Updated 17 Oct 2026 · prices checked 11 Oct 2026
Motion is a capable auto-scheduler, but it’s built and priced for teams: there’s no free plan, and Pro AI is $19 per seat a month billed yearly. If you plan your own day, these alternatives cover the same ground for less — or cover a different part of it better.
We make Needt.So it’s listed first — weigh that. Every other app is described from its own pricing and feature pages, with the cases where it beats us. Spotted a mistake? hello@needt.app
Quick picks
- Needt — Closest to Motion for one person
- Reclaim — Best if you live in Google Calendar
- Sunsama — Best if you prefer planning by hand
- Akiflow — Best for collecting tasks from many tools
- TickTick — Cheapest capable to-do list
- Todoist + Notion — Best if you need a team wiki
Side by side
| App | Price | Free plan | Trial | Auto-scheduling | Docs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Needt | Free · Pro $4.92/mo billed yearly ($59) or $7 monthly · Lifetime $149 once | Yes | 14 days of Pro, free | Yes — and re-plans when things move | Yes: docs and moodboards |
 Reclaim | Starter $12 ($10 yearly), Business $18 ($15 yearly), Enterprise $22 per seat/month | Yes: Lite, 1-week range, 1 calendar | 14 days | Yes: Focus Time, Habits, tasks | Not listed |
 Sunsama | $22/month or $17/month billed yearly | No | 14 days, no card | Per task (auto-schedule a task to the calendar) | Not listed |
| AAkiflow | $34/month or $19/month billed yearly | No | 7 days, card required | Not listed | Not listed |
 TickTick | Premium $49.99/year | Yes: 9 lists, 99 tasks per list | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
 Todoist + Notion | Todoist Pro $5/month yearly + Notion Plus $10/month yearly | Yes, both | Not listed | No | Yes: Notion |
Prices in USD from each company’s own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2026. “Not listed” means we couldn’t find it there.
The 6 apps
1
Needt
Closest to Motion for one person
- Price
- Free · Pro $4.92/mo billed yearly ($59) or $7 monthly · Lifetime $149 once
- Free plan
- Yes
Good
- Tasks get real slots around your meetings, and the day rebuilds when a meeting moves — every move shown before it’s saved.
- Tasks, calendar, docs, moodboards and mail in one app, with a free plan and a $149 one-time Lifetime.
Watch out
- Native Mac and iPhone apps are still in development; today it runs in the browser and installs as a web app.
- Built for one person’s day — there are no team workspaces or per-seat admin.
2
Reclaim
Best if you live in Google Calendar
- Price
- Starter $12 ($10 yearly), Business $18 ($15 yearly), Enterprise $22 per seat/month
- Free plan
- Yes: Lite, 1-week range, 1 calendar
Good
- Defends Focus Time and Habits right on Google Calendar or Outlook.
- A free Lite plan and team scheduling links.
Watch out
- Google and Outlook only — no iCloud or CalDAV.
- Lite plans only one week ahead on one calendar; it’s a layer on your calendar, not a task app with docs.
3
Sunsama
Best if you prefer planning by hand
- Price
- $22/month or $17/month billed yearly
- Free plan
- No
Good
- A guided morning planning and evening shutdown ritual that many people love.
- Pulls tasks from Asana, Jira and Linear; native apps including Linux.
Watch out
- No free plan: $22 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly ($204 a year).
- You place most blocks yourself; the plan doesn’t rebuild on its own.
4A
Akiflow
Best for collecting tasks from many tools
- Price
- $34/month or $19/month billed yearly
- Free plan
- No
Good
- A universal inbox that gathers tasks from many tools.
- Fast, keyboard-driven time-blocking on Google, Outlook and iCloud.
Watch out
- No free plan; the 7-day trial asks for a card.
- $34 a month, or $19 a month billed yearly; auto-scheduling isn’t listed.
5
TickTick
Cheapest capable to-do list
- Price
- Premium $49.99/year
- Free plan
- Yes: 9 lists, 99 tasks per list
Good
- A fast, inexpensive list with habits, Pomodoro and an Eisenhower view.
- Native apps; Premium is $49.99 a year.
Watch out
- Tasks don’t place themselves into free time.
- Free plan caps you at 9 lists of 99 tasks.
6
Todoist + Notion
Best if you need a team wiki
- Price
- Todoist Pro $5/month yearly + Notion Plus $10/month yearly
- Free plan
- Yes, both
Good
- Best-in-class quick capture (Todoist) and docs and databases (Notion).
- Both have free plans, native apps and MCP.
Watch out
- Three apps to keep in sync, and neither schedules tasks into free time.
- Todoist Pro + Notion Plus is about $180 a year.
How we picked
- Auto-scheduling Does it place tasks into free time like Motion does, or do you block by hand?
- Price for one person Yearly cost compared with Motion’s $228.
- Free plan or trial Can you try it on a real week before paying, without a card?
- What else is inside Docs, mail and calendars — what you’d otherwise need another app for.
