Motion vs Todoist

These two tools get compared a lot, but they do different jobs. One decides when you work; the other just holds the list. Here's how to choose.

They are not really the same kind of tool

People search for Motion vs Todoist as if they’re rivals, but they sit on opposite ends of the planning problem. Todoist is a to-do list: you capture tasks, organize them into projects, and decide yourself when each one happens. Motion is an auto-scheduler: it takes your tasks and drops them onto your calendar in time slots, then reshuffles when your day changes.

So the real question isn’t which is better. It’s whether you want a tool that holds your tasks or a tool that plans your time.

Who Todoist is for

Todoist has been around a long time and it shows in the polish. Quick capture is excellent, natural-language input parses dates as you type, and it runs everywhere: web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, browser extensions. The free Beginner plan is genuinely usable, covering five personal projects, reminders, and calendar integration.

Pro adds calendar layout, task duration, deadlines, and a lot more projects and filters, and it lands at $5 a month billed annually (check todoist.com/pricing for the current number). Business adds shared team workspaces.

What Todoist will not do is decide when you do anything. It shows you the list. The clock is your problem. For some people that’s exactly right. For others it’s the reason their list keeps growing while the days fill up anyway.

Who Motion is for

Motion’s pitch is the opposite. You add tasks with durations and deadlines, and it auto-schedules them into open calendar slots around your meetings. When something runs long or a meeting appears, it re-plans the rest. It also bundles project management, meeting booking, an AI chat, docs, and notes.

That breadth comes at a price. Motion’s Pro AI plan is $19 per seat per month, and Business AI is $29 per seat per month for team capacity planning and Gantt charts. There’s no free plan, only a trial. For a team running projects in one place, that can be worth it. For one person who just wants their day planned, it’s a lot of product and a lot of money.

Pricing and capability at a glance

All three tools below were checked in June 2026. Prices move, so confirm on each site before you buy.

Where ClaroCal fits

ClaroCal lands between these two on purpose. Like Motion, it auto-builds your day: connect your Google Calendar, add tasks, and ClaroCal drafts a realistic plan around the meetings you already have. Like Todoist, it stays simple and cheap, and it has a free plan you can actually live on.

It opens to a today view, not a project dashboard. The free tier syncs your Google Calendar hourly. Basic is $7.99 a month, or $59.88 for the year (about $5 a month), with 15-minute sync and a 14-day trial. No per-seat math, because it’s built for one person.

If you want the deeper head-to-head with each tool, see the Motion alternative breakdown and the Todoist comparison. To see the whole category, the best time blocking apps guide covers it.

Last reviewed June 2026.