex.

It's complex because when we want to build integration processes or certain tasks, we need to write more code, and it's not straightforward. The format is different, so it's not easy to figure out.

I would rate my experience with the initial setup a five out of ten.

The deployment depends on the project. Sometimes it takes one day, sometimes two days. It depends on the requirements. Each case is going to be different. We are using Azure DevOps.

The pricing is okay. It's not highly priced. It's in the medium range. It's not like Oracle, where there's a separate application. When you purchase Azure, you get all the features included. Most of the time, you get a good rate. It's not cheap, but it's also not costly.

I would rate it seven out of ten. 

We are using Azure Data Factory, EEF, and Azure Data Lake.

For integration purposes, it's good. You can go with Logic Apps, but it depends on the requirements. If you can achieve good features with other data gateways, like Azure Data Factory, then you can go with that. Because Logic Apps has a different process, Azure Data Factory is simpler. This is why we try to minimize the usage of Azure Logic Apps and only use them when required.

I would rate it around six based on its performance, usability, and reliability.

Our company uses the solution for small use cases like transformations or doing an additional call to get extra information and enrich data. 

The drag-and-drop UI is very helpful because you don't need to open an editor to start writing in Logic Apps. 

There are predefined connectors to do API calls or connect to a database. 

The solution is very easy for new users because it includes very good documentation and transparency. 

The scalability could be improved. 

I have been using the solution for six months. I am still on the learning curve as a new adapter of the technology. 

The solution is quite stable so I rate stability a nine out of ten. 

The scalability is good for simple use cases in Logic Bus. At some point, you might have to move to the Service Bus for more complicated use cases that require error handling or complex logic. 

I rate scalability a seven out of ten. 

I have not needed technical support. 

In the past, I have used WSO2, SnapLogic, and AWS solutions but have not seen a comparable product to the solution. 

The setup is simple. 

We implemented the solution in-house using pipelines based on written and Terraform. 

I recommend the solution for integration providers and rate it a seven out of ten. 

Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is a fantastic suggestion, especially for those who may not have extensive coding knowledge but understand the requirements well. It provides an easy way to create an auto-response solution. For instance, if you have services running in Azure and want to generate an alert, it allows you to integrate seamlessly. You can trigger tasks based on alerts, creating multi-layered tasks with loops, conditions, and more. It will enable you to perform multiple actions.

I have an example where I automated a business process using Logic Apps and even published an article on the same solution. The customer is required to monitor their NSGs. In the Logic App flow, I designed an alert system if any deny event occurred. It created an HTML-formatted alert identifying the request details, such as the user, specific server, and port that were denied. This alert was then sent to the respective admin users, allowing them to enable the request. If enabled, the request would go back to the system, triggering a script to enable it; otherwise, it would remain disabled.

In another experience, I created an internal application for the purchase order department using Power Apps and Microsoft Azure Logic Apps. I utilized it to gather data from an Azure SQL database and generate a PDF report. This report was then sent to the relevant stakeholders.

Using connectors in the product is quite straightforward and user-friendly. The platform provides a list of connectors, and users can easily search for the specific connectors they need. 

An area of improvement I've encountered is related to the number of connectors available in Logic Apps. While there are many connectors, I found that the "send email" connector may not work as expected, and one has to rely on Office 365 plugins or other alternatives. This could enhance user experience, especially when considering the additional overhead and licensing requirements associated with Office 365. It also needs to improve security features. 

I rate the solution's stability an eight out of ten. 

The tool's scalability is managed by the backend service itself, as it is a managed service.

The tool's tech support is good and customer-friendly. 

The tool's deployment is straightforward. The deployment time can vary and is not necessarily due to the complexity of the product itself. Instead, the time taken depends on the specific requirements of the integration. Factors such as the complexity of the requirement, the number of conditions, and the need for multiple tests can influence the deployment time. Correctly connecting the suitable connectors, using the appropriate syntax, and implementing loops, among other considerations, may contribute to the overall time spent on deployment. However, it's important to note that the solution, as a service, is not inherently complex.

I rate the overall product an eight out of ten. For anyone looking to automate processes, tasks, configuration, application execution, script execution, or data extraction from databases without extensive coding knowledge, I would recommend using Microsoft Azure Logic Apps.

The solution can be integrated with many services. It can integrate with Azure Automation, Azure Defender, web apps, and essentially anything for which a connector is established.

What I found most valuable in Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is that you can run a workflow or do a high-level process orchestration, then you can call the other function and fulfill the process. For example, if you want to update a customer, you first need to get the customer's phone number and simulate the steps of the process, then Microsoft Azure Logic Apps can orchestrate that process.

A room for improvement in Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is that it's expensive. Every step is going to cost you money, so if someone is not doing the steps carefully, at the end of the day, it will cost a lot of money. Each time you execute a step, the cost will depend on how much you use Microsoft Azure Logic Apps, and how many workflow steps you have. Each time a step needs to be executed, there'll be a cost added to your bill. If the developer isn't careful with how he uses the solution, this can blow up the cost.

What I'd like to see in the next release of Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is for the cost and security to be better.

My experience with Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is four years.

Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is a stable solution, specifically for process orchestration. From this perspective, its performance is fine.

The support from Microsoft is very good, though my team didn't contact Microsoft specifically about Microsoft Azure Logic Apps, but about other solutions.

The initial setup for Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is easy, and this is why people use it. The turnaround time to set the solution up is short, and the time to get up to speed on how to use it is short.

Though the learning curve for Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is short, you have to keep in mind that you could create an app that costs a lot of money, so you need to be very careful and have a good understanding of what it is before creating it. Otherwise, you could blow up the cost.

Microsoft Azure Logic Apps could be costly if a user isn't careful. The costs associated with the solution could still be improved.

I evaluated AWS Step Functions.

Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is a PaaS application, and as it's in the cloud, there's no concept of versions. In the conventional world, you have a version 9, 10, or 11, for example, but in the cloud, it is a PaaS, and you're using that PaaS.

Between seven to eight developers write the code for Microsoft Azure Logic Apps in my company, but these developers come and go, depending on the project.

My advice to anyone who wants to use Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is to go with AWS Step Functions, for the cost and the security. It's also much easier to implement AWS Step Functions compared to Microsoft Azure Logic Apps. AWS Step Functions costs less when compared to Microsoft Azure Logic Apps.

My rating for Microsoft Azure Logic Apps is seven out of ten. If anyone wants to use it, then no problem.

My company is a Microsoft customer.

We use the product for integration between on-premise and cloud products.

The product’s most valuable feature is integration.

There could be more AI features included in the product.

We have been using Microsoft Azure Logic Apps for three years.

I rate the product’s stability a nine out of ten.

I rate the platform’s scalability a ten out of ten.

Microsoft Azure Logic Apps’s premium support services are excellent.

Positive

The initial setup is easy. I rate the process a ten out of ten. We have a deployment team consisting of four executives. It takes a few hours to complete the process.

The product generates around 10% ROI for us.

It is a cost-efficient platform.

It is an excellent and efficient product. I rate it a nine out of ten.

I've got a few use cases.

I have one use case where I read emails from an inbox, and then I process files in the attachments of that email.

I also read from a database on-premise with an on-premise integration. I'm not sure what it's called, however, it was really easy to set up, and I could access the on-premise database in my Azure Cloud and then talk to the Logic App from my Azure web application. 

There's another use case where I read from a database and create a file in a file storage account.

It is incredibly easy to use. You open it, and it's just like a designer. It asks: "Well, what step would you want to take?"

There are good integrations available. 

If there's something that isn't possible, you can write some code and call that code from a Logic App.

It is stable. 

It has a lot of integrations, which are quite easy to understand mostly. However, especially when using a function or a parameter, that could be easier as that's not very well-documented, and it's not very clear from the tool itself how to use it. When using parameters or functions, it gets a bit tricky.

I've used the solution in the last 12 months. 

For the most part, it's pretty stable. If I do have some problems with an integration, that sometimes fails me. The stability there kind of depends on the step of the integration, however, Logic Apps itself is very stable. I'd rate the stability at an eight or nine out of ten. 

Nobody else in my organization is using the solution at the moment.

I've never contacted technical support. 

How easy or hard the setup is depends on if you already have already an Azure account or not. If you do, it's very easy as it's simply creating a Logic App, and it's using it. It couldn't be easier. If you don't have an Azure account, it's a bit more complicated and is more like setting up an Azure account, which is complicated.

In terms of actual deployment time to get something up and running, you just build it, and it's running, so it is very fast. 

Typically, it is worth the money to adopt the solution. Even if it gets expensive, it's still worth it.

The solution is  serverless, so you only pay for what you use. It could be the case that the first 10,000 or so instances are free, so you only pay if you use it a lot. Then, if you do use it a lot, yeah, well, it depends on your use. If you're processing large files, and you're doing a million a day, you are going to pay quite a lot. If you are processing a hundred emails a month, you are paying nothing.

I'm an end-user.

I've been using the latest version of the solution.

We chose the product as it was easy to connect to on-premise services, especially an on-premise SQL database, which is pretty easy using Logic Apps.

Companies should probably use it if they have the use case. It's an easy and cheap way to integrate with some on-premise services. Other ways are ultimately maybe easier, yet they are often very difficult to set up and a lot more expensive.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. If you are a bit tech-savvy, you can just use it. It can do a lot, and it can do it easily.

Our use case of Azure Logic Apps is for the integration of data coming from different sources to the manager. We are Microsoft partners and I'm the company director. 

I like the connectivity, that it's easy to use and has the capabilities to be able to integrate with other Azure-based environments.

I'd like to see more connectors available as well as a more advanced development environment.

I've been using this solution for two years. 

The solution is stable. 

The solution is scalable. 

We are a Microsoft partner so we have good support although we haven't used it for this product. 

The initial setup is relatively straightforward and takes a couple of hours. As a consultancy company providing this product to our customers, we carried out our own in-house deployment. We're currently implementing this solution for six of our customers. The deployment requires an architect and one or two others. 

Licensing costs are paid monthly or annually and I believe they are reasonable. The cost is dependent on the connectors. 

I recommend this solution and rate it eight out of 10.