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January 21, 2026

19 Min

Central vs Motion: Executive Assistant Comparison

Compare Central AI and Motion on AI executive assistant capabilities, setup, pricing approach, and call handling. See which platform fits your business workflow best.

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Central AI unifies email, calendar, and tasks, while Motion auto-schedules tasks on your calendar. You get real work done with fewer switches and more control than Motion.

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Key Points

Central AI keeps email, calendar, and tasks together, while Motion works from the calendar first, so Central AI lets you handle follow-ups without bouncing between tools.

When an email asks for action, Central AI can turn it into a reply or next step immediately, while Motion requires you to define the task before anything happens

Motion relies on manual edits for replies and follow-ups, while Central AI can draft responses that reflect how you usually write, so replies feel ready to send instead of half-finished.

Executive Assistant Comparison

Does your inbox keep stealing attention while real work waits? If you’re trying to evaluate tools that promise focus but add more context switching, you’re probably weighing tradeoffs carefully. This comparison looks at Central AI and Motion to clarify the differences and help you choose what best fits.

Scope: All-in-Onevs.Calendar Management

Central AI and Motion approach inbox and productivity overload from different angles, which shows up in how much context they manage and how work actually moves forward during the day. One is built to coordinate execution across tools, the other to organize time on a calendar.

Central AI’s Executive Assistant pulls email, meetings, and tasks into one shared workspace so nothing lives in isolation. It spots action items inside messages, turns them into scheduled work, and lets you run follow-ups or changes through natural requests without bouncing between apps.

Motion centers on automated scheduling, using task priority and deadlines to continuously reshuffle your calendar. The Motion workflow assistant is strong at protecting focus time, but it depends on separate systems for email handling, task creation, and deeper workflow execution, which can add friction as demand scales.

Centralvs.Motion: Service Comparison

This table compares how Central AI and Motion are set up, supported, and typically used for everyday productivity work.

Category	Central AI	Motion
Model	An executive assistant who manages email, calendar, and tasks together	SA schedulingtool that automatically plans tasks on your calendar
Setup	Connect email and calendar, then review suggested actions	Connect task lists and the calendar, then set priorities
Support	Help center and direct support when needed	Help articles and email support
Best-fit	People juggling inbox work, meetings, and follow-ups	People mainly focused on planning time and focus blocks

TL;DR: Central AI fits inbox-heavy workdays with lots of follow-ups, while the Motion productivity flow fits users who want their calendar planned for them.

Workflow Management: Handling Workvs.Scheduling Work

Both services use AI to manage email, calendar, tasks, and workflow, butthe Motion calendar assistant still depends on tools working in parallel without manual handoffs.

What Is Central?

Central AI is a suite of AI solutions designed to handle different parts of daily business work. One of those products is the AI Executive Assistant, which helps manage email, tasks, and the workday in a single workspace.

It is built for small business owners and startup founders who live in their inbox. The typical day involves constant messages, calendar changes, and follow-ups that are easy to lose track of.

With Central AI, work feels more organized and intentional. Priorities are clearer, follow-ups surface sooner, and less time is spent sorting through email to figure out what matters next.

What Is Motion?

Motion is an AI-powered productivity tool focused on automatic scheduling. It centers around your calendar, using tasks and deadlines to plan each day and adjust schedules as priorities change.

Setup typically involves connecting a calendar and importing tasks from supported tools. Users configure priorities, deadlines, and working hours so Motion can continuously rearrange the schedule.

Motion scheduling assistant is suited for individuals and teams who want help planning time and protecting focus. It is primarily designed around scheduling, with task and inbox work handled outside the platform.

What Central’s AI Can Do for You

Central AI helps handle inbox volume and task sprawl so owners can focus on real work instead of sorting messages all day.

Central helps with:

Unifies your day in one view: brings email, meetings, and tasks together so nothing important lives in a separate tab.
Turns messages into next steps: pulls action items out of emails and follow-ups so work does not stall in the inbox.
Schedules focused work: helps place tasks onto the calendar with the context needed to actually complete them.

As the workload grows, Central AI keeps the same rhythm without adding new tools or more manual sorting.

What Motion Can Do for You?

Motion AI primarily helps plan daily work by automatically scheduling tasks on a calendar based on deadlines and priorities.

It handles:

Task scheduling: places tasks onto calendar time blocks
Priority management: adjusts schedules as deadlines or priorities change
Focus protection: reserves uninterrupted time for planned work

Overall, Motion centers on calendar-based planning, with task organization and inbox work handled outside the product.

Automation: User Controlvs.Algorithms

Central AI and Motion both handle incoming messages and meeting requests, but differ in how workflow responsibility is shared between the system and your tools.

How Central AI Works

Central’s AI Executive Assistant runs inside My Day, working across email, calendar, and tasks in one place. It is built to move work forward, not just draft replies or answer questions.

Inside My Day, the model uses your preferences and knowledge inputs to spot what matters as messages arrive. It drafts responses in your voice, identifies follow-ups, and shapes tasks so they are ready to act on instead of sitting in the inbox.

When work needs to move beyond a suggestion, Ask Central can carry out multi-step actions across connected tools. You can review or adjust outputs when needed, then approve execution so work actually gets finished.

Motion’s Operating Model

Motion works as a software platform that plans daily work by placing tasks directly onto your calendar. Users work mainly inside Motion’s app, where tasks, deadlines, and priorities are used to generate and adjust a scheduled day rather than executing work itself.

Setup requires connecting a calendar and importing tasks, then defining priorities, deadlines, and working hours. As usage scales, Motion continues to manage scheduling logic, while email handling, task creation, and follow-through remain dependent on external tools and user input.

Centralvs.Motion: Side-by-Side Comparison

This table compares how work moves through inboxes, calendars, and tasks, from intake through handling and review, for Central AI and Motion.

Component	Central AI	Motion
Workspace	My Day view combines email, calendar, and tasks	Calendar-centered view with tasks planned for the time
Action points	Detects actions inside messages and threads	Uses user-defined tasks and deadlines
Automation	Suggests and executes actions with review	Automatically schedules tasks on the calendar
Integration	Performs actions across connected productivity tools	Connects calendar and task sources
Behaviour	Command-driven with review and approval	System-driven scheduling logic

TL;DR: Central AI manages work as it arrives across tools, while Motion manages when predefined work is scheduled on the calendar.

Pricing: All-Inclusive vs. Monthly AI Limits

Central AI and Motion use different pricing and plan structures, with one organized around service coverage and the other centered on per-user software access and usage as teams and workloads scale.

Central Pricing

Central AI’s Executive Assistant pricing is structured around clear plan tiers that scale by capability and access, rather than usage-based task volume. Plans are available on a monthly or annual billing, with a short trial to evaluate fit before committing.

Plan Tiers

Free: 10 Day Free Trial
Starter: $29/month (or $25/month billed annually)
Standard: $49/month (or $45/month billed annually)

Each Executive Assistant plan includes core support for managing email, calendar, and tasks in one workspace, with higher tiers adding features such as meeting note capture, multiple inboxes and calendars, and auto sync with HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce.

As needs grow, Central’s Executive Assistant can be bundled with Central’s other AI-powered tools, allowing teams to expand coverage without managing separate systems.

Motion Pricing

Motion uses a per-user, subscription-based pricing model with tiered plans that scale by access to Motion AI scheduling, planning, and team coordination features. Plans are available with monthly or annual billing, and Motion sign-up includes AI usage governed by credits tied to each tier.

Motion Pricing Plans:

Pro AI: $29/month (or $19/month billed annually)
Business AI: $49/month (or $29/month billed annually)
Enterprise: custom pricing

Each motion plan includes tools for managing tasks, projects, and calendar-based scheduling in one system, with AI used to plan and adjust daily workloads. AI usage is limited by monthly credit allocations per user, and additional usage requires purchasing more credits or upgrading plans.

Motion cost based on publicly available information as of November 2025, as per the Motion website.

Centralvs.Motion: Which Offers Better Value?

Central AI is a stronger fit for owners who need continuity across inbox, meetings, and tasks without jumping tools. Work moves from message to scheduled follow-up inside one workspace, with clear moments for review and control.

Motion works well for calendar-driven planning and protecting focus time, with the tradeoff that inbox handling and follow-ups rely on separate tools.

The Human Touch: Shared Visibilityvs.Manual Adjustments

AI executive assistant platforms apply controls and safeguards through different system designs, and Central AI and Motion follow distinct documented approaches.

How Central and Motion Keep Work Reliable

Central AI keeps work visible inside My Day, where emails, tasks, and follow-ups can be reviewed before moving forward. Ask Central can carry out actions across connected tools, with drafts and changes surfaced for adjustment. When documented, replies reflect the user’s writing style.

Motion relies on user review within its app, where scheduled tasks, meeting notes, and suggested actions are visible on the calendar. Execution stays within scheduling and note generation, with limits set by task inputs and AI credit use. Personalization beyond user edits is not disclosed.

In practice, one approach emphasizes shared visibility and review as work flows through a single workspace, while the other depends more on calendar oversight and periodic manual adjustment.

Side-by-Side Comparison

This table compares how Central AI and Motion support consistent outputs through review, visibility, execution boundaries, and personalization.

Category	Central AI	Motion
Control	Drafts and actions surface in My Day for user review	Tasks and notes are reviewed directly inside the app
Visibility	Email, tasks, and changes are visible in one daily view	Schedule and tasks are visible through calendar views
Execution	Ask Central performs actions across connected tools	Executes scheduling and note creation within the platform
Personalization	Drafted replies can reflect the user's writing style	Personalization beyond manual edits not disclosed
Limits	Execution scope tied to connected tools and setup	Limited to scheduling logic and AI credit allowances

TL;DR: Central AI routes calls through defined system rules with human backup, while Air AI relies on autonomous AI handling shaped by how its flows are set up.

Data Security: Third Party Validationvs.Deep Documentation

Both Central AI and Motion address data protection and client confidentiality, but they rely on different platform controls, disclosures, and compliance postures. Each takes a software-based approach, with varying levels of transparency around regulated use cases.

Central AI documents its security posture across regulated environments, with platform controls designed for sensitive business workflows. Its materials outline compliance alignment and governance standards intended to support privacy, access control, and data handling across supported tools. These disclosures are presented at the platform level rather than varying by plan.

Central supports HIPAA- and GDPR-compliant workflows and is SOC 2 Type I certified.

Motion discloses a SOC 2 Type II certification and states that user data is encrypted at rest and in transit on cloud infrastructure. It also notes that user data is not used to train AI models, though data retention specifics and regulated industry support beyond SOC 2 are not fully disclosed.

TL;DR: Central AI publishes broader compliance readiness, while Motion focuses on core security controls with more limited regulatory disclosure.

Summary & Recommendation

Central AI and Motion both aim to reduce friction in daily workflows, but they fit different operational styles. Motion reviews can be helpful, but the real decision comes down to how much visibility, control, and execution you want the system to take on for you.

Choose Central AI if you want:

one place to see email, meetings, and tasks together

clear review before actions move forward

messages turned into follow-ups you can actually finish

drafts that reflect how you usually write

less back and forth between separate tools

Choose Motion if you want:

tasks automatically placed on your calendar

help protecting focus time during busy days

a scheduling first view of work and deadlines

Motion can be a solid fit for individuals or teams mainly focused on planning time and managing task schedules. Central AI suits teams that want clearer visibility, deliberate review points, and more finished work flowing through connected tools in one workspace.

Written by

Emma Houlihan

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly can it be set up and start helping with your day?

Central AI is designed to be usable quickly, with setup focused on connecting your inbox, calendar, and preferences so work shows up inside My Day. Most value comes from seeing messages, tasks, and drafts in one place right away.

The Motion app is set up through a self-serve onboarding flow that connects your calendar and task inputs so scheduling can begin. It starts helping once tasks and priorities are fully entered, which means usefulness depends on how complete that setup is.

How quickly can it be set up and start helping with your day?

How quickly can the service be set up and start handling calls?

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What requires your approval, and what can happen automatically?

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What requires your approval, and what can happen automatically?

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What requires your approval, and what can happen automatically?

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Where do you see what is captured, drafted, or scheduled?

Central AI shows everything it captures or drafts inside My Day, where emails, tasks, calendar items, and suggested actions stay visible together. You can review what changed and adjust before moving on.

Motion displays scheduled tasks and meeting notes within its calendar and task views. Visibility centers on time blocks and task lists, while email context lives outside the platform.

Where do you see what is captured, drafted, or scheduled?

Motion displays scheduled tasks and meeting notes within its calendar and task views. Visibility centers on time blocks and task lists, while email context lives outside the platform.

Where do you see what is captured, drafted, or scheduled?

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What happens when a request is unclear, complex, or unusual?

Central AI surfaces unclear requests inside My Day so you can review context, adjust details, or clarify intent before work moves forward. Ask Central waits for guidance when inputs do not map cleanly to an action.

Motion relies on task parameters and scheduling rules, so unclear or unusual requests must be resolved by editing tasks or priorities manually. The system does not interpret open-ended requests beyond its scheduling model.

What happens when a request is unclear, complex, or unusual?

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What systems or tools does it integrate with?

Central AI connects with core productivity tools like email, calendars, Slack, CRM systems, and documents, so work can move across them from one place. Ask Central can act across these connected tools when tasks or follow-ups need to be completed.

The Motion productivity automation integrates primarily with calendars, video conferencing tools, and email for scheduling and meeting notes. Broader workflow connections rely on APIs or third-party tools, and deep task or inbox integration beyond scheduling is not disclosed.

What systems or tools does it integrate with?

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What kinds of work can it handle day-to-day?

Central AI helps manage daily inbox work, meeting follow-ups, and task coordination in one place. It turns incoming messages into drafts, tasks, or scheduled work you can review and finish.

Motion supports task planning and time blocking by scheduling defined work onto the calendar. Work that starts in email or requires follow-up outside of scheduling depends on manual steps or other tools.

What kinds of work can it handle day-to-day?

Central AI helps manage daily inbox work, meeting follow-ups, and task coordination in one place. It turns incoming messages into drafts, tasks, or scheduled work you can review and finish.

What kinds of work can it handle day-to-day?

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How do you adjust workflows, priorities, or preferences over time?

Central AI lets you adjust priorities, preferences, and context directly inside My Day as work changes. Updates to tasks, schedules, or drafts are reflected immediately without reconfiguring the system.

Motion adjustments happen by changing task details, priorities, or scheduling rules inside the app. Ongoing accuracy depends on keeping tasks and parameters up to date as work evolves.

How do you adjust workflows, priorities, or preferences over time?

Motion adjustments happen by changing task details, priorities, or scheduling rules inside the app. Ongoing accuracy depends on keeping tasks and parameters up to date as work evolves.

How do you adjust workflows, priorities, or preferences over time?

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What happens if something doesn’t work as expected?

Central AI keeps work visible in My Day, so drafts, tasks, or actions can be reviewed, adjusted, or paused if something looks off. Changes are made directly where the work appears, without needing to reset workflows.

Motion flags scheduling issues through unscheduled or at-risk tasks in the calendar view. Resolving problems typically requires editing task details or priorities so the system can recalculate the schedule.

What happens if something doesn’t work as expected?

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How does data security and privacy work?

Central AI documents its security practices at the platform level, including data handling controls designed for sensitive workflows. It states GDPR compliance, SOC 2 compliance, and supportHIPAA-compliantliant workflows as part of its disclosures.

Motion states it is SOC 2 Type II certified and encrypts user data at rest and in transit. It also discloses that user data is not used to train AI models, while other regulatory support beyond this is not disclosed.

How does data security and privacy work?

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What does pricing look like at a high level?

Central AI offers tiered plans for its Executive Assistant, with each tier covering inbox, calendar, and task coordination inside one workspace. Higher tiers expand access to features like meeting notes, multiple inboxes, and connected tool execution.

Motion per-user user subscription plans tied to scheduling features, with AI usage governed by credit limits. There is no free plan, and expanded capabilities come through higher tiers or added usage.

What does pricing look like at a high level?

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