TL;DR: Choose Azure Document Intelligence over AI Builder for OCR, same prebuilt models at ~1¢/page and ~40% cheaper.
💡 Challenge
Efficient document processing matters, and the AI OCR tool you pick in Power Platform makes a real difference in cost and flexibility.
✅ Solution
Power Platform gives you two main AI OCR options for document processing:
🔸 AI Builder
🔸 Azure Document Intelligence
Both support a range of prebuilt models for different document types.
🔧 How It’s Done
1. AI Builder
🔸 Setup: in make.powerapps.com, pick a prebuilt model (invoice, receipt, business card, ID, or form processing).
🔸 Test & deploy: try it with sample documents, then call it from a Power Automate flow.
🔸 Cost: requires AI Builder credits, roughly 1.6 cents per page.
2. Azure Document Intelligence
🔸 Setup: provision the service in Azure and choose a prebuilt or custom model (invoices, receipts, business cards, and more).
🔸 Integration: grab the API key and endpoint for Power Automate.
🔸 Usage: call the API to process documents with more control and flexibility.
🔸 Cost: about $10 per 1,000 pages (~1 cent/page), roughly 40% cheaper than AI Builder.
🎉 Result
Azure Document Intelligence delivers significant cost savings, a wide range of prebuilt models, and greater control, making it the stronger choice for most document-processing needs.
🌟 Key Advantages
🔸 AI Builder: quick, easy setup, tightly integrated with Power Automate.
🔸 Azure Document Intelligence: cost-effective and flexible, ideal for high-volume processing.
Recommendation: AI Builder is simpler to start with, but Azure Document Intelligence usually wins on cost efficiency and flexibility.
Special thanks to Damien Bird for the great overview!
🎥 Video Tutorial
🛠️ FAQ
1. What is the main difference between AI Builder and Azure Document Intelligence? AI Builder is tightly integrated into Power Platform with an easy setup, while Azure Document Intelligence offers more flexibility, a wider range of models, and lower per-page costs.
2. How do I choose the right prebuilt model for my documents? Pick a model based on your document type, invoices, receipts, business cards, and test it with sample files to confirm accuracy before integrating.
3. What are the cost implications of each service? AI Builder costs around 1.6 cents per page, whereas Azure Document Intelligence is about 1 cent per page ($10 per 1,000 pages), roughly 40% savings.
Marcel Lehmann
Microsoft MVP