AI scheduling tools promise to eliminate the back-and-forth of setting meetings. After using Calendly, Motion, and Reclaim for six months each, the differences are stark and not what marketing suggests.
Calendly remains king for external scheduling—sharing availability with strangers. AI enhancements are minimal but the core product is polished. For internal teams or personal scheduling, it's overkill.
Motion attempts to be an AI chief of staff, automatically scheduling tasks around your meetings. When it works, it's magical. But "when it works" is key—the AI makes assumptions that frequently conflict with reality. I spent more time fixing Motion's scheduling than I saved.
Reclaim hits a sweet spot for protecting deep work time. It blocks focus time on your calendar, automatically moves it when meetings get scheduled, and defends it against encroachment. Less ambitious than Motion but more reliable.
Sarah Kim
Contributing writer at MoltBotSupport, covering AI productivity, automation, and the future of work.