Joist is estimating, invoicing and payment software built for contractors: general contractors, remodelers, roofers, electricians, plumbers, HVAC and landscaping businesses. Your crew builds estimates on site, turns them into invoices, and collects card, bank transfer or PayPal payments, with homeowner financing on every plan. There is no free plan. Plans start at $8.34 a month billed annually for 5 documents, and every plan comes with a 14-day trial without a credit card.
Quick verdict
If you run a trade business and quote jobs from the driveway, Joist covers the estimate-to-payment workflow from a phone. Basics stops at 5 documents a month, so if you send more, you need Pro at $17 a month billed monthly. Reports, change orders and license details sit on Elite at $32, and job scheduling on the new Run plan. The listing on Google Play holds 4.6 stars and the iPhone app 4.7. Many app reviewers call it easy to use and have stayed for years, but many complain about repeated price increases, and several about features moving to higher plans or losing access to old invoices once they stop paying.
Joist at a glance
| Vendor | Joist (part of EverPro) |
|---|---|
| What it does | Estimates, invoices, online and in-person payments, homeowner financing, job scheduling and reports for contractors |
| Price | Billed monthly: Basics $10 or $12 (the page shows both), Pro $17, Elite $32, Run $100. Billed annually, per month: Basics $8.34, Pro $14.17, Elite $26.67, Run $58.33 |
| Free plan | No; 14-day free trial of Run features, no credit card |
| Integrations | QuickBooks sync, PayPal, social integrations; financing from 30+ lenders |
| Apps | Android (4.6 stars, 13,497 ratings), iPhone (4.7 stars, 14,362 ratings), iPad and web |
| Data checked | October 19, 2026 |
Features
These come from the home, pricing and estimates pages on joist.com and the two store listings.
- Estimates: line items, markups, taxes and discounts, saved items and project templates, jobsite photos and files, contracts and terms, expiration dates and deposit requests. Customers review and sign online, and you get a notification when they open, view or sign.
- Invoices: convert an approved estimate to an invoice in one tap or click, send by email, and track what’s sent, viewed and paid. Change orders update the price mid-project (Elite and up).
- Payments: cards, ACH bank transfers, PayPal and other methods from the invoice, deposit and milestone payments, Tap to Pay in person, and the option to pass processing fees to clients. The pricing page says standard processing fees apply through Joist Payments. The iPhone listing says payments work in the US and Canada.
- Financing: offer homeowner financing from 30+ lenders on estimates and get paid in full upfront, the home page says.
- Jobs and scheduling (Run): organize jobs, schedule visits and link jobs to estimates, invoices and clients.
- Records: expense tracking, sales and business reports, and QuickBooks sync. The plan comparison lists these, but the saved page doesn’t show which plan includes QuickBooks sync.
- AI tools: create estimates and invoices with AI and turn notes into customer-ready descriptions. The Android listing adds voice dictation. A separate AI Receptionist add-on answers missed calls and captures leads, from $49 a month billed monthly.
- Support: email and live chat; the plan comparison also lists priority email response times without showing which plan has them. Live chat in the app is open 7 days a week, says the Android listing.
Plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | Main additions |
|---|---|---|
| Basics | $10 or $12/mo billed monthly (see below); $8.34/mo billed annually | Up to 5 documents a month, online payments, estimates to invoices, built-in AI tools, homeowner financing |
| Pro | $17/mo billed monthly; $14.17/mo billed annually | Unlimited documents and clients, your logo, line items and document photos, client activity tracking, work orders |
| Elite | $32/mo billed monthly; $26.67/mo billed annually | License and insurance details, change orders, business and sales reports, Joist Reviews, social integrations |
| Run (new) | $100/mo billed monthly; $58.33/mo billed annually (2 months free plus 30% off) | Organize jobs, schedule visits, link jobs to estimates, invoices and clients |
| AI Receptionist (add-on) | From $49/mo billed monthly | Answers missed calls and captures new leads |
The pricing page shows two figures for Basics, $12 and $10, without saying which is the monthly price. A developer reply from May 2026 says “Our Basics plan is $10 USD a month”, but later replies talk about a recent price change, so check the current figure. The Run card also shows $70 without a label; the only discount the page spells out for Run is on the annual plan, which includes 2 months free plus 30% off. Every other annual plan includes 2 months free. You can upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time, and the pricing page says there are no setup fees. The page doesn’t mention refunds. In the apps you can subscribe to Pro or Elite, and Google Play lists in-app purchases from $9.99 to $999.99 per item. There is no free plan any more. The pricing page says it’s “no longer available”, and a developer reply from July 2025 says it ended in 2024.
Mobile apps
On Android, Joist is version 3.87.0, updated October 2, 2026, with 1,000,000+ downloads and no ads. The iPhone app is version 3.170.0, updated October 15, 2026, needs iOS 16.0 or later, and also runs on iPad. Both listings cover estimates, invoices, payments, client records, job scheduling in a calendar view and exporting to accounting software, and both say Joist is cloud-based, so your data syncs with the web app. On Android, the app asks for access to location, contacts, the camera, the microphone and NFC, among other permissions.
Web vs. mobile apps
| Feature | Web | Android and iPhone apps | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimates, invoices and e-signatures | Yes | Yes | Pricing page, store listings |
| Card and PayPal payments | Yes | Yes (US and Canada, says the iPhone listing) | Pricing page, store listings |
| Job scheduling and calendar | Run plan | Listed in both store listings; the pricing page puts scheduling on Run | Pricing page, store listings |
| AI drafting of estimates and invoices | Yes | Yes; the Android listing adds voice dictation | Pricing page, Google Play listing |
| Offline use | Not on the pricing page | Reviews only: a few app reviewers say it doesn’t work offline | Reviews |
| Buying a plan | All plans | Pro or Elite, say the store listings | Pricing page, store listings |
Pros (from app reviews)
These come from Android and iPhone reviews dated October 2024 to October 2026.
- Easy to use: many reviewers call it simple or easy, and several say it makes their business look more professional to customers.
- Long-term use: many have used Joist for years, one since 2014 and another since 2015. One Android reviewer who started in 2017 says they’re “on track to invoice $1 million this year”.
- Winning work: several credit it with landing more jobs or earning more.
- Support, for some: a few praise quick, helpful replies from support staff. Several others disagree (see the cons).
- QuickBooks: a few run it alongside QuickBooks. One says the sync only opens a blank page.
Cons (from app reviews)
- Price rises and the end of the free plan: this is the most common complaint. Many long-time users say Joist was free, then started charging, then raised prices again and again; one Android reviewer lists $9.99, $11.99, $13.99 and then $14.99 within about two years. The developer’s replies say the increases pay for keeping the app running and improving it.
- Locked out of old records: several say they can’t see past invoices, estimates or client lists unless they keep paying. Replies point them to support for access to files and help with exporting data.
- Features moving up a plan: several say reports, report graphs or logo options moved to a higher plan, often from Pro to Elite.
- Support: several say support is slow, has no phone line, or starts with an AI chatbot.
- Glitches and lost work: several report freezing, server connection errors or estimates lost before saving. A few say the app doesn’t work offline.
- Billing errors: several say they were charged twice, charged after cancelling, or charged without agreeing to it.
- Other issues: a few say estimates and invoices didn’t reach some customers’ email addresses, a few dislike the pop-ups and marketing messages, and a few had payment processing disputes involving PayPal or Stripe. One reviewer, whose account was hacked, says the app has no two-factor authentication.
Rating breakdown
| Stars | Ratings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 10,780 | 79.9% |
| 4 | 1,371 | 10.2% |
| 3 | 418 | 3.1% |
| 2 | 202 | 1.5% |
| 1 | 721 | 5.3% |
Google Play’s breakdown covers 13,492 ratings; the listing shows 13,497 in total. One and two star ratings make up 6.8%. The data we collected doesn’t include a star breakdown for the iPhone app.
Who it’s for
A good fit if:
- You’re a contractor or trade business that quotes on site and wants estimates, signatures, invoices and payments in one phone app.
- You want to offer homeowner financing on estimates; it’s listed on every plan.
- You need change orders and license and insurance details on documents (Elite), or job scheduling (Run).
- Your clients pay by card or bank transfer and you work in the US or Canada, where the iPhone listing says payments are available.
Look elsewhere if:
- You send only a few invoices a month and want a free tool: Joist has no free plan, and Basics caps you at 5 documents.
- You need your past invoices available after you cancel. Several reviewers say access ends with the subscription, so export your records first.
- You need phone support. Reviewers say there’s no phone line; the pricing page lists email and live chat.
- Your crews work where there’s no signal. A few reviewers say the app doesn’t work offline.
FAQ
How much does Joist cost?
Billed monthly, Pro is $17, Elite $32 and Run $100; the page shows both $10 and $12 for Basics, which allows up to 5 documents a month. Billed annually, the plans work out at $8.34, $14.17, $26.67 and $58.33 a month. The AI Receptionist is an add-on from $49 a month.
Is there a free version of Joist?
No. The pricing page says the free plan is no longer available. You can try Joist free for 14 days, with access to all Run features and no credit card.
Can customers pay Joist invoices online?
Yes. Customers can pay by card, ACH bank transfer, PayPal and other methods, and you can take deposits and milestone payments. Standard processing fees apply, and you can pass them to clients. The iPhone listing says payments are available in the US and Canada.
Can you still see your invoices after cancelling Joist?
The pricing page doesn’t say. Several app reviewers say they lost access to past invoices and client lists once they stopped paying. The developer’s replies tell them to contact support for access to files and help with exporting data.
How this review was put together
We did not test Joist. This review is based on public information from official sources: the vendor’s own website (its features, pricing and policy pages) and, where the product has mobile apps, its Google Play and App Store listings, ratings and user reviews. Features, prices and claims are the vendor’s own descriptions; what users like and dislike comes from store reviews, when there are any. Everything was checked on October 19, 2026. Prices and features change, so check the vendor’s site before you buy.
