Reclaim.ai

What is Reclaim.ai?

Reclaim.ai is an intelligent calendar assistant that uses artificial intelligence to optimize scheduling, protect productive time, and create better work-life balance through automated time management. Founded in 2019 by Henry Shapiro and Patrick Lightbody, former product leaders at New Relic, Reclaim was developed to address the common challenge of knowledge workers losing control of their calendars and struggling to find time for important work amid meeting overload. The platform functions as a layer on top of existing calendar systems (primarily Google Calendar) that actively manages, defends, and optimizes how time is allocated across competing priorities. Unlike traditional calendar tools that function as passive repositories of events, Reclaim takes an active role in scheduling by automatically creating, adjusting, and defending time blocks based on priorities, preferences, and changing calendar constraints. The core innovation is Reclaim's ability to transform static calendars into dynamic, adaptive systems that respond intelligently to the natural chaos and changing demands of professional life. The platform bridges the gap between task management and calendar management by turning to-do lists into scheduled time on calendars, ensuring that important work doesn't remain perpetually deferred in favor of meetings. Reclaim offers several interconnected modules including Tasks for scheduling to-do list items, Habits for regular routines and recurring time blocks, Smart 1:1s for team meeting coordination, and Scheduling Links for simplified meeting booking. The system employs machine learning to improve scheduling decisions over time based on user behavior, preferences, and work patterns. Available through web and mobile interfaces with a freemium pricing model, Reclaim has gained popularity among executives, managers, engineers, and other professionals whose effectiveness depends on thoughtful time allocation and whose calendars are frequently under siege from competing demands. The platform's mission centers on helping users "reclaim" control of their time from the chaotic forces of modern work life, creating more intentional, balanced, and productive schedules.

Key Features

Reclaim.ai offers a comprehensive suite of features centered around intelligent time management and calendar optimization. The platform's core Smart Calendar functionality automatically schedules, defends, and reschedules time blocks as your calendar changes, creating a dynamic system that adapts to new meetings, shifting priorities, and changing deadlines throughout the week. The Tasks module transforms your to-do list into scheduled calendar time, allowing you to input task details including duration, deadline, and priority level, with Reclaim automatically finding and blocking optimal times that adjust as calendar conflicts arise. Habits and routines scheduling enables recurring time blocks for regular activities like focus work, exercise, lunch breaks, and personal time, with intelligent positioning that protects these blocks while remaining flexible enough to accommodate unavoidable conflicts. The time blocking defense mechanisms include buffer time creation between meetings, automatic rescheduling when conflicts occur, and protection settings that make certain time blocks more resistant to displacement than others. Smart 1:1 scheduling coordinates team meetings across multiple calendars, finding optimal times that work for all participants while respecting individual scheduling preferences and existing commitments. For external meeting coordination, Scheduling Links provide customizable booking pages that display your true availability based on existing commitments, preferences, and buffer requirements, eliminating the back-and-forth typically associated with meeting scheduling. Calendar analytics and insights offer data-visualization of how time is actually spent across categories, helping users identify patterns, meeting overload, and opportunities for reclaiming more productive time. The scheduling policies feature allows creation of custom rules for when certain types of work should be scheduled, including preferred times of day, day of week, and relation to other calendar events. Google Calendar integration provides seamless two-way synchronization, with Reclaim events appearing directly in your normal calendar while respecting existing events and appointments. The team scheduling capabilities enable coordination across groups, visibility into team member availability, and streamlined meeting planning without calendar sharing privacy concerns. For notifications and planning, Reclaim offers daily planner emails, Slack integration, and mobile alerts that provide visibility into the day's schedule and any automatic adjustments made. The workplace boundaries features help protect personal time with automatic blocking of non-work hours, vacation respectors, and work-life balance analytics that ensure professional obligations don't consistently encroach on personal time. The system also accommodates priority-based scheduling where higher importance tasks and habits receive preferential calendar placement and stronger defense against displacement when conflicts arise.

Who Should Use Reclaim.ai?

Reclaim.ai serves a diverse user base united by the need for more intelligent and automated calendar management. Knowledge workers with packed schedules benefit significantly from Reclaim's ability to defend focus time, schedule important tasks, and balance competing demands on their time. Executives and managers use the platform to ensure they have adequate time for strategic work amid constant meeting demands, while maintaining appropriate availability for their teams. Software developers and engineers leverage Reclaim to protect deep work sessions that require uninterrupted focus, automatically scheduling coding time around unavoidable meetings and team commitments. Product managers rely on the tool to balance stakeholder meetings with the focused work needed for roadmap planning, feature definition, and strategic thinking. Consultants and client service professionals use Reclaim to manage complex scheduling across multiple clients and projects while maintaining personal boundaries and preventing burnout. Freelancers and independent professionals benefit from the platform's ability to structure their often self-directed workdays, creating helpful routines and ensuring adequate time for both billable work and business development. Team leaders employ the collaborative features to coordinate meetings efficiently, gain visibility into team member capacity, and protect their reports from calendar overload. Remote and hybrid workers use Reclaim to create better structure for their workdays, establishing clearer boundaries between professional and personal time when physical separation between work and home is minimal. People managers particularly value the Smart 1:1 features that ensure regular check-ins with direct reports are maintained even as other calendar demands fluctuate. Project-based professionals whose work requires balancing collaborative sessions with individual contribution benefit from Reclaim's ability to create a harmonious calendar that accommodates both modes of work. While Reclaim provides value across these diverse use cases, it offers particular benefits to users who: 1) struggle with frequent meeting overload, 2) have important individual work that consistently gets squeezed out by reactive demands, 3) manage complex schedules with many stakeholders, or 4) seek to establish better work-life boundaries. The ideal Reclaim user has a digital-first calendar (primarily Google Calendar) and values an intelligent system that can make and adjust scheduling decisions aligned with their priorities rather than requiring constant manual calendar management.

Pricing

Reclaim.ai offers a tiered pricing structure designed to accommodate users from individuals to teams and organizations. The Free plan provides fundamental calendar optimization for individuals, including limited versions of core features like Tasks, Habits, and basic analytics, making it accessible for personal use without financial commitment. The Personal Pro plan, priced at approximately $8 per user per month (with discounts for annual billing), unlocks full functionality for individuals including unlimited tasks, advanced scheduling policies, priority-based time allocation, and comprehensive analytics. This tier targets professionals whose effectiveness depends on optimized time management. The Team plan, typically around $12 per user per month, adds collaborative features including team availability coordination, analytics across team members, and enhanced meeting scheduling tools designed for managers and their reports. For larger organizations, custom Enterprise pricing provides additional security features, dedicated support, specialized onboarding, and organization-wide analytics that help leadership understand time allocation patterns. Educational and non-profit organizations may qualify for special pricing through direct contact with Reclaim's sales team. All paid plans include full access to the mobile applications, integrations with tools like Slack and Asana, and premium support. The free tier limits certain features in terms of quantity (such as the number of tasks or habits) rather than removing functionality entirely, allowing users to experience the core value proposition before upgrading. For organizations transitioning from other time management systems, Reclaim may offer onboarding assistance and temporary premium access to facilitate adoption. Compared to traditional calendar tools and manual time blocking approaches, Reclaim's premium features represent significant value for users who struggle with calendar management and schedule optimization, particularly when accounting for the time savings and reduced scheduling stress. The company provides a 14-day trial of premium features without requiring payment information, allowing users to fully evaluate the advanced capabilities before purchasing. For teams, the additional visibility into scheduling patterns and improved coordination often justifies the incremental cost above individual plans. The pricing model scales appropriately from individual professionals to teams, with transparent per-user costs that make budgeting straightforward for organizations of various sizes.

User Experience

Users consistently highlight Reclaim.ai's thoughtful design that balances powerful scheduling intelligence with an accessible interface. The web application presents a clean, intuitive dashboard that visualizes scheduled time across categories while providing straightforward access to task creation, habit configuration, and calendar analytics. The initial setup process guides users through connecting their calendar, defining scheduling preferences, and establishing initial habits and routines, though some users note a learning curve to fully optimize the system for their specific needs. The automated scheduling quality receives particular praise, with users reporting that Reclaim consistently finds appropriate times for tasks and habits while intelligently adapting as calendar conflicts arise. Many express surprise at how well the system anticipates and resolves scheduling conflicts without requiring manual intervention. The task scheduling functionality earns appreciation for transforming static to-do lists into dynamic calendar allocations that adjust as priorities and deadlines change. Users note that seeing tasks actually scheduled on their calendar significantly increases completion rates compared to traditional task management. The habit tracking and routine establishment features help users maintain important personal and professional disciplines, with the flexible defense settings allowing for customization of how strongly each habit should be protected from displacement. Calendar analytics provide valuable insights into time allocation patterns, with visual breakdowns that help users identify imbalances between meeting time and focused work, though some users request more detailed reporting capabilities. The Google Calendar integration works seamlessly in both directions, with Reclaim events appearing naturally alongside manually scheduled meetings and updating appropriately as changes occur. The mobile applications for iOS and Android offer on-the-go visibility and basic management capabilities, though some users note they primarily rely on the web interface for initial setup and preference configuration. For teams, the coordination features receive positive feedback for simplifying meeting scheduling and providing appropriate visibility into colleague availability without compromising calendar privacy. The scheduling links for external meeting booking eliminate much of the traditional back-and-forth of appointment setting, though some users mention that external participants occasionally find the system unfamiliar compared to more widespread scheduling tools. User support receives high marks for responsiveness and helpfulness, particularly during the initial setup phase when questions about optimal configuration are common. The regular feature updates demonstrate Reclaim's responsive approach to user feedback, though the pace of change occasionally creates slight learning adjustments as capabilities evolve. While the system generally works as intended, some users report occasional edge cases where the automated rescheduling creates unexpected calendar adjustments that require manual correction. Overall, user sentiment reflects appreciation for a tool that significantly reduces the cognitive load of calendar management while creating more intentional, balanced schedules than manually managed calendars typically achieve.

Bottom Line

Reclaim.ai has established itself as a pioneering solution in the calendar management space by successfully addressing the fundamental gap between static calendar tools and the dynamic reality of modern work life. The platform's unique value proposition lies in transforming passive calendar systems into intelligent scheduling assistants that actively optimize, defend, and adapt time allocation based on priorities, preferences, and changing circumstances. This automated approach resonates particularly with knowledge workers and professionals who struggle with perpetual meeting overload and the challenge of finding adequate time for important but non-urgent work. While not without limitations—including primary support for Google Calendar and a learning curve for optimal configuration—Reclaim delivers exceptional value by reducing the substantial cognitive load associated with constant calendar management and rescheduling decisions. What distinguishes Reclaim in the productivity landscape is its ability to balance automation with user control; the system makes intelligent scheduling decisions while still respecting user preferences, priorities, and the inevitable human element of calendar management. The platform particularly excels for users who value both structure and flexibility in their schedules, who need to balance collaborative work with focused individual contribution, and who seek better boundaries between professional and personal time. As remote and hybrid work arrangements continue to blur traditional time boundaries while increasing meeting volume, tools like Reclaim that create more intentional, balanced, and adaptive schedules will likely become increasingly important for professional effectiveness and wellbeing. For users willing to invest time in initial setup and trust the automated systems, Reclaim offers a compelling solution to the perennial challenges of modern time management, helping users actually "reclaim" their time from the chaos of reactive scheduling and meeting overload.