Motion vs Shovel
We give Motion a 2.6 GPA and Shovel a 3.2, out of 4.0. Shovel grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Motion
AI work planner that auto-schedules tasks on your calendar
Shovel
Study planner that checks if you have time for every task
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAMotionGood | 3.2GPAShovelVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CA team seat is $19 a month billed annually, and one person alone pays $29, or $49 month to month. A typical planner is about $7.99. You do get projects, docs and a notetaker for that, but AI use is metered at 7,500 credits a seat each month, and Gantt charts and time tracking need Business AI. | A$39 a year works out at $3.25 a month, well under the $8 or so that planners usually start at, and it's full access. Two things to know: the pricing page calls it a limited-time back-to-school offer and gives no end date, and month to month it's $9.79. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free plan. There's a 7-day trial, per Motion's App Store listing, but a card is required and it's charged when the trial ends unless you cancel. Motion's terms also say purchases are non-refundable, so set a reminder. | DNo free plan. Both plans come with a 7-day free trial, but billing starts when it ends unless you cancel first. So if you're only trying it, set a reminder for day six. |
| Features | AA scheduling engine that places tasks by duration, priority and deadline and rebuilds the plan as the day changes, projects and workspaces, sync with Google, Outlook and iCloud calendars, booking links, a notetaker that drafts action items, and AI chat and docs. That's the whole job and then some. | AIt turns a PDF syllabus into tasks, syncs with Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle or Google Classroom, and has you slot each task into real study blocks. The Cushion then shows if you've got enough hours before each deadline. Reading-time estimates and a timer round it off. |
| Ease of use | C4.1 from about 1,900 App Store ratings, which is a C on our ladder, with about one rating in six a single star. The scheduling is automatic, but there's a lot of product around it now: projects, docs, credits and two tiers of plan. | BNo App Store rating on record, so a B is our ceiling. There's some setting up: you make your account in the web app first, and the phone apps are companions to it. Shovel also says not to use the mobile app on tablets. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. It connects to Google Calendar, Outlook, iCloud Calendar, Gmail, Zoom, Google Meet, Slack and Zapier. The iCloud connection has a more limited feature set. There's an API, with engineering support for it on Enterprise. | AWeb, iPhone and Android, and it shows events from Google, Apple and Outlook calendars. Four school platforms plug in too. On a computer it installs from the browser as a web app, not a native program. |
| Best for | letting AI fit your tasks into your calendar | students checking they have time to study |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Motion and Shovel. How we grade
Where they differ
- Motion starts at $19 per seat / month on team plans, billed annually (individuals from $29). Shovel starts at $39 per year ($3.25 per month), or $9.79 billed monthly.
- Only Motion lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Motion also covers meeting notes, auto-scheduling and booking links.
- Shovel also covers time blocking.
At a glance
| Motion | Shovel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19 per seat / month on team plans, billed annually (individuals from $29) | $39 per year ($3.25 per month), or $9.79 billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, per Motion's App Store listing. A card is required and is charged when the trial ends unless cancelled. | 7-day free trial on both the monthly and yearly plans. Billing starts after the trial unless it is cancelled. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Nexusbird, Inc. | How To Study Smart, LLC |
| Price read from | usemotion.com | shovelapp.io |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Motion
- People who want tasks placed on the calendar automatically
- Teams that want tasks, projects, docs and meeting notes in one app
- Deadline-driven work that needs frequent re-planning
Shovel
- College students planning a full semester of readings, assignments and exams
- Students whose school uses Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle or Google Classroom
- Students who want a warning before they run short of study time
Worth knowing
Motion
- There is no free plan. A card is required for the trial, and Motion's terms say purchases are non-refundable.
- One person pays more than a team seat: Pro AI is $29 a month billed annually for an individual, against $19 per seat for teams.
- AI use is metered: 7,500 credits per seat a month on Pro AI and 15,000 on Business AI, with extra credits charged per 100.
- Gantt charts, time tracking, capacity planning and permissions are limited to Business AI.
Shovel
- There is no free plan. Access needs a paid subscription once the 7-day trial ends.
- The phone apps are companions: an account has to be set up in the web app first, and the vendor says not to use the mobile app on tablets.
- On computers and tablets Shovel is installed from the browser as a progressive web app, not as a native desktop program.
- The US App Store lists two "Lifetime plan" in-app purchases, at $13.99 and $46.99, that the website's pricing page does not mention.
Key features
Motion
- Automatic scheduling
- A scheduling engine places tasks into openings on your calendar based on duration, priority and deadlines, and rebuilds the plan as the day changes.
- Tasks and projects
- Tasks sit inside projects and workspaces, and AI can draft a project and its tasks from a description. Timelines and Gantt charts need Business AI.
- Calendar sync
- Connects Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook (Office 365 and Exchange Online) and iCloud Calendar. The iCloud connection has a more limited feature set.
- Booking links
- A shareable link lets other people book meetings based on your real-time availability. You set rules for availability, duration, buffers and limits.
- AI Notetaker
- Captures transcripts from video calls and drafts summaries and action items, which you approve before they become tasks.
- AI Chat and Docs
- A chat interface creates items and searches workspace data, and collaborative docs include AI drafting. AI use draws on the plan's monthly credits.
Shovel
- Syllabus upload and school sync
- AI Syllabus Upload turns a PDF syllabus into tasks and events, and courses can sync live with Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle or Google Classroom.
- Planning tasks into study time
- Each task is assigned to specific study blocks, so a due date becomes a plan for what to work on, when and for how long.
- The Cushion
- Compares the study time available before each deadline with the time the task is estimated to need, and plots every task above or below a zero line.
- Schedule of available time
- Classes, activities, meals and personal time are blocked out to reveal the hours left for studying. Events can repeat every set number of weeks.
- Time estimates and timer
- Reading time is calculated per task, exam and assignment estimates can be adjusted as work progresses, and a built-in timer records time spent on each task.
- External calendars
- Google, Apple and Outlook calendar events can be shown inside Shovel, and the Shovel calendar can be shared out to those calendars.
Plans
Motion
Pro AI (teams)$19
per seat / month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
AI chat, projects and tasks, calendar and meetings, docs and notes, mobile and desktop apps, and 7,500 AI credits per seat each month.
Business AI (teams)$29
per seat / month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro AI plus capacity planning, dashboards and reports, Gantt charts, time tracking, permissions and 15,000 AI credits per seat.
Pro AI (individuals)$29
per month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
The same Pro AI plan bought by one person rather than per seat for a team.
Business AI (individuals)$39
per month, billed annually ($69 billed monthly)
The same Business AI plan bought by one person rather than per seat for a team.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Business AI plus custom integrations, API with engineering support, white-glove onboarding and a dedicated solutions engineer.
Shovel
Yearly$39
per year, shown as $3.25 per month paid yearly
Full access for a year after a 7-day free trial. The page labels it a limited-time back-to-school offer and gives no end date.
Monthly$9.79
per month
Full access billed monthly after a 7-day free trial, cancellable at any time. The page shows $9.79 beside a crossed-out $19.99.
Ways to pay less
Motion
- Annual discount
Save 33% by paying annually
Motion's pricing page labels annual payment as saving 33%: a Pro AI team seat is $19 a month billed annually against $29 billed monthly.
Shovel
- Annual discount
About 67% less on the yearly plan
The pricing page lists $9.79 per month or $39 per year. Twelve monthly payments would come to $117.48. The yearly price is labelled a limited-time back-to-school offer.
