10 Best Motion Alternatives for 2026 (Free & Paid Options)
If Motion’s AI feels too rigid or overpriced, these Motion alternatives offer better control, lower cost, or smarter scheduling.
Motion is powerful, but it’s not for everyone. If you’re frustrated with Motion’s rigid AI, high price, or steep learning curve, you’re not alone—and better alternatives exist.
Motion promises to save you 30.3 days per year through AI-powered auto-scheduling. For many professionals, it delivers. The AI automatically prioritizes tasks, reschedules when conflicts arise, and manages your calendar without constant input. When it works, it’s genuinely transformative.
But Motion’s automation creates new friction for many users. Tasks get bumped without warning. Schedules get reshuffled unpredictably. Users report feeling like they’re adjusting to the tool rather than the tool adapting to them. The AI makes it challenging to do a specific thing at a specific time—if you edit anything like deadline or priority, Motion moves the task. The system can feel like it’s working against you instead of with you.
Then there’s the price. At $29-34/month for individuals, Motion is expensive, especially when many users don’t need all its project management features. The learning curve is noticeable too—the interface can feel crowded and overwhelming for new users, with education and onboarding lacking polish.
If you’ve tried Motion and felt something was missing, you’re searching for the right things: more flexibility, better value, simpler workflows, or—crucially—awareness of when you’re actually capable of doing work, not just when you’re available.
We analyzed dozens of Motion alternatives to identify which solve Motion’s limitations while keeping the benefits of intelligent scheduling. Here’s what we found.
What Motion Does Well
Before exploring alternatives, let’s acknowledge what Motion gets right. Motion combines calendar, tasks, projects, and meeting scheduling in one platform with genuine AI automation. The auto-scheduling is sophisticated—add a task with a deadline, and Motion determines when to do it based on priority, duration, and your calendar availability.
When meetings run long or new urgent tasks arrive, Motion automatically reshuffles everything else. You’re not manually replanning your day after every disruption. For deadline-driven professionals juggling many projects, this automation genuinely saves hours weekly.
Motion also offers meeting booking pages (like Calendly), project management with dependencies, and recently added AI meeting transcription and note-taking. It’s comprehensive, covering most productivity needs in one place.
The challenge is that this comprehensiveness comes with complexity, rigidity, and cost that don’t work for everyone.
Why People Look for Motion Alternatives
Understanding why users leave Motion helps identify which alternative fits your needs:
Too Rigid and Opaque
Motion’s automation can override your preferences, making it hard to manually plan around deep work or fixed priorities. The AI can miss the mark on priorities, leading to more time fixing changes than benefiting from them.
When you want to do something at a specific time, Motion fights you—editing any task detail causes it to move. If you turn off auto-scheduling to lock it in place, the task disappears from your calendar entirely.
Users describe feeling like Motion controls their schedule rather than assists with it.
Price
Motion costs $29/month (annual billing) or $34/month (monthly billing) for individuals, with team plans starting at $12/user/month for 3+ users. For solo professionals or those who don’t need heavy project management, this feels expensive.
Learning Curve and Complexity
Motion’s interface can feel crowded and overwhelming for new users, with a noticeable learning curve. The education and onboarding are lacking—users recommend watching YouTube tutorials to actually understand how to use it effectively. The 7-day trial may not be enough time to fully appreciate the app’s benefits given the setup required.
Limited Manual Control
Tasks get bumped without warning, and schedules get reshuffled unpredictably. For users who want AI suggestions but final control over scheduling decisions, Motion’s autonomous approach feels too aggressive.
Weak Project Management for Complex Workflows
Motion’s primary strength is task scheduling, but it falls short for substantial project management. It doesn’t support subtasks for breaking down large tasks into smaller pieces, limiting its value for complex projects.
Ignores Human Capacity
Motion’s biggest blind spot: it schedules based purely on availability and deadlines. It doesn’t consider whether you’re actually capable of doing good work at the scheduled time. Your fresh 9am and your depleted 4pm after six meetings are treated identically.
What to Look for in a Motion Alternative
When evaluating Motion alternatives, consider:
Level of automation vs. manual control. Do you want Motion’s full automation, AI suggestions with manual approval, or primarily manual planning with AI assists?
Pricing that fits your budget. Motion’s $29-34/month isn’t justified if you only need basic scheduling. Many alternatives offer similar features for less—or free.
Interface complexity. Motion’s feature-rich interface overwhelms some users. Simpler alternatives may deliver better daily experience even with fewer features.
Project management depth. If you need robust project management, some alternatives handle this better. If you just need task + calendar, simpler tools suffice.
Calendar integration quality. All alternatives sync with Google/Outlook, but quality varies. Two-way sync, speed, and reliability matter.
Capacity awareness. This is the missing piece in Motion and most alternatives—scheduling based on when you can actually do good work, not just when time slots are empty.
1. rivva - Capacity-Aware AI Scheduling
Best for: Professionals who want AI automation with capacity awareness
rivva solves what Motion gets wrong: we don’t just schedule based on when you’re available—we schedule based on when you’re actually capable. Motion’s AI fills your calendar. rivva’s AI optimizes your capacity.
How rivva Improves on Motion
Motion’s Problem: Ignores Capacity
Motion knows you’re free at 4pm after six meetings and schedules demanding work there. You’re available, so Motion books it. But you’re mentally exhausted—that “free” time isn’t actually productive time.
rivva’s Solution: Energy-Aware Scheduling
rivva integrates with your wearable (Apple Health, Oura, Whoop) to understand your actual capacity. After those six meetings, rivva sees your energy is depleted and reschedules the demanding work to tomorrow morning when you’ll be fresh. The work happens when you can actually do it well.
Transparent AI vs. Black Box
Motion’s automation can feel opaque—you don’t always understand why it made certain decisions. rivva’s AI assistant Nia explains her reasoning. You understand why tasks are scheduled when they are, and you maintain control—Nia suggests, you approve.
Automatic Task Capture
Motion requires manual task entry or integration setup. rivva automatically extracts tasks from your emails—meeting summaries, Notion comments, GitHub issues, direct requests—without you doing anything. Commitments get captured without manual work.
Flexible Automation
Motion’s all-or-nothing approach frustrates users who want some automation but not complete control. rivva offers AI automation when you want it, manual control when you need it—best of both worlds.
Better Value
At $13.99/month versus Motion’s $29-34/month, rivva costs significantly less while adding the capacity intelligence Motion lacks.
Key Features:
Energy-aware scheduling using wearable data
Nia AI assistant with transparent reasoning
Automatic email task extraction
Smart auto-scheduling based on capacity
Energy insights showing your patterns
Two-way Google Calendar sync
Visual timeline for time awareness
Cross-platform (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
Pricing:
Monthly: $13.99/month
Quarterly: $31.50/quarter ($10.50/month billed quarterly)
Pros:
Only AI scheduler with capacity/energy awareness
More affordable than Motion ($19.99 vs $29-34/month)
Automatic task extraction from email
Transparent AI reasoning through Nia
Flexible automation—not rigid control
Energy insights Motion completely lacks
Cons:
No Android app yet (web and iOS only currently)
Not as heavy on project management (by design—focused on personal productivity)
Requires wearable for full energy features
2. Reclaim AI - Smart Habit Defense
Best for: Professionals who need to defend focus time and manage habits
Reclaim AI takes a different approach than Motion: instead of aggressively scheduling every task, it focuses on protecting important time blocks and habits while maintaining flexibility.
How It Compares to Motion
Where Motion auto-schedules all your tasks, Reclaim lets you set up habits (like morning workouts, focus time, learning blocks) and chooses how defensive to be about each. Your non-negotiable morning deep work stays protected, while your flexible “reading time” can move when urgent meetings arrive.
Reclaim integrates with task managers like Todoist, Asana, and Linear rather than being its own task system. When you sync tasks, Reclaim schedules them on your calendar based on deadlines and available time.
The approach is less comprehensive than Motion but more flexible. You maintain more control while still getting intelligent scheduling for what matters.
Key Features:
Habit scheduling with flexible defense levels
Task manager integrations (Todoist, Asana, Linear)
Focus time protection from meetings
Smart calendar scheduling
Analytics on productivity patterns
Team coordination features
Pricing: Free plan available, paid plans from $6.75/user/month
Pros:
More affordable than Motion
Excellent at defending important time blocks
Habit scheduling is unique and valuable
Strong free tier for testing
More flexible than Motion’s rigid approach
Cons:
Primarily calendar-focused (not a complete task manager)
Requires task manager integration for full value
No energy or capacity awareness
Learning curve for setting up habits correctly
3. Sunsama - Intentional Daily Planning
Best for: Professionals who want mindfulness over automation
Sunsama represents the opposite philosophy from Motion: instead of AI controlling your schedule, you intentionally plan each day through guided rituals.
The Intentional Approach
Every evening, Sunsama guides you through reviewing what happened today and planning tomorrow. Every morning, you review and adjust your plan. You drag tasks onto your calendar manually, deciding when to work on each item.
This takes 10-15 minutes daily—more time investment than Motion’s automation. But for users who found Motion’s autonomy uncomfortable, Sunsama’s human-in-control approach feels better. You’re actively engaged in planning rather than surrendering to an AI.
Sunsama integrates beautifully with other tools (Asana, Todoist, Jira, Gmail, Slack), importing tasks for you to schedule during your planning ritual.
Key Features:
Guided daily planning rituals
Time blocking with manual control
Deep integrations with productivity tools
Focus mode for concentration
Weekly review and reflection
Pomodoro-style timeboxing
Pricing: $20/month (annual) or $49/month (monthly)
Pros:
Beautiful, calming interface
Intentional planning reduces stress for some
Strong integrations with other tools
Complete control over your schedule
Focus mode helps concentration
Cons:
Requires 10-15 minutes daily for planning rituals
No AI automation (by design)
Expensive at $49/month for monthly billing
Time-intensive compared to Motion’s automation
4. Akiflow - Command Center with Manual Control
Best for: Power users who want consolidation with keyboard control
Akiflow consolidates tasks from multiple apps into one command center, but keeps you in control through keyboard shortcuts and manual time blocking.
How It Compares to Motion
Where Motion automates scheduling decisions, Akiflow gives you all your tasks in one place and lets you quickly schedule them using keyboard shortcuts. Press a hotkey, see all your tasks, type to schedule—fast, but manual.
The app is desktop-first, designed for keyboard warriors who value speed and control over automation. You’re the one making scheduling decisions, just doing it much faster than dragging tasks around in separate apps.
Akiflow includes time tracking, focus mode, and integrations with 50+ apps. It’s comprehensive without trying to automate everything.
Key Features:
Task consolidation from 50+ apps
Keyboard-first navigation
Manual time blocking (fast but not automated)
Built-in time tracking
Focus mode
Command bar for quick actions
Pricing: $27.99/month (annual) or $29.99/month (monthly)
Pros:
Consolidates tasks from many sources
Keyboard shortcuts make manual scheduling fast
Complete control over your schedule
Time tracking built-in
Desktop-optimized for power users
Cons:
Similar price to Motion without automation
Primarily manual (no AI scheduling)
Desktop-first (mobile app less developed)
Steep learning curve for keyboard shortcuts
5. Morgen - Calendar + Task Integration
Best for: Professionals wanting calendar management without complexity
Morgen is a calendar app with task integration—simpler and more affordable than Motion while covering the basics many users actually need.
Simplified Approach
Instead of Motion’s comprehensive project management, AI scheduling, and meeting booking, Morgen focuses on being an excellent calendar that integrates tasks cleanly. You see calendar events and tasks in one view, schedule manually, and move on with your day.
The simplicity is the point. Many Motion users realized they don’t need all its features—they just want a good calendar that handles tasks too. Morgen delivers exactly that without overwhelming you.
Key Features:
Unified calendar + task view
Multiple calendar account support
Task integration with Todoist, Notion
Scheduling links for booking meetings
Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, mobile, web)
Pricing: Free tier available, Pro plans from $9/month
Pros:
Much simpler than Motion
Significantly cheaper ($9 vs $29-34/month)
Clean, uncluttered interface
Good cross-platform support
Solid free tier
Cons:
No AI automation
Basic task management compared to Motion
Manual scheduling required
Limited project management features
6. Todoist - Simple Task Management
Best for: Users who realize they just need a great task manager
Sometimes the Motion alternative is recognizing you don’t need Motion’s complexity. Todoist is a straightforward task manager that does task management exceptionally well.
When Simplicity Wins
Motion can be overwhelming—many users just need reliable task management, not AI scheduling and project management combined. Todoist offers clean task lists, natural language input (”Submit report Friday at 2pm”), priorities, labels, filters, and projects.
No calendar auto-scheduling. No AI making decisions. Just excellent task management that’s simple to understand and reliable to use daily.
For users who found Motion’s automation more burden than benefit, Todoist’s simplicity is refreshing.
Key Features:
Natural language task entry
Projects and sub-projects
Priority levels and labels
Recurring tasks
Todoist AI for task breakdown
Clean, simple interface
Pricing: Free tier available, Pro $4/month (annual) or $5/month (monthly)
Pros:
Extremely affordable ($4 vs Motion’s $29/month)
Simple and easy to learn
Reliable and fast
Natural language input
Cross-platform with great apps
Cons:
No calendar integration (by design)
No automated scheduling
Primarily for task lists, not planning
You handle scheduling separately
7. TickTick - All-in-One with Pomodoro
Best for: Users wanting task + calendar + focus tools affordably
TickTick combines task management, calendar view, habit tracking, and Pomodoro timer in one affordable package—giving you many of Motion’s features without the price or rigid AI.
Feature-Rich Alternative
TickTick includes calendar view for time blocking (manually), Pomodoro timer for focus sessions, habit tracking, and task management with natural language input. You get comprehensive functionality at a fraction of Motion’s cost.
The tradeoff is manual work—TickTick doesn’t auto-schedule like Motion. But for users frustrated with Motion’s automation, that’s a feature, not a bug.
Key Features:
Task management with calendar view
Built-in Pomodoro timer
Habit tracking
Natural language input
Multiple calendar integration
Duration estimates
Pricing: Free tier available, Premium $35.99/year
Pros:
Incredibly affordable ($3/month annual vs Motion’s $29/month)
Comprehensive features (tasks, calendar, Pomodoro, habits)
Manual control over scheduling
Strong free tier
Cross-platform
Cons:
No AI automation
Manual time blocking required
Interface less polished than Motion
Separate calendar view (not unified)
8. Notion - Flexible Workspace
Best for: Users wanting flexible all-in-one workspace
Notion takes the opposite approach from Motion’s opinionated AI: complete flexibility to build your own productivity system exactly how you want it.
When Customization Matters
Motion’s rigid automation frustrated users who wanted specific workflows. Notion lets you build custom databases, views, and workflows for tasks, projects, notes, wikis—anything.
The cost is setup time. Notion requires configuration before it’s productive. But users who invest that time get a system that works exactly how they want, not how an AI thinks they should work.
Notion AI adds features like auto-generating tasks from meeting notes, but you’re always in control of the structure.
Key Features:
Fully customizable databases and views
Tasks, projects, notes, wikis in one place
Notion AI for automation assistance
Flexible permissions and sharing
Template library
Pricing: Free tier available, Plus $10/user/month, Business $15/user/month
Pros:
Completely flexible—build any workflow
More affordable than Motion
Notion AI adds intelligence without forcing automation
Strong for team collaboration
All-in-one workspace
Cons:
Requires significant setup time
Steep learning curve
No automatic scheduling
Can become overwhelming with flexibility
Performance issues with large databases
9. SkedPal - AI Adaptive Scheduling
Best for: Users who want AI scheduling with more control than Motion
SkedPal offers AI-powered scheduling similar to Motion but with more user control and flexibility around how tasks get scheduled.
Adaptive AI Approach
Like Motion, SkedPal uses AI to schedule tasks based on priorities, deadlines, and your calendar. Unlike Motion, it gives you more control over scheduling parameters and is more transparent about its decisions.
You can set specific time preferences, energy level preferences (high energy vs. low energy tasks), and scheduling constraints. The AI works within your parameters rather than overriding them like Motion sometimes does.
Key Features:
AI-powered adaptive scheduling
User-defined scheduling parameters
Energy level awareness (high/low energy tasks)
Task dependencies
Google Calendar integration
Recurring tasks
Pricing: $14.95/month
Pros:
AI scheduling with more control than Motion
Significantly cheaper ($14.95 vs $29/month)
More transparent scheduling decisions
Energy level awareness (basic)
More flexible than Motion
Cons:
Older interface compared to Motion
Smaller user community
Less comprehensive than Motion’s all-in-one approach
Learning curve for setup
10. Google Calendar - Free Foundation
Best for: Users who realize they just need a good calendar
Sometimes the best Motion alternative is acknowledging you don’t need Motion at all—a solid free calendar plus a separate task manager meets most needs.
The Free Option
Google Calendar is free, reliable, works everywhere, and integrates with everything. Pair it with a task manager (Todoist, TickTick, or even Google Tasks), and you have the core functionality Motion provides without the cost or complexity.
You manually schedule tasks by dragging them onto your calendar. No AI automation, but also no AI making decisions you disagree with. Complete control, zero cost.
For users who found Motion’s $29-34/month hard to justify, Google Calendar + Todoist ($4/month) delivers similar results at 85% less cost.
Key Features:
Multiple calendar support
Event scheduling and invites
Google Meet integration
Reminders and goals
Mobile and web apps
Free forever
Pricing: Free
Pros:
Completely free
Works everywhere
Reliable and fast
Everyone knows how to use it
Integrates with everything
Cons:
No task management built-in
No AI automation
Manual scheduling for everything
Basic features compared to Motion
Requires pairing with task manager
Choosing the Right Motion Alternative
Different frustrations with Motion lead to different alternatives:
If Motion’s rigid AI frustrated you:
Choose Sunsama or Akiflow. Both give you complete control over scheduling decisions while maintaining organized workflows. Sunsama adds intentional planning rituals; Akiflow adds keyboard-driven speed.
If Motion’s price felt unjustified:
Choose TickTick ($3/month), Todoist ($4/month), or Reclaim AI ($6.75/month). All deliver core scheduling/task functionality at a fraction of Motion’s cost.
If Motion ignored your capacity:
Choose rivva. It’s the only alternative that schedules based on when you’re actually capable of doing good work, not just when calendar slots are empty.
If you want AI automation but more affordably:
Choose rivva ($19.99/month) or SkedPal ($14.95/month). Both offer intelligent automation at lower price points than Motion, with rivva adding capacity awareness SkedPal lacks.
If Motion was too complex:
Choose Morgen, TickTick, or Google Calendar + Todoist. Simpler tools that cover the basics without overwhelming you with features.
If you need flexibility Motion doesn’t offer:
Choose Notion. Build exactly the system you want with complete customization, though it requires more setup time.
If Motion’s project management disappointed:
Choose Notion or keep Motion but pair it with dedicated project management (Asana, ClickUp) for complex workflows.
The key is understanding what specifically frustrated you about Motion, then finding the alternative that solves that problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best alternative to Motion?
rivva is the best alternative for professionals wanting AI automation with capacity awareness—scheduling based on when you’re actually capable, not just available. Motion knows you’re free at 4pm; rivva knows you’re fried at 4pm after six meetings.
For users wanting more manual control, Sunsama (intentional planning) or Akiflow (keyboard-driven command center) excel. For budget-conscious users, TickTick ($3/month) or Todoist ($4/month) deliver task management at a fraction of Motion’s cost.
Is Motion worth the price?
Motion’s $29-34/month is justified if you need comprehensive project management, AI auto-scheduling, and meeting booking in one platform, and if you’re comfortable with its rigid automation.
If your billable hour is worth $50, Motion needs to save you just 40 minutes per month to pay for itself—achievable for some professionals. But many users realize they don’t need all Motion’s features and find better value in specialized alternatives.
Why do people leave Motion?
Users leave Motion for several reasons: rigid AI that overrides preferences, tasks bumped without warning, difficulty doing specific things at specific times, expensive pricing, and a learning curve with lacking onboarding.
The fundamental issue: Motion’s automation can feel like it’s working against you rather than with you, especially when you want control over specific scheduling decisions.
Does Motion work on mobile?
Yes, but the desktop app is the star of the show. The mobile app is functional for viewing and managing tasks but not ideal for deep planning or complex project work.
Can I use Motion for free?
Motion offers a 7-day free trial, but there’s no free plan. The trial period may not be enough time to fully appreciate the app’s benefits given the setup required.
For free alternatives, consider Google Calendar + Google Tasks, or try free tiers of Todoist, TickTick, Reclaim AI, or Notion.
What’s cheaper than Motion but similar?
rivva ($13.99/month) offers AI scheduling with capacity awareness at lower cost. SkedPal ($14.95/month) provides AI adaptive scheduling. Reclaim AI (from $6.75/month) offers smart scheduling. TickTick ($35.99/year = $3/month) and Todoist ($4/month) provide affordable task management.
All are significantly cheaper than Motion’s $29-34/month while delivering core functionality many users actually need.
Conclusion
Motion is powerful AI scheduling software, but its rigid automation, high price, and lack of capacity awareness make it the wrong fit for many professionals.
The best Motion alternative depends on what frustrated you. If Motion’s AI felt too controlling, choose Sunsama or Akiflow for more manual control. If price was the issue, TickTick and Todoist deliver task management affordably. If you need AI automation but want flexibility, consider SkedPal.
But if you felt Motion was close but missing something—that something is probably capacity awareness. Motion schedules based on availability. rivva schedules based on capability, understanding that your 9am and your 4pm after six meetings are fundamentally different in terms of what you can actually accomplish.
rivva offers Motion’s intelligent automation without the rigidity, at lower cost ($13.99 vs $29-34/month), with the capacity awareness that makes the difference between a full calendar and actual productivity.
Experience AI scheduling that actually understands when you’re capable. Try rivva free for 7 days and see why it’s Motion done right.