Joist alternatives for small contractors: what to use instead, and when to stay

Joist is a well-known estimate and invoice app for contractors, and many people are happy with it. But its pricing has changed, and a small crew can outgrow its cheapest plan quickly. If you are weighing your options, this guide compares the main alternatives on what they cost, what they limit and who they suit. Prices and limits below were read from each company's own website on November 4, 2026, in US dollars. They change, so check the current page before you pay.

What does Joist cost, and where are the limits?

Joist no longer offers a free plan. Its pricing page offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card, then paid plans: Basics at $10 a month ($8.34 a month billed annually), Pro at $17 a month ($14.17 billed annually) and Elite at $32 a month ($26.67 billed annually). Basics allows up to 5 documents a month. Pro, Elite and Run allow unlimited documents and clients. Online payments are available from Basics up, with standard processing fees that the page does not give as a rate.

That 5-document cap is the number to watch. An estimate and an invoice for the same job count as two documents, so a contractor who finishes three jobs a week reaches the limit in the first week. Joist also does well on things many alternatives do not: estimates convert to invoices, it works on iPhone, iPad and desktop, and its App Store listing shows a 4.7 rating from about 14,000 ratings.

How much do the alternatives cost for 12 documents a month?

Take a solo painter who sends 12 documents a month, six estimates and six invoices, with one user. Joist Basics would stop at 5 documents, so the fair comparison is Joist Pro at $17 a month, which is $204 a year billed monthly. Here is what the same month looks like elsewhere, using each company's published prices.

The cheapest option is not always the right one. Jobber costs more because it is a job-management tool with scheduling, not only an invoicing app. Zoho Invoice costs nothing but its limits are generous for invoices and tighter on projects, and it is built to cover a broad range of small businesses rather than field work. For the Invoice Mint price after the free tier, check the App Store listing.

Which Joist alternative fits which kind of contractor?

Match the app to the work you actually do. If you only need to write an estimate, turn it into an invoice and get paid, a lightweight invoicing app is enough and cheaper. If you run a crew, book jobs and take card payments, a field-service app earns its higher price. Most solo trades fall in the first group, which is why the cheapest plans of three or four apps are all reasonable choices.

• Invoice Mint: an iPhone app for estimates and invoices, built for solo operators and crews of one to three. You send by email, text, a link or a PDF, clients can accept an estimate online, and an accepted estimate becomes an invoice in one tap. It records payments but does not process cards, and there is no Android or desktop version yet.
• Jobber: a field-service tool with quoting, invoicing, scheduling and client management. Core is $49 a month, or $29 a month billed annually, for one user. Credit card processing is 2.9% plus 30 cents. It has no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
• Zoho Invoice: free for small businesses, on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac and the web. The limits are up to 2 users, up to 500 invoices a year and up to 3 projects.
• Bookipi: web and mobile apps. The free plan allows 3 invoices a month, counting estimates and quotes. Starter is US$9.99 a month, or US$7.60 a month billed annually, for unlimited invoices, and documents can be converted.
• Square Invoices: a free plan with unlimited invoices and estimates, suited to contractors who already take payments through Square. Check Square's page for current card fees.

When should you stay with Joist?

Stay with Joist if you send more than a handful of documents a month and the Pro price suits you, you want one app on phone, tablet and desktop, or you use QuickBooks sync, which Joist sells as an add-on. Switching has a cost too: you retype customers, rebuild your item list and relearn a tool in the middle of the season. If Joist works and the price is fair, the best alternative may be no change at all.

Switch if you hit the document cap, you pay for features you never open, or you want your records kept somewhere you control. Before you leave, export your customer list and save past invoices as PDFs, so you keep your own copy. Then run one real job through the new app, from estimate to paid invoice, before you cancel the old one.

How do you choose in ten minutes?

1. Count your documents. Add your estimates and invoices in a normal month. Over 5 means Joist Basics will not hold you.
2. Decide if you need scheduling or card payments. If yes, price Jobber or Square. If no, an invoicing app is enough.
3. Check your phone. If you use an iPhone and nothing else, an iPhone-only app is fine. If you also work on a laptop or Android, pick a cross-platform one.
4. Try a real job. Send one estimate and one invoice to yourself and see how they look on the client's phone.

While you decide, you can use a free estimate template to send your next quote without any app at all. It is a stopgap, not a system, but it keeps you moving.