Motion vs Reclaim.ai: Which is the best productivity planner?

Productivity: it might very well be the buzzword of the 21st century. In a world of hybrid working and AI tools, entrepreneurs and enterprises alike are always looking for the best way to manage time, share time, and ultimately, save time.

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With roughly 14,700 artificial intelligence apps in the US alone, you might have heard of smart calendar tools like Sunsama or time-blocking tools like Akiflow. But with so many productivity apps for meeting scheduling and time management, which one is truly the best? Is there only one way to be productive?

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We just so happen to know a thing or two about AI project management tools, and while different tools will come out on top depending on what you’re looking for, there are two that stand out and check (almost) all the boxes. Introducing: Motion and Reclaim.

Motion vs Reclaim

As an app under the auto-scheduling umbrella, we like to explore different tools and how their features might cater to different audiences, like in this article where we took a look at Skedpal and its top alternatives.

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So, while we’ve named both Motion and Reclaim as top smart scheduling apps before, it’s time to dig deep — we’ll break down the pros and cons of each app, explore their features, and see exactly how these productivity tools stack up.

Motion

Meet Motion: the productivity app that promises to increase productivity by 137%, virtually adding an extra month to your year.

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Motion is an AI-powered project management and calendar app that’s designed to keep you focused. Motion takes a task-first approach that combines task management and scheduling features in one pretty package. With the ability to prioritize tasks and reschedule unfinished work, Motion lets you see an overview of your day with a simple click and adjusts your calendar in real time.

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Motion does integrate with a huge range of apps (more on that later), but it’s designed to be an all-in-one tool; once you link all of your apps, Motion is the only thing you’ll need to open! Plus, Motion has a desktop and mobile app to keep you productive on the go.

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While Motion can be used by any planner and doer, it’s made specifically for those who are already using productivity apps and need a tool that organizes and prioritizes across the board.

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Now let’s get into some Motion pros and cons, shall we?

Motion pros

User-friendly & functionality

Motion is built for users to jump in and start using it right away, with an intuitive dashboard and clear pathways for creating new tasks. It favors a minimalist design that promotes a “clutter-free” workspace, and its smart integrations and quick actions save you time on manual tasks so you can put that time back into what matters.

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Customization

The ability to customize is at the forefront of Motion’s design. While it comes complete with templates and pre-set workflows that are useful to new users, each one can be modified to fit the needs of the user, or, you can opt to create completely new ones. Both straightforward and dynamic, Motion gives users the ability to create a tool over time that’s completely their own.

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Endless integrations

Motion is built for users that are already deep into productivity apps, and acts as the platform that marries them all together. Motion easily integrates with Outlook, Google Calendar, Slack, Trello, Google Tasks, Google Drive, Zoom, Zapier, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.

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Project management

Motion is one of the top project and task management apps on the market and for a good reason. Not only can you create a task in one click from any website window, but you’ll never have to create a to-do list again — Motion takes care of that for you. Once you have tasks set up in Motion (whether you created them yourself or pulled them from another app), you can organize them into projects, set up milestones, and track progress and due dates with Motion’s built-in analytics. Plus, Motion’s team boards make it easy for users to see a project overview and what needs to happen next.

Motion cons

Pricing

While Motion does offer a 7-day free trial, that’s just about all that’s free. As an individual user Motion’s cost starts at $19/mo billed annually, or $12/user/mo billed annually as a team plan.

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Depth of AI

It’s not to say that Motion doesn’t have impressive AI capabilities, however, they don’t run as deep as some of its competitors. Motion uses the power of AI to streamline task management, take control of rescheduling, and learn from user behaviors over time to suggest optimal times for breaks and deep work. That being said, Motion cannot detect mutual free time with team members and isn’t as comprehensive.

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To learn about Motion alternatives and how these task management apps compare, check out this article.

Reclaim

Now, meet Reclaim: geared towards busy teams, Reclaim is designed to manage professional and personal events, helping you reclaim your time and find the best time for everything.

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Backed by its promise to defend no-meeting days and focus time, Reclaim is unique because of the way it balances work and life events. With intricate AI capabilities, Reclaim is an AI calendar add-on tool for Google Calendar that learns your preferences and behaviors as you use it. Then, it uses those insights to pre-plan your upcoming schedule, block time for personal tasks, calendar sync with team members to optimize meeting times, and detect where you can free up time.

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While Reclaim leans more towards a calendar assistant than a project management app, it handles syncing work calendars, time tracking, and overall workflow without missing a beat.

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Up for the challenge of any cluttered calendar, Reclaim is ideal for users who balance multiple roles and need to streamline all commitments with one smart tool.

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Without further ado, let’s explore Reclaim’s pros and cons.

Reclaim pros

Smart 1:1 meetings & scheduling links

Reclaim has two powerful features that make scheduling meetings a breeze: Smart 1:1 Meetings and Scheduling Links. Using Reclaim’s powerful AI, the Smart 1:1 feature will auto-schedule and adjust any 1:1 meeting to the most optimal time based on your calendar and the person you’re meeting with. And, like a more detailed version of Calendly, Reclaim uses available time slots in your calendar and your prioritization algorithm to create smart scheduling links that colleagues and friends can use to book a meeting with you.

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Features for work-life balance

One of Reclaim’s biggest claims is that it helps users with work-life balance, and boy does it deliver. With the AI Habits feature, users can mark which tasks they’d like to be recurring and when, and Reclaim will adjust your calendar and schedule tasks around your habit to make sure there’s time. Another feature, Buffer Time, is an automation that schedules breaks and travel time into your calendar so you can catch your breath in between meetings and tasks.

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In-depth AI

The artificial intelligence used in Reclaim’s software is a bit more sophisticated than some other competitors. Beyond assessing your calendar for optimal task times and scheduling Smart 1:1 Meetings, Reclaim’s analytics can proactively detect busy periods and offer suggestions to avoid conflicts.

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Free plan

Reclaim stands out from many competitors with its Lite: Free Forever plan that requires no credit card to sign up and includes 1 user who can schedule up to 3 weeks ahead. After that, Reclaim offers a Starter Plan at $8/user/mo, a Business Plan at $12/user/mo, and an Enterprise Plan at $18/user/mo.

Reclaim Cons

Learning curve

Since Reclaim integrates with your existing calendar instead of being its own, some users find it difficult when first discovering all of the capabilities. Although the app does present a clean interface that’s easy to navigate in theory, Reclaim just takes a bit more time for users to fully grasp.

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Fewer integrations

On the free plan, Reclaim is limited to integrations with Slack, Zoom, and Google Tasks. On all paid plans though, Reclaim integrates with Todoist, Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Linear, monday.com, Trello, and HubSpot (coming soon). Regardless of which plan you choose, free or paid, the app is only compatible with Google Calendar, meaning you’ll need to create a Google account and set up your calendar to use it.

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Want to learn about more AI time management apps? Check out this article that explores Reclaim.ai alternatives. 

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How Clockwise can help with more as a productivity planner

While the Motion vs. Reclaim comparison showcases the strength of each app for different goals, there are certain capabilities that Clockwise delivers where Motion and Reclaim fall short. Clockwise is the ultimate AI calendar add-on tool that manages your day in real time, testing out millions of potential calendar arrangements to decide when it’s best to meet, deep work, and more. Plus, Clockwise is one of the only platforms to offer a free plan that works for teams, not just individuals.

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Let’s unpack just some of Clockwise’s features and how they help you best manage your time and tasks! For an even closer look, head to our full overview of Clockwise here.

Automated calendar management

Focus Time: Tell Clockwise how many hours of Focus Time you need in a week, and also whether you prefer to do deep work in the morning or afternoon. Then, watch the magic happen as Clockwise rearranges your schedule and opens up long blocks of time.

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Flexible Holds: Choose which routines and tasks need to be on your schedule, and Clockwise will automatically shift your calendar as the week evolves so you never run out of time to clear your inbox, take a walk, or finish a task.

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Travel time: Clockwise recognizes that a meeting has an external location, determines how far it is, and protects the right amount of transit time on your schedule.

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Meeting Breaks & Lunch Holds: Whether you need to grab a coffee or just want a break to recharge, Clockwise will automatically create gaps of your chosen duration between long blocks of meetings. Plus, never miss lunch again by having Clockwise automatically sync a lunch hold to your calendar.

Scheduling made easy

Clockwise Links: Auto-populated, easy-to-share links that let colleagues and friends alike book into your calendar with availability based on your preferences. 

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AI Scheduler Assistant: As easy as chatting with a friend, use Clockwise’s AI Scheduler Assistant to manage bulk scheduling requests easily, create space in your week, find time with a group, and more.

Culture aware

No Meeting Days: Create a day without meetings for your team to focus on deep work.

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OOO Calendar Syncs: Each teammate will only have to update their own calendar, and OOO days will automatically sync with your team availability calendar, making sure it’s always up to date. 

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Team Analytics: Easily see how much Focus Time and meeting time your team has for an overview of how you’re spending your time and where to make adjustments.

Fully integrated

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Slack: Clockwise automatically syncs your calendar with Slack and vice-versa. Get an overview of your day directly in Slack, auto-reply to your peers when you’re in Focus Time, automatically update your Slack status, and get Clockwise updates right in Slack.

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Asana: Clockwise seamlessly integrates with Asana to create more Focus Time, easily add Asana tasks to your calendar, and simply time-block your tasks.

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Microsoft Office: Now rolling out in Beta, Clockwise is compatible with Microsoft Office in addition to Google Calendar! Users can easily use their Microsoft login to create an account and get started.

Going forward

So, Motion or Reclaim… or Clockwise? Let’s recap:

• Motion is a project management app that’s more robust with its own platform, but doesn’t offer a free option.
• Reclaim is an AI calendar add-on made to free up time and focus on work-life balance. It offers a free plan for individuals but comes with a slight learning curve.

Clockwise is a powerful AI assistant that finds optimal times for tasks and meetings, protects personal time, offers flexible holds, and has the first-ever AI-powered conversational calendar assistant. Plus, of the three, it’s the only option that offers a free plan for teams.