Joist
Estimates, invoices and payments app for solo contractors
Joist report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for solo contractors who quote from their phone
Joist is a quick, well-liked way for a solo contractor to send estimates, turn them into invoices and get paid, and its app averages 4.75 from 14,362 ratings. It's built for one person, though: visit scheduling only comes with Run, and nothing in its listing hands jobs out to a crew.
Who Joist is for
- Great if you work alone and mostly need estimates, invoices and payments
- Handy when you quote from your phone standing in the client's kitchen
- Good for part-timers sending a handful of documents a month
Who Joist is not for
- Too light for a crew of three that needs jobs handed out and tracked
- Tight if you send more than 5 documents a month on Basics, the $8.34 plan
- Pricey if you want an AI receptionist, an add-on at $49 a month
Why Joist gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyRun, 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.
- CFree plan and trialA 14-day trial of Run with no card needed. The free plan has been discontinued.
- CFeaturesEstimates 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.
- AEase of use4.75 from 14,362 App Store ratings. Turning an approved estimate into an invoice takes a few taps without retyping, which is the whole appeal.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, iPhone and Android, but the only integration listed is QuickBooks. No desktop app.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Joist's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/joist#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/joist.svg" alt="Joist: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Joist stands among field service apps
Joist's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 9 of the 15 other field service apps we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 13 of 15) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8.34 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 0 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 16 field service apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Joist’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 15, level with 10
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 15, level with 10
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 15, level with 6
- AEase of useAbove 13 of 15, level with 2
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 15, level with 14
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 11 field service apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Joist, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of Joist you could make: quotes and estimates, invoicing, job scheduling, expense tracking and review collection. What surrounds it you could not. The 2 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $100.08 a year.
What you could make
- Quotes and estimates, invoicing, job scheduling, expense tracking and review collection: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Joist’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Joist?
Joist is an estimating and invoicing app for contractors such as general contractors, handymen, painters, electricians and roofers. It turns estimates into invoices, takes online payments and deposits, offers homeowner financing and syncs with QuickBooks, on the web and in iOS and Android apps. The top plan, Run, adds job organization and visit scheduling.
Joist is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $8.34 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly). See every plan
Good for
- 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
- 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
- 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.
Joist pricing
- Starts at
- $8.34 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of the Run plan, no credit card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basics | $8.34per 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 | $14.17per 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 | $26.67per 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 | $58.33per 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. |
Read from joist.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Joist before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountTwo 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.
Stated on joist.com
How people rate the Joist app
4.7
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars87%
- 4 stars7%
- 3 stars1%
- 2 stars<1%
- 1 star3%
14,362 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 18, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
Joist alternatives
- Joist vs Housecall Pro
Free trial · from $59/mo
- Joist vs Jobber
Free trial · from $29/mo
- Joist vs Tradify
Free trial · from $47/mo
- Joist vs Houzz Pro
Free plan · from $99/mo
- Joist vs Contractor Foreman
Free trial · from $49/mo
Common questions
Is Joist free?
No, Joist is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial of the Run plan, no credit card required.
How much does Joist cost?
Joist lists 4 plans. Basics: $8.34 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly). Pro: $14.17 per month, billed annually ($17 billed monthly). Elite: $26.67 per month, billed annually ($32 billed monthly). Run: $58.33 per month, billed annually ($70 billed monthly). Prices were read from joist.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Joist work on?
Joist is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Joist offer any discounts?
Joist publicly lists the following: Two months free with annual billing.
How is Joist rated?
Joist's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14,362 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Joist have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Joist is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Joist have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Joist is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Joist open source?
Joist is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Joist integrate with?
Joist's listing names QuickBooks. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Joist?
Joist is made by Joist, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Joist?
The closest alternatives to Joist in our directory are Housecall Pro, Jobber, Tradify, Houzz Pro and Contractor Foreman. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Joist.
How does Joist compare with other field service apps?
Joist's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 9 of the 15 other field service apps we grade, and level with 4. It stands best on ease of use (A, above 13 of 15) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Is Joist good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Joist C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.34 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 0 of the 10 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Could I make my own version of Joist?
The plain part of Joist you could make: quotes and estimates, invoicing, job scheduling, expense tracking and review collection. What surrounds it you could not. The 2 things listed below take a company, not a weekend. It costs $100.08 a year. What you could not make: A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.