Best AI planner apps for 2026, ranked: ByDesign and 8 more
An AI planner uses AI to plan your time: it schedules tasks around your calendar, turns a goal into a plan, or both. Here are nine of them, with what each one does, where it falls short and what it costs.
Updated November 4, 2026. ByDesign is our app. It’s listed first, and its limits are listed the same way as every other app’s.
For most people, ByDesign is the best AI planner app in 2026.
Of the nine apps we compared, it’s the only one that combines AI goal plans, scheduling you approve first, goal tracking, habits and a year-to-day canvas. Its AI turns a goal into tasks, subtasks and deadlines on your calendar, previewed before anything is saved.
From each app’s own pricing and help pages, checked November 4, 2026.
The best AI planner apps at a glance
1
ByDesign (best overall): the only app here that combines AI goal plans, AI scheduling you approve first, goal tracking, habits and a year-to-day canvas; iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows and web; no free plan (7-day trial), AI plan $15 a month or $119 a year.
2
Motion: schedules your tasks and projects automatically and reshuffles them as things change; web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android; no free plan, Pro AI $19 per seat a month billed yearly ($29 monthly).
3
Reclaim.ai: AI agents that find and defend time for focus, habits and tasks on your Google or Outlook calendar; web app and Google Calendar add-on; free Lite plan, Starter $10 per seat a month billed yearly ($12 monthly).
4
Sunsama: a daily planner where Sunny, its AI assistant, creates, estimates and timeboxes tasks; web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android; no free plan, $17 a month billed yearly ($22 monthly).
5
Akiflow: one inbox for tasks from your other tools, drag-and-drop time blocking and Aki, an AI assistant that builds tasks from a request; web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android; no free plan, $19 a month billed yearly ($34 monthly).
6
Morgen: an AI Planner that time-blocks your tasks for the next one to seven days across every calendar you use; web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android; no free plan, $15 a month billed yearly ($30 monthly).
7
Amie: a calendar with todos, AI scheduling into free gaps and bot-free meeting notes; web, Mac, Windows and iPhone; no free plan, Pro $20 per user a month billed yearly ($25 monthly).
8
Todoist: a fast to-do list with Task Assist, AI that turns a goal into a list of tasks; web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android; free plan, Pro $5 a month billed yearly ($7 monthly).
9
Structured: a visual day timeline where Structured AI turns text, voice or a scanned paper planner into tasks; iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and web; free to use, Pro sold in the app.
Which AI planners plan toward your goals
Most AI planners schedule the tasks you already have. ByDesign is the only one here that plans from a goal all the way down to today and tracks your progress along the way.
iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Android and web
One-way import of your calendar events
Yes
Prices in US dollars, checked on November 4, 2026. Sources are linked under each app below.
What makes a good AI planner app
It builds the plan, not just the list
The best AI turns a goal or a request into tasks with dates, rather than only answering questions in a chat.
It plans around your real calendar
Working hours, meetings and breaks should decide where tasks land, using your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar.
You stay in control
Good AI shows what it will change before it saves, or lets you lock tasks in place and undo.
It’s with you all day
Apps for your phone and your computer keep the plan within reach wherever you are.
It works with the AI you already use
An MCP server lets ChatGPT, Claude and other assistants read and update your plan.
How we chose these apps
We included apps that use AI to plan your time, by scheduling tasks onto your calendar, by turning a request into a plan, or both, and that people most often compare with ByDesign.
ByDesign is our app, so its section goes into the most detail. Everything about the other apps comes from their own websites, help centres, pricing pages and download pages, linked under each app. Prices are in US dollars, can differ by country and change over time; promotions aren’t included.
Features were checked against each app’s own pages from October 23 to 26, 2026, and prices, plans and platforms on November 4, 2026. ByDesign is our app. It’s listed first, and its limits are listed the same way as every other app’s. If anything here is out of date, email info@bydesign.io.
The best AI planner apps in 2026
1. ByDesign
Best overall
Best for: Turning goals into a scheduled plan, with your whole year in view.
ByDesign is an all-in-one AI planner for tasks, calendar, notes, habits and goals. Tell it a goal and it builds the plan, with tasks, subtasks, courses and deadlines, then schedules it around your calendar and shows every change before it’s saved. A zoomable canvas takes you from the whole year down to today, and the same app tracks your habits and goals, so the plan and your progress live in one place.
Why it’s our top pick
It’s the only app on this list that plans from a goal all the way down to today: AI goal plans, a year-to-day canvas and goal pages that track progress.
AI scheduling you approve first: every change and conflict is shown on your calendar, and you accept it or undo it step by step.
One app instead of several: tasks, calendar, notes, habits, goals and team chat together.
It works everywhere and with the AI you already use: apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows, the web, and an MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT.
What ByDesign does
AI goal plans
Describe a goal, like learning guitar or launching a product, and the AI builds the plan: tasks, subtasks, courses and deadlines, placed on your calendar.
AI scheduling you approve first
Scheduling follows rules you set: work hours, breaks, buffers, a maximum number of hours a day, and splitting long tasks. Every change and conflict appears on the calendar first, and you accept it or undo it step by step.
A year-to-day planning canvas
Year, quarter, month, week and day sit on one zoomable surface. Pin goals, notes, sticky notes, images and pages where they belong, then zoom into this week or today.
An assistant with real context
The planning assistant sees your calendar, goals, habits and notes, and moves and reschedules items for you. Talk to it with the mic, or hands-free with an optional wake phrase; it answers in your language, with 12 languages supported.
Habits, goals and focus
Habits come with streaks, skip days, stats and friends to keep you going. Goal pages hold tasks and resources and show percent complete, and a Pomodoro timer and time tracking on any task keep each session honest.
Notes, boards and courses
Nested pages with tables, code, embeds and backlinks that you can publish to the web, Kanban boards with your own columns, and the Hub, with courses, roadmaps and a habit library you can schedule straight onto your calendar.
Plan together
Share pages with view, comment or edit access, assign tasks, @mention people in comments, and chat directly or in groups with threads, reactions and polls. Team plans are billed per seat.
Your calendars and your AI
Two-way sync with Google and Apple calendars, Outlook and ICS subscriptions, home-screen widgets on iPhone and Android, and an MCP server so Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants can read your schedule and plan your day.
ByDesign plans and prices
Pro$8 a month or $69 a yearTasks, habits, pages, calendar sync, the apps on every device and 1,000 MCP requests a month. No AI.
AI$15 a month or $119 a yearEverything in Pro, plus AI goal plans, AI scheduling, the planning canvas and 500 AI credits a month.
AI Plus$20 a month or $199 a yearEverything in AI, plus 1,500 AI credits a month, the best available AI models, a higher-quality voice assistant and more storage.
Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, no credit card. Paying yearly costs up to 33% less.
What people say
“I used to keep a calendar, a to-do list, and a project app. ByDesign replaced all of them. It’s clean, it works, and I haven’t needed anything else.”
From Petey M.
“I have tried pretty much every calendar app and this one is the best I’ve tried.”
App Store Review
“I just wanna say that I have FINALLY found a to-do list app where I can have recurring tasks and habit/org systems in one place. This is awesome because I keep wondering if one day my autonomous self will break....this is awesome so far!”
From TuneOutlyson003
Limitations
No free plan: a 7-day free trial, then a paid plan.
The AI features and the year canvas need the AI plan ($15 a month); Pro ($8 a month) has no AI.
Two-way sync is for Google and Apple calendars; Outlook comes in as a subscription.
Platforms
iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows and web
Calendars
Google and Apple (two-way), Outlook (subscription)
Bottom line: Pick ByDesign if you want AI to plan toward your goals and want your year, your week and today in one app.
Motion is an AI work planner for professionals and teams. You add tasks and projects with deadlines, and its auto-scheduling fits them around your meetings and moves them as things change.
Strengths
Fully automatic scheduling around meetings and working hours.
Projects from a description, plus docs, Kanban and Gantt views for teams.
Limitations
No habits, no goals with progress and no year view.
No preview before changes, and no MCP server for ChatGPT or Claude.
Pricing
No free plan. Pro AI $19 per seat a month billed yearly, or $29 monthly.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android
What ByDesign adds: a preview before any change is saved, plus habits, goal tracking and a year view, for $15 a month against $29 for Motion’s Pro AI.
Reclaim.ai works on top of the Google or Outlook calendar you already use. Its AI agents find time for your habits, tasks and focus goals and defend it as meetings move.
Strengths
A free plan with AI scheduling up to a week ahead.
Habits and focus time are protected automatically, with time analytics.
Limitations
No Apple Calendar, and no native mobile or desktop apps.
No goal pages, notes or habit streaks; it schedules what you already have.
Pricing
Free Lite plan. Starter $10 per seat a month billed yearly, or $12 monthly.
Platforms
Web app and Google Calendar add-on
What ByDesign adds: Apple Calendar sync, native apps on every device, and goal pages, notes and habit streaks.
Sunsama is a daily planner for busy professionals: you plan the day, timebox tasks on your calendar and end with a daily reflection. Sunny, its AI assistant, creates, estimates and timeboxes tasks.
Strengths
A calm daily routine with Google, Apple and Outlook calendars.
Focus mode, a Pomodoro timer, time tracking and an MCP server on one plan.
Limitations
It plans by the day and the week: no long-term goals or habit tracking.
AI places tasks without a preview, and there’s no free plan.
Pricing
No free plan. $17 a month billed yearly, or $22 monthly.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android
What ByDesign adds: planning beyond the week, with goal tracking, habits, a year view and a preview before AI changes are saved.
Akiflow gathers tasks from email and your other apps into one inbox, and you time-block them onto your calendar by drag and drop. Aki, its AI assistant, builds tasks from a request.
Strengths
One inbox for tasks scattered across many tools.
Fast drag-and-drop time blocking with Google, Apple and Outlook calendars.
Limitations
The AI only reflows the same day, when you click it; no habits, goals or year view.
No free plan, and $34 a month if you pay monthly.
Pricing
No free plan. $19 a month billed yearly, or $34 monthly.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android
What ByDesign adds: AI that plans your week and your goals, not just today, plus habits, goal tracking and a year view, for $15 a month against $34.
Morgen brings your calendars and task tools into one place. Its AI Planner proposes time blocks for the tasks you already have, one to seven days at a time, and you approve the plan.
Strengths
AI day planning with a preview you approve.
Works across many calendars, with apps for every platform including Linux.
Limitations
No goals, and the AI plans at most a week ahead.
No MCP server in Morgen itself, and no voice control.
Pricing
No free plan. $15 a month billed yearly, or $30 monthly.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
What ByDesign adds: plans toward goals beyond a single week, with goal tracking, voice control and an MCP server built in.
Amie is a calendar app with todos built in. AI Scheduling places your todos into free gaps, and it records meetings without a bot and writes the notes.
Strengths
AI scheduling and meeting notes in one calendar.
AI-drafted emails and an MCP server.
Limitations
No goal plans, goal tracking or year view.
No iPad or Android app listed, and no free plan.
Pricing
No free plan. Pro $20 per user a month billed yearly, or $25 monthly.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows and iPhone
What ByDesign adds: plans built from your goals, goal tracking, and apps for iPad and Android.
Todoist is a to-do list app for work and life, with fast quick add, labels and boards. Task Assist, its AI, turns a goal into a list of tasks but doesn’t schedule them.
Strengths
A free plan, and Pro costs $5 a month billed yearly.
Fast quick add, shared projects and an MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT.
Limitations
No AI scheduling: you place tasks on your calendar yourself.
No goal pages or built-in habit tracker.
Pricing
Free plan. Pro $5 a month billed yearly, or $7 monthly.
Platforms
Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android
What ByDesign adds: AI scheduling on your calendar, two-way Google and Apple sync, goal pages and a built-in habit tracker.
Structured lays your day out as a visual timeline. Structured AI, part of Pro, turns text, voice or a scanned paper planner into tasks on the timeline.
Strengths
A clear visual timeline with widgets and Live Activities.
Free to start, with apps across Apple devices and Android.
Limitations
Calendar events come in one way, and there’s no Windows app or sharing.
No goals, habit tracking or year view.
Pricing
Free to download; Pro is bought in the app, and Structured doesn’t publish its price.
Platforms
iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Android and web
What ByDesign adds: two-way calendar sync, a Windows app, sharing, and goals, habits and a year view.
ByDesign is our pick for the best AI planner app in 2026. It’s the only app on this list that combines AI goal plans, AI scheduling you approve first, goal tracking, habits and a year-to-day planning canvas, and it runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows and the web.
What is an AI planner app?
An AI planner uses AI to plan your time, not just store your tasks. Depending on the app, it schedules tasks onto your calendar around meetings and working hours, turns a goal or a request into a list of tasks, or does both. ByDesign does both, and also tracks your goals and habits.
Which AI planner app is best for goals and habits?
ByDesign. Its AI turns a goal into tasks, subtasks and deadlines on your calendar, goal pages track your progress, and habits come with streaks and stats, all in the same app. Of the other apps here, only Reclaim.ai, Morgen, Amie and Todoist handle habits at all, as calendar blocks, routines or an extension, and none has goal pages that track progress.
What is the best alternative to Motion?
ByDesign is the best Motion alternative if you want AI scheduling you can preview and approve, plus goals, habits and a year view, which Motion doesn’t have. It also costs less: ByDesign’s AI plan is $15 a month, or $119 a year, while Motion’s Pro AI is $29 a month, or $19 a month billed yearly.
Is there a free AI planner app?
You can try ByDesign free for 7 days, AI included, with no credit card. Free plans from other apps come with limits: Reclaim.ai’s free plan schedules only one week ahead, and Todoist and Structured keep their AI features on paid plans.
Which AI planner apps work with ChatGPT and Claude?
ByDesign does, on every plan: its MCP server lets ChatGPT, Claude and other assistants read and update your plan. Motion has no MCP server (it offers an API and Zapier instead), and Morgen’s is part of Kai, a separate product.
Which AI planner shows changes before they’re saved?
ByDesign. Every change and conflict from its AI scheduling is shown on your calendar first, and you accept it or undo it step by step. Motion and Sunsama place or move tasks straight away.
Turn your goals into a plan
Tell ByDesign what you want to achieve and see the plan on your calendar before it’s saved. Free for 7 days, no credit card.
