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Scheduling · head to head

Motion vs Sawyer

Motion logo

Motion

Scheduling

Your intelligent calendar that prioritizes for you

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sawyer logo

Sawyer

Scheduling

Class and camp booking software for children activity businesses, with a marketplace that takes up to 30 percent

From
$189/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Motion no free plan; starts at $19/month per user; Sawyer the Launch plan looks free but forces a marketplace listing at 30 percent commission, so a single high-value camp booking through the marketplace can cost more than a year of the Grow subscription would have.
  • They diverge on capability: Motion covers AI auto-scheduling, Sawyer covers Class and camp registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Motion and Sawyer actually diverge.

Attributes where Motion and Sawyer differ
AttributeMotionSawyer
Starting price$19/month$189/month
Pricing modelUnknownPer business per month, plus marketplace commission
PlatformsWeb, iOS, macOS, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2019Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Scheduling).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Motion

  • AI auto-scheduling
  • Task prioritization
  • Project management
  • Meeting scheduler
  • Deadline tracking
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • Zoom

Only in Sawyer

  • Class and camp registration
  • Memberships and class packs
  • Consumer marketplace
  • Auto-billing
  • Waivers and e-signature
  • Multi-location

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Motion

  • Schedulingnot Sawyer
  • Appointment bookingnot Sawyer
  • Time trackingnot Sawyer
  • Resource managementnot Sawyer
  • Team coordinationnot Sawyer

Sawyer

  • A new kids activity studio with no mailing list that wants the marketplace to fill its first termsnot Motion
  • An established music school moving off spreadsheets that will run Sawyer as software only and never list on the marketplacenot Motion
  • A gym selling memberships, class packs and birthday parties that needs all three billed from one systemnot Motion
  • A provider running summer camps alongside term-time classes who wants a single parent account for bothnot Motion

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Motion

  • No free plan; starts at $19/month per user
  • Mobile app is significantly less capable than desktop version
  • Requires adding deadlines, time estimates, and priorities to tasks to function effectively
  • Limited advanced project management features compared to dedicated PM tools like Asana or ClickUp
  • UI can feel cluttered and has a steep onboarding curve

Sawyer

  • The Launch plan looks free but forces a marketplace listing at 30 percent commission, so a single high-value camp booking through the marketplace can cost more than a year of the Grow subscription would have.
  • Marketplace commission applies to the order value, not the margin, so low-margin providers can lose money on a marketplace booking.
  • Payment processing fees are charged separately by Stripe on top of the subscription and any commission, which the plan comparison does not surface clearly.
  • The step from Grow to Scale doubles the monthly cost for account management and integrations rather than for capability most providers need, making the middle tier the only sensible choice for many.
  • It is built for consumer activity businesses, so providers who invoice schools, councils or corporate clients will find the billing model a poor fit.

Pricing, plan by plan

Motion

$19/month
  • Pro AI$19/month
    • AI task scheduling
    • 7500 AI credits per month
  • Business AI$29/month
    • AI Employees for teams
    • 15000 AI credits per month

Sawyer

$189/month
  • Launch$undefined/month
    • No monthly subscription fee
    • 3 percent per transaction
    • Marketplace listing required, 30 percent commission on marketplace orders
  • Grow$189/month
    • 189 USD per month billed annually, 219 monthly
    • Marketplace listing optional, 20 percent commission if used
    • Advanced scheduling, waitlists, free trials
  • Scale$379/month
    • 379 USD per month billed annually, 399 monthly
    • Marketplace listing optional, 15 percent commission if used
    • Dedicated account manager and registration launch support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing for large multi-site operators

Which should you pick?

Choose Motion if

  • You need ai auto-scheduling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want task prioritization.
Motion review

Choose Sawyer if

  • You need class and camp registration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want memberships and class packs.
Sawyer review

Questions people ask

Is Motion or Sawyer better?
Neither clearly leads. Motion starts at $19/month and Sawyer at $189/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Motion or Sawyer?
Motion starts at $19/month and Sawyer at $189/month.
Does Motion or Sawyer run on more platforms?
Motion runs on Web, iOS, macOS, Windows. Sawyer runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Motion best used for?
Motion is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what Sawyer is typically brought in for.
What can Motion do that Sawyer cannot?
Motion covers AI auto-scheduling, Task prioritization, Project management, Meeting scheduler. Sawyer covers Class and camp registration, Memberships and class packs, Consumer marketplace, Auto-billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Motion: Does Motion work offline?

Motion is a cloud-based platform that requires internet connectivity to access and use its AI scheduling features. Offline functionality is not available.

Source
Sawyer: Is the Launch plan really free?

No. It has no monthly fee but charges 3 percent per transaction and requires a marketplace listing that takes 30 percent of marketplace orders.

Motion: Is there a free trial for Motion?

Yes, Motion offers a 7-day free trial that can be canceled anytime. The free trial does not require credit card information upfront.

Source
Sawyer: Can I use Sawyer without the marketplace?

Yes, on Grow and Scale the listing is optional. On Launch it is required.

Motion: What calendar services does Motion integrate with?

Motion integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCloud for calendar synchronization and automatic event scheduling.

Source
Sawyer: What does the marketplace commission apply to?

The full order value of bookings originating on hisawyer.com, not to bookings from your own website.

Motion: Is there a mobile app for Motion?

Motion offers iOS mobile app and desktop applications, though the mobile experience has been reported as less feature-rich than the web version.

Source
Sawyer: Is there a contract?

Monthly plans are month to month with 30 days notice; annual billing saves roughly 5 to 14 percent depending on tier.

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