Sunsama vs Motion
These two are the most-compared premium planners, and they are philosophical opposites: intentional planning versus automated scheduling.
Short answer
Sunsama ($20/month) walks you through a guided daily planning ritual: you pick today's tasks yourself, estimate them, and shut down at the end of the day. Motion ($19/month) removes that ritual entirely — its AI schedules every task for you and re-plans when you fall behind. Choose Sunsama if the deliberate planning habit is the point; choose Motion if you would rather not think about ordering at all.
Sunsama vs Motion: side by side
| Feature | Sunsama | Motion | LemTask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $20 | $19 | $0 (free plan) |
| Free tier | No | No | Yes |
| Guided daily planning | Yes — the core feature | No | Yes, daily focus priorities |
| AI auto-scheduling | No | Yes | No |
| Workload / capacity check | Yes | Yes | Yes, time-budget meter |
| Calendar two-way sync | Yes | Yes | Yes (Google Calendar) |
| Gamification | No | No | Yes — XP, streaks (Free plan) |
Pricing reflects each vendor's published plans at the time of writing. Check their site before buying — plans change.
Which should you pick?
Pick Sunsama if
The daily ritual is what you are actually buying. Sunsama's plan-your-day flow, workload estimates and shutdown routine build a habit that outlasts the subscription.
$20/month · None — 14-day trial only
Pick Motion if
Your calendar changes constantly and you want the tool to absorb the chaos. Motion's auto-scheduling is the strongest in the category.
$19/month · None
Pick LemTask if
You want the daily planning view, time blocking and calendar sync without a $228–$240 annual bill. LemTask is free and adds habits, streaks and a focus timer for follow-through.
Free plan · no card
Try the free option before you pay for either
LemTask covers daily planning, time blocking, habits and a focus timer on a free plan — so you can test the workflow before committing to a subscription.
- Free forever plan, no card required
- Time blocking with Google Calendar sync
- Habits, streaks and XP for follow-through
- Import your existing lists in a couple of clicks
Frequently asked questions
- Is Sunsama or Motion better?
- Sunsama is better for people who want a deliberate daily planning habit with workload estimates. Motion is better for people who want an AI to schedule and re-schedule everything automatically. Sunsama is $20/month, Motion $19/month.
- Does Sunsama have AI scheduling?
- No. Sunsama is intentionally manual — you drag tasks into today and estimate how long each will take. Auto-scheduling is what you go to Motion for.
- Which is cheaper, Sunsama or Motion?
- Motion is $1/month cheaper at $19 versus $20. Neither has a free tier, so the real comparison is $228/year against $240/year.
- Is there a free Sunsama or Motion alternative?
- LemTask's free plan covers daily planning, time blocking, a capacity meter and Google Calendar two-way sync, plus habits and a focus timer. It has no AI auto-scheduler.