11 Best Notion Alternatives for Daily Planning & Time Blocking (2026)

Notion is great for notes, but struggles with daily planning. Explore top alternatives like rivva, Motion, and Sunsama for smarter, energy-aware scheduling.

Notion is brilliant for documentation and databases. It’s where you store your meeting notes, build your second brain, and create those beautiful wiki pages that make you feel organized. But when it comes to actually planning your day and blocking out time to get work done, Notion falls short.

There’s no AI scheduling. No automatic time blocking. No way to see your tasks alongside your calendar. You’re left manually dragging tasks around, guessing at how long things will take, and spending more time organizing than actually working.

If you’re using Notion for daily planning, you’ve probably noticed this gap. You need a tool that actually helps you execute, not just capture. This guide covers the best Notion alternatives specifically built for daily planning and time blocking, so you can get your work done instead of endlessly reorganizing it.

Why Look Beyond Notion for Daily Planning?

Notion wasn’t designed to be a daily planner. It’s a database tool that happens to have task lists. And that’s fine for many things, but it creates real problems when you’re trying to manage your day.

1. No auto-scheduling: The biggest issue is that Notion has no concept of time. You can create a task database, add due dates, and even build elaborate Kanban boards. But Notion won’t help you figure out when to actually do the work. It won’t block time on your calendar, suggest when to tackle your most important tasks, or automatically reschedule when your day falls apart.

2. No task & calendar unification: You also can’t see your calendar and tasks in one place. Planning your day means switching between Notion and Google Calendar, trying to mentally map your tasks onto your available time slots. By the time you’re done planning, you’ve already burned through your best hours.

3. Micro decisions: Because everything in Notion is manual, you’re making hundreds of micro-decisions every day. Which task should I do first? How long will this take? When should I schedule this? Do I have enough time before my next meeting? These decisions add up fast, and they’re exhausting.

Notion works great when your job is writing documentation or managing a knowledge base. But when your job is getting through a packed day without dropping the ball, you need something built for that specific problem.

What Makes a Great Notion Alternative for Daily Planning?

A good Notion alternative for daily planning should solve the problems Notion creates. That means handling the scheduling decisions for you, integrating with your calendar, and giving you a clear view of what to work on right now.

Here’s what to look for:

1. AI or smart scheduling features. The tool should either automatically schedule your tasks or make it dead simple to time block them yourself. You shouldn’t be manually dragging blocks around or guessing at durations.

2. Calendar integration. Your tasks and calendar need to live in one place. If you’re still switching between apps to see your availability, the tool isn’t doing its job.

3. Task capture from multiple sources. You get work from email, Slack, meeting notes, and random thoughts throughout the day. A good planner should pull all of that together automatically, not make you copy-paste everything.

4. Energy or capacity awareness. Not all hours are equal. Some tools (like rivva) actually understand this and schedule demanding work when you’ll have the mental energy for it. Others just play Tetris with your calendar.

5. Cross-platform sync. You plan on your laptop, check tasks on your phone, and need everything to stay in sync without thinking about it.

The tools below vary in how much they automate versus how much control they give you. Some do all the scheduling for you. Others guide you through manual planning. Pick based on how much you trust AI versus how much you want to stay in control.

1. rivva - Energy-Aware AI Scheduling with Task Extraction

rivva is a daily planner built around a simple insight: your capacity changes throughout the day, and your schedule should account for that. Instead of just looking at when you’re free, rivva schedules tasks based on when you’ll actually have the energy to do them well.

Nia, rivva’s AI assistant, automatically extracts tasks from your email (including Notion comments, meeting summaries, and direct requests), then schedules them around your energy patterns, meetings, and priorities. You can chat with Nia to adjust your plan, break down overwhelming tasks, or move everything when your day goes sideways.

Best for: Professionals who want intelligent auto-scheduling without rigid automation. Great if you’re tired of manually planning but still want flexibility when priorities shift.

Key Features:

• AI assistant (Nia) that schedules tasks based on your energy levels and availability

• Automatic task extraction from email, Notion comments, Google Docs tags, GitHub issues, Slack messages

• Energy-based planner that shows your predicted capacity throughout the day

• Two-way calendar sync with Google Calendar and Outlook

• Smart auto-scheduling that adapts when meetings change

• Chat interface to adjust plans naturally (e.g. “Move my morning deep work to tomorrow, I’m exhausted”)

• iOS and web app with instant sync

Pricing:

• Monthly: $13.99/month

• Quarterly: $31.50/quarter ($10.50/month, billed quarterly)

• 7-day free trial

Pros:

• Only tool in this list that schedules based on your actual energy levels, not just calendar availability

• Automatic task capture means you’re not copying tasks from Notion manually

• Reduces decision fatigue since Nia handles the “when” so you focus on the “what”

• More affordable than Motion while offering unique energy-awareness features

• Flexible enough to handle chaotic days without breaking your system

Cons:

• Requires wearable or health app for full energy features

• Newer to market than established alternatives

• Not designed for heavy documentation (you’d still use Notion for that)

How it compares to Notion:

Notion helps you capture everything. rivva helps you actually do it at the right time.

If you’re using Notion for project documentation but struggling with daily execution, rivva slots right into that workflow by extracting tasks from your Notion comments and scheduling them when you’ll have capacity.

🔗 Sign up on rivva

2. Motion - AI Auto-Scheduler and Project Management

Motion is an AI-powered calendar and project manager that automatically schedules your tasks, meetings, and projects. When something changes (a meeting runs long, a deadline moves up, you get sick), Motion rebuilds your entire schedule instantly.

It’s powerful for teams managing complex projects with dependencies, but it can feel rigid if you prefer more control over your day. Motion decides when you work on what, and while you can override it, fighting the AI gets tedious fast.

Best for: Executives and team leads managing multiple projects with hard deadlines. Works well if you trust AI to organize your entire life.

Key Features:

• AI automatically schedules all tasks across your calendar

• Project management with dependencies and team workflows

• Meeting scheduling assistant

• Real-time rescheduling when plans change

• Chrome extension for quick task capture

Pricing:

• Individual: $34/month (annual) or $19/month (billed annually)

• Team plans available

Pros:

• Powerful auto-scheduling that handles complex project dependencies

• Great for teams needing coordination across multiple calendars

• Automatically adjusts when deadlines or priorities change

• Strong project management features

Cons:

• Expensive compared to most alternatives

• Can feel rigid since AI makes most decisions

• No energy or capacity awareness (treats all hours the same)

• Learning curve for teams

How it compares to Notion:

Motion replaces both your Notion task database and your calendar. It’s all-in-one but requires buying into Motion’s way of working completely. Unlike Notion’s flexibility, Motion has strong opinions about how you should work.

3. Sunsama - Guided Intentional Planning with Manual Time Blocking

Sunsama takes a different approach: instead of automating your schedule, it guides you through intentional daily planning. Every day, you review yesterday’s work, pull in tasks from other tools, manually time block everything, and set a realistic plan.

It’s methodical and calming, which some people love. But it also requires 15-20 minutes of planning every single day. If you’re already overwhelmed, adding another daily ritual might not help.

Best for: People who find AI scheduling too impersonal and want intentional, manual planning. Great for founders who value reflection and deliberate work.

Key Features:

• Daily guided planning ritual

• Integration with Gmail, Slack, Asana, Trello, GitHub, and more

• Manual time blocking with calendar view

• Daily shutdown ritual to close out your day

• Weekly planning and review

Pricing:

• $20/month (annual) or $16/month (billed annually)

• 14-day free trial

Pros:

• Encourages intentional work and realistic planning

• Beautiful, calm interface reduces stress

• Strong integrations pull tasks from everywhere

• Daily shutdown ritual helps you actually stop working

Cons:

• Requires 15-20 minutes of manual planning daily

• No AI scheduling or automation

• More expensive than some alternatives

• Can feel slow if you have a chaotic schedule

How it compares to Notion:

Sunsama solves Notion’s time blocking problem but still requires manual work. You’re trading Notion’s databases for Sunsama’s guided rituals. Better for daily execution, less flexible for documentation.

4. Morgen - Calendar-First with AI Planning Suggestions

Morgen is a calendar app first, task manager second. It connects all your calendars (Google, Outlook, Apple, even CalDAV) and layers tasks on top. Morgen’s AI suggests optimal times for your tasks based on your calendar, but you make the final call.

It’s a nice middle ground between Motion’s full automation and Sunsama’s manual planning. The AI is helpful without being pushy.

Best for: People who live in their calendar and want task management built in. Good if you have multiple calendar accounts and need everything in one view.

Key Features:

• Unified calendar view across all accounts

• AI scheduling suggestions for tasks

• Time blocking with drag-and-drop

• Scheduling links (like Calendly)

• Team scheduling and availability

Pricing:

• Free plan available

• Pro: $9/month (annual) or $12/month (monthly)

Pros:

• Calendar-first approach feels natural for calendar-heavy users

• AI suggestions are helpful without being controlling

• Affordable compared to Motion

• Supports multiple calendar accounts seamlessly

Cons:

• Task management feels secondary to calendaring

• No automatic task extraction from email or other tools

• AI is suggestive, not proactive

• Less robust project management

How it compares to Notion:

Morgen replaces your Google Calendar, not Notion. You’d still keep Notion for documentation and use Morgen for daily scheduling. Works well together if you don’t mind using two tools.

5. Akiflow - Universal Inbox for Tasks with Manual Scheduling

Akiflow is a universal inbox that pulls tasks from everywhere (email, Slack, Notion, Asana, Todoist, you name it) into one consolidated view. You then manually schedule those tasks onto your calendar using time blocking.

It’s incredibly powerful for people drowning in tasks across multiple tools, but it’s also manual. Akiflow consolidates everything, but you’re still doing all the scheduling yourself.

Best for: Power users managing tasks across many tools who want one unified view. Great if you’re organized and just need consolidation, not automation.

Key Features:

• Universal inbox that imports from 20+ tools

• Manual time blocking onto calendar

• Command bar for keyboard-driven task management

• Integration with email, Slack, Notion, Asana, Trello, GitHub, and more

• Quick capture with global shortcut

Pricing:

• $34/month (annual) or $19/month (billed annually)

• 7-day free trial

Pros:

• Best-in-class integrations across productivity tools

• Keyboard shortcuts for power users

• Consolidates scattered tasks into one place

• Beautiful, polished interface

Cons:

• Expensive (same price as Motion without the AI)

• All scheduling is manual

• Steeper learning curve

• No mobile app yet

How it compares to Notion:

Akiflow doesn’t replace Notion, it connects to it. You can import Notion tasks into Akiflow’s universal inbox, then schedule them manually. Works if you want to keep Notion but need better task consolidation.

6. Routine - Personal Planner with Tasks, Notes, and Calendar

Routine combines your calendar, tasks, and notes in one clean interface. It’s designed for knowledge workers who need everything in context: meeting notes link to tasks, tasks link to calendar blocks, and everything’s searchable.

It’s not as AI-driven as Motion or rivva, but it’s more integrated than keeping everything in separate tools.

Best for: Knowledge workers who want tasks, notes, and calendar tightly integrated. Good if you like Notion’s all-in-one approach but need better time management.

Key Features:

• Calendar, tasks, and notes in one view

• Time blocking with manual scheduling

• Smart capture that turns notes into tasks

• Keyboard-first navigation

• Meeting integration (links notes to calendar events)

Pricing:

• Free during beta

• Pricing TBD at launch

Pros:

• Tight integration between notes, tasks, and calendar

• Clean interface with good keyboard shortcuts

• Meeting notes automatically linked to events

• Free while in beta

Cons:

• Still in beta (pricing unknown)

• No AI scheduling

• Smaller integrations ecosystem

• Manual time blocking

How it compares to Notion:

Routine is closer to Notion’s all-in-one philosophy but with better calendar integration. It’s like if Notion and a calendar app had a baby. Good transition if you want similar flexibility with better time management.

7. TickTick - Powerful Task Manager with Calendar View

TickTick is a full-featured task manager that’s been around for years. It has everything: natural language input, habits, Pomodoro timer, calendar view, collaboration, and more. It’s not AI-powered, but it’s comprehensive and reliable.

The calendar integration is solid but not as seamless as tools built calendar-first. You can time block tasks, but it’s more manual than the AI-driven alternatives.

Best for: People who want a traditional, feature-rich task manager with calendar capabilities. Good if you don’t want AI and prefer proven software.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive task management (lists, tags, filters, priorities)

• Calendar view with time blocking

• Natural language input (”Meeting with Sarah tomorrow at 3pm”)

• Habit tracking and Pomodoro timer

• Collaboration features for teams

• Offline mode

Pricing:

• Free plan available

• Premium: $27.99/year

Pros:

• Very affordable

• Mature, stable product with years of development

• Comprehensive features without bloat

• Works offline

• Strong mobile apps

Cons:

• No AI or automatic scheduling

• Calendar integration is basic

• Interface feels dated compared to newer tools

• Manual planning required

How it compares to Notion:

TickTick is purely task management, not documentation. It’s more structured than Notion’s flexible databases. You’d use Notion for notes and knowledge, TickTick for tasks. They complement each other.

8. Todoist - Simple Task Lists with Basic Calendar Integration

Todoist is the classic task manager. It’s simple, fast, and does task lists extremely well. The calendar integration exists but it’s basic—you can see tasks on a calendar view, but there’s no real time blocking or automatic scheduling.

If you just need clean task lists and don’t care much about time blocking, Todoist is solid. But if you’re looking for Notion alternatives specifically for daily planning, Todoist might feel too basic.

Best for: Minimalists who want simple, reliable task management. Good if you’re overwhelmed by feature bloat and just want to track what needs doing.

Key Features:

• Clean task lists with projects and labels

• Natural language input

• Calendar view (basic)

• Collaboration features

• Integrations with many tools

• Karma system for motivation

Pricing:

• Free plan available

• Pro: $4/month (annual) or $5/month (monthly)

Pros:

• Simple and fast

• Very affordable

• Reliable (been around since 2007)

• Strong mobile apps

• Works with basically everything

Cons:

• No real time blocking

• Basic calendar integration

• No AI or automation

• Limited daily planning features

How it compares to Notion:

Todoist is way simpler than Notion. No databases, no wikis, no flexibility. Just tasks. It’s a downgrade in features but an upgrade in focus. Use it if Notion’s complexity is the problem.

9. Notion + Calendar Integration

You can make Notion work for daily planning by connecting it to calendar tools like Notion Calendar (formerly Cron), Morgen, or Google Calendar. Set up a tasks database, sync it with your calendar, and manually block time for each task.

It works, but it’s duct tape. You’re still doing everything manually, and you lose the seamless experience of tools built for this from the ground up.

Best for: People committed to Notion who want to add basic calendar functionality without switching tools.

Key Features:

• Notion databases connected to calendar view

• Manual time blocking

• Custom properties and filters

• Notion Calendar integration (if using Notion Calendar)

Pricing:

• Notion: Free for individuals, $10/month for Plus

• Notion Calendar: Free

Pros:

• Keeps everything in Notion’s ecosystem

• Flexible database views

• No additional cost if already using Notion

• Familiar interface

Cons:

• Entirely manual (no AI, no automation)

• Clunky compared to dedicated planners

• Syncing can be finicky

• Still requires mental overhead

How it compares to dedicated planners:

It’s Notion being stretched to do something it wasn’t built for. If you love Notion enough to work around its limitations, this works. But you’re compromising on the daily planning experience.

How to Choose the Right Notion Alternative

Here’s a quick decision framework based on what matters most to you:

• If you want AI to handle scheduling: Go with rivva or Motion. rivva schedules around your energy patterns and is more flexible. Motion is more rigid but handles complex project dependencies better.

• If you prefer manual control: Try Sunsama for guided planning or Morgen for calendar-first time blocking. Sunsama has more structure, Morgen has more freedom.

• If you’re managing tasks across many tools: Akiflow is the universal inbox champion. It won’t schedule for you, but it’ll consolidate everything.

• If you’re on a budget: TickTick ($27.99/year) or Todoist ($4/month) are hard to beat. They’re basic but reliable.

• If you want energy-aware scheduling: rivva is currently the only option in this list. If you’ve noticed that your productivity varies throughout the day and you want a tool that accounts for that, rivva’s the pick.

• If you’re Apple-only: Check out Things 3 (not covered here but worth mentioning). It’s beautiful, powerful, and feels native to Apple devices.

The biggest question is whether you trust AI scheduling or prefer manual planning. Motion and rivva remove decision-making, which is great if you’re overwhelmed. Sunsama and Morgen keep you in control, which is great if you find AI rigid.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Notion be used for daily planning?

Yes, but it requires significant setup and manual work. You need to create task databases, set up calendar integrations, and manually block time for everything. It works if you’re committed to Notion, but dedicated daily planners do this better with less effort.

What’s the best free Notion alternative for task management?

TickTick and Todoist both have solid free plans. TickTick’s free tier is more generous with features like calendar view and habits. Todoist’s free tier is more limited but still functional for basic task lists.

Do any Notion alternatives have AI scheduling?

Yes. Motion and rivva both use AI to automatically schedule your tasks. Motion focuses on project dependencies and team workflows. rivva focuses on individual energy patterns and capacity management. Both save you from manually planning your day.

Can I migrate my Notion tasks to other tools?

Most tools can import from Notion via CSV export or integrations. Akiflow has direct Notion integration for ongoing sync. For one-time migrations, you’d export your Notion database to CSV and import it into the new tool. Some manual cleanup usually required.

Conclusion

Notion is great at capturing and organizing information. But when it comes to actually getting work done, you need a tool that understands time, capacity, and the realities of a busy schedule.

The alternatives above solve different parts of this problem. Some automate everything. Some guide you through manual planning. Some consolidate tasks from everywhere. Pick based on how much control you want versus how much you want the tool to handle for you.

If you’re tired of manually planning your day and want a tool that schedules work around when you’ll actually have the energy to do it well, give rivva a try. It’s the only planner in this list that treats your capacity as seriously as your calendar.

Ready to plan your day around your actual capacity? Sign up for rivva at www.rivva.app