Buildertrend vs Joist
We give Buildertrend a 2.0 GPA and Joist a 2.6, out of 4.0. Joist grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Buildertrend
Construction project management for home builders and remodelers
Joist
Estimates, invoices and payments app for solo contractors
How we grade them
| 2.0GPABuildertrendFair | 2.6GPAJoistGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo prices are published; Buildertrend quotes after a few questions and a call, so there's no figure for a crew of three. An archived copy of its pricing page said it suits builders with 5 or more projects a year. No published price is a C by our rule. | CRun, the plan with visit scheduling, is $58.33 a month billed yearly ($70 monthly) at a 30% introductory price with no end date. Joist sells to solo contractors and doesn't say how many people a plan covers, so we can't say what a crew of three pays. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or free trial is on record, and buying starts with a call. Nothing to try on your own. | CA 14-day trial of Run with no card needed. The free plan has been discontinued. |
| Features | CSchedules, daily logs, takeoffs, estimates, bids, budgets, change orders, selections, client and subcontractor portals, warranty claims and a geofenced time clock. Complete for builders, but the listing names the gap here: no service calls, dispatching or recurring visits. | CEstimates to invoices, online payments and deposits, homeowner financing, change orders on Elite and job scheduling on Run. Good at quoting and billing, but there's no dispatch, routing or crew management in its listing. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from 5,116 App Store ratings. The phone app covers the time clock, photos and requests for information from the site. | A4.75 from 14,362 App Store ratings. Turning an approved estimate into an invoice takes a few taps without retyping, which is the whole appeal. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto and The Home Depot Pro Xtra. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, but the only integration listed is QuickBooks. No desktop app. |
| Best for | home builders and remodelers with several projects | solo contractors who quote from their phone |
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: Buildertrend and Joist. How we grade
Where they differ
- Buildertrend also covers sales pipeline, email campaigns and time clock.
- Joist also covers expense tracking and review collection.
At a glance
| Buildertrend | Joist | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $8.34 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of the Run plan, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Buildertrend Solutions, Inc. | Joist, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | joist.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Buildertrend
- Custom home builders and remodelers running several projects a year
- Builders who want clients to make selections and approve changes online
- Companies with many staff, since users are unlimited
Joist
- Solo contractors who mainly need estimates, invoices and payments
- General contractors and handymen quoting from a phone on site
- Part-time contractors sending only a few documents a month
Worth knowing
Buildertrend
- No prices are published; Buildertrend quotes after a few questions and a call, and its site refused our reader on 2026-10-18.
- It is built for multi-phase construction projects rather than service calls, dispatching or recurring maintenance visits.
- A February 2026 copy of its pricing page said it suits builders with 5 or more projects a year, and that online payments are US only.
Joist
- Basics allows only 5 documents a month; unlimited estimates and invoices start on Pro.
- Scheduling and job organization are only on Run, whose 30% introductory discount has no stated end date.
- The free plan has been discontinued; the 14-day trial is the only way to try it free.
- The AI Receptionist is a $49-a-month add-on, and Joist Payments charges standard processing fees.
Key features
Buildertrend
- Schedules, daily logs and to-dos
- Project schedules, to-dos and daily logs keep the crew and office on one record, with unlimited document and photo storage and photo and PDF markup.
- Takeoffs, estimates and bids
- Measure takeoffs, build estimates, collect subcontractor bids and send proposals that clients sign electronically.
- Budgets and change orders
- Track budgets, bills and purchase orders against each project, manage change orders, and run financial reports.
- Client and subcontractor portals
- Clients approve selections and change orders and follow progress in a portal; subcontractors get their own portal, and warranty claims are tracked.
- Invoicing and online payments
- Invoice clients and take online payments from clients and to subcontractors, with accounting integrations for the books.
- Time clock with geofencing
- The iOS and Android apps include a time clock that uses geofencing, along with requests for information and on-site photo capture.
Joist
- Estimates to invoices
- Build estimates with line items and photos, then turn an approved estimate into an invoice in a few taps without retyping it.
- Online payments and deposits
- Clients pay online and you can request deposits; processing fees can be passed on to the client, and homeowner financing is offered on every plan.
- Change orders and reports
- Elite adds change orders, license and insurance details on documents, and business and sales reports.
- Jobs and scheduling on Run
- Run organizes work into jobs, schedules visits and links each job to its estimates, invoices and client.
- Expenses and QuickBooks
- Track expenses against jobs, see real-time reports, and sync with QuickBooks to keep the books current.
- AI Receptionist add-on
- For $49 a month, an AI receptionist answers missed calls while you work and records new leads for follow-up.
Plans
Buildertrend
Pricing could not be confirmed. See buildertrend.com.
Joist
Basics$8.34
per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
$100 a year. Up to 5 documents a month, estimates to invoices, online payments, AI tools and homeowner financing.
Pro$14.17
per month, billed annually ($17 billed monthly)
$170 a year. Unlimited documents and clients, your logo, line items with photos, client activity tracking and work orders.
Elite$26.67
per month, billed annually ($32 billed monthly)
$320 a year. Adds license and insurance details, change orders, business and sales reports, Joist Reviews and social integrations.
Run$58.33
per month, billed annually ($70 billed monthly)
Introductory price, 30% off a crossed-out $100 a month, with no end date given. Adds job organization and visit scheduling.
Ways to pay less
Buildertrend
No public discounts listed.
Joist
- Annual discount
Two months free with annual billing
Yearly billing costs $100 for Basics, $170 for Pro and $320 for Elite, against $10, $17 and $32 billed monthly.
