Fergus vs Joist
We give Fergus a 2.4 GPA and Joist a 2.6, out of 4.0. Fergus grades higher on features. Joist grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Fergus
Job management for trade businesses, from a New Zealand company
Joist
Estimates, invoices and payments app for solo contractors
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFergusFair | 2.6GPAJoistGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBasic is $31 per full user a month, billed monthly only, so three of you pay $93 ($83 if two only need timesheets at $26). That's mid-pack here. The 90% offer shows $5.30, which matches the New Zealand price, not 90% off the US one, so we graded the full price. | 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 | CA 14-day trial with no card needed. No free plan. | CA 14-day trial of Run with no card needed. The free plan has been discontinued. |
| Features | BQuotes from price books, job cards from enquiry to sign-off, crew scheduling with GPS, timesheets that feed job costs, invoices, purchase orders and Fergus Pay, plus gas and electrical certificates. The whole job, though certificates cost extra. | 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 | CNo App Store rating on record for it. Price books, supplier links and certificates take some setting up before the job cards pay off. | 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 and iPhone, with Xero, QuickBooks, MYOB, Zapier and Groundplan. There's no Android app in its listing, which matters if your crew carries Android phones. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, but the only integration listed is QuickBooks. No desktop app. |
| Best for | electricians and plumbers tracking job costs | 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: Fergus and Joist. How we grade
Price against what you get
Fergus starts at $31 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Joist starts at $8.34 a month and scores 3.0.
Joist scores higher and starts $22.66 a month lower. Of the other field service apps on the chart, 3 score higher than Fergus for less, and none scores higher than Joist for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Fergus starts at $31 per full user / month and up, billed monthly. Joist starts at $8.34 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly).
- Only Joist lists an Android app.
- Fergus also covers time tracking.
- Joist also covers expense tracking and review collection.
At a glance
| Fergus | Joist | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $31 per full user / month and up, billed monthly | $8.34 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial of the Run plan, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fergus | Joist, Inc. |
| Price read from | fergus.com | joist.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Fergus
- Electrical and plumbing businesses that track materials and costs per job
- Trades that need gas or electrical certificates and safety forms
- Teams mixing office users with cheaper timesheet-only site staff
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
Fergus
- Billed monthly only, per full user; timesheet users start at $26 a month and contractor users cost $2.50 a day.
- Certificates cost $30 for 1–9 staff or $80 for 10+, texts $15 per 100, and card payments 2.95% + $0.30 each.
- Basic comes with email and chat support only; phone support needs Professional.
- The 90% offer runs until December, but the $5.30 and $7.50 it shows match the New Zealand prices, not 90% off the US ones.
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
Fergus
- Quotes and price books
- Build quotes and estimates from price books with tiered pricing, and pull in supplier prices and invoices through supplier integrations.
- Job cards
- Each job card keeps notes, files, photos, materials and job phases together, from the first enquiry to sign-off with the customer's signature.
- Scheduling and timesheets
- A calendar schedules jobs and crew, GPS tracking shows where staff are, and timesheets feed job costs and pay summaries.
- Invoicing and payments
- Invoice from the job card, take card payments through Fergus Pay, raise purchase orders, and sync with Xero, QuickBooks or MYOB.
- Certificates and safety forms
- Pre-filled gas and electrical certificates, hazard records and safe work method statements are kept with each job; certificates cost extra.
- AI assistants
- Fergus Assistant answers questions about jobs, costs and numbers, and the mobile assistant lets staff type or speak on site to update jobs and time.
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
Fergus
Basic$31
per full user / month and up, billed monthly
Called Essentials in the FAQ. Job cards, quotes, scheduling, timesheets and invoicing, with email and chat support. Shown at $5.30 under a 90% offer.
Professional$44
per full user / month and up, billed monthly
Marked most popular and aimed at growing the business; adds phone support. Shown at $7.50 under the offer running until December.
EnterpriseCustom
A custom plan for businesses with more than 10 staff, arranged through sales.
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
Fergus
- Other savings
90% off until December
A limited offer on the pricing page takes 90% off until December; the US page shows Basic at $5.30 and Professional at $7.50 a month under it.
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.
