⚡ Quick Verdict: 7.0/10
Joist is the best free mobile estimating app for solo contractors. It does estimates and invoices extremely well from your phone — nothing else. If that's all you need, it's unbeatable at the price. If you need scheduling, CRM, or team management, you'll outgrow it fast.
What Is Joist?
Joist is a mobile-first estimating and invoicing app designed specifically for contractors and home service professionals. Founded in 2012, it was acquired by TELUS International in 2019 and later became part of the broader TELUS ecosystem.
The app has been downloaded over 500,000 times on Google Play alone and consistently ranks as one of the top contractor apps in both the App Store and Google Play.
Joist's philosophy is simple: make it dead easy for contractors to create professional-looking estimates and invoices from their phone, on-site, without needing a laptop or office.
Who Is Joist Best For?
- Solo contractors who need quick, professional estimates from their phone
- Handymen and general contractors doing residential work
- New businesses that need to look professional on a tight budget
- Tradespeople who hate software and want the simplest possible tool
Not ideal for: Teams with 3+ people, businesses needing scheduling/dispatch, companies with complex multi-phase projects, or anyone requiring a CRM.
Key Features
Estimating
This is Joist's bread and butter. Create line-item estimates with material and labor costs, markups, taxes, and optional/required line items. Estimates look clean and professional — your clients won't know you created them in 3 minutes from your truck.
The estimate workflow is extremely fast: add a client, select from your saved items or type new ones, set quantities and prices, add photos if needed, and send. Most estimates take under 5 minutes.
Invoicing
Convert accepted estimates to invoices with one tap. Invoices support partial payments, deposits, and payment tracking. On Pro plans, clients can pay directly via credit card through the invoice.
Payment Processing (Pro Plans)
Joist Pro and Pro+ include built-in payment processing. Clients click "Pay Now" on their invoice and pay by credit card. Processing fees apply (2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, standard for the industry). This eliminates the "check is in the mail" problem.
Client Management
Basic client records with contact info, notes, and history of estimates/invoices. It's not a CRM — there's no pipeline, no automated follow-ups, no lead scoring. But it keeps your client info organized and accessible.
Photo Documentation
Attach photos to estimates and invoices directly from your phone camera. Useful for before/after documentation, damage assessment, and showing clients exactly what you're quoting on.
Expense Tracking (Pro+)
Track business expenses by category, snap receipts, and export for tax time. Basic but functional — won't replace QuickBooks, but helps solo operators who don't need full accounting software.
Joist Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Price | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Estimates, invoices, basic client management, photos | Getting started, testing the app |
| Pro | $8.49/month | Everything free + payment processing, signature capture, custom branding | Solo operators who want to get paid faster |
| Pro+ | $13.99/month | Everything Pro + expense tracking, batch invoicing, advanced reporting | Established solos who want expense tracking |
Scoring Breakdown
Pros and Cons
- Genuinely useful free plan
- Fastest estimate creation in the market
- Incredibly easy to learn — 5-minute setup
- Great mobile app (designed mobile-first)
- Professional-looking output for clients
- Cheapest paid plan at $8.49/month
- Photo documentation built in
- Offline capable — works without cell signal
- No scheduling or dispatching at all
- No real CRM or pipeline management
- No team management features
- No route optimization
- Limited integrations (no QuickBooks, no Zapier)
- No desktop/web app — mobile only
- No automated follow-up reminders
- No multi-user support on any plan
Joist vs. Jobber
This is the most common comparison, and the answer is straightforward:
- Joist = estimates and invoices from your phone. That's it. Does it well, costs almost nothing.
- Jobber = full business management platform. Scheduling, CRM, quoting, invoicing, route optimization, team management, client portal, automated follow-ups.
If you're a solo operator who just needs to send clean estimates and get paid, Joist saves you $60+/month over Jobber. If you have a team, need scheduling, or want to automate your business processes, Jobber is worth the premium.
Many contractors start with Joist and graduate to Jobber as they grow. That's actually a smart progression.
Joist vs. Housecall Pro
Housecall Pro is another step up from Joist — it includes scheduling, dispatching, and marketing tools that Joist completely lacks. At $79/month, it's 9x the price of Joist Pro. Worth it only if you need those features.
Joist vs. Kickserv
Kickserv also has a free plan, but it's a fundamentally different product — it's a web-based FSM platform with scheduling and CRM. Joist is a mobile estimating app. If you need scheduling + estimates, Kickserv Free is a better choice. If you only need fast mobile estimates, Joist wins on simplicity.
Who Should NOT Use Joist
- Teams of 2+: No multi-user support. Need Jobber, HCP, or Kickserv instead.
- Companies that need scheduling: Joist has zero scheduling features.
- Businesses wanting to automate: No automation, no workflows, no triggers.
- Desktop users: Joist is mobile-only. If you work from a laptop, look elsewhere.
- QuickBooks users: No QuickBooks integration. Kickserv or Jobber have native QuickBooks sync.
Real User Sentiment
Joist has strong reviews across both app stores:
- App Store: 4.7/5 (15,000+ ratings)
- Google Play: 4.5/5 (10,000+ ratings)
Common praise: "Easy to use," "Makes me look professional," "Clients love the estimates." Common complaints: "Wish it had scheduling," "Can't use on my computer," "Need more integrations."
The pattern is clear: people love Joist for what it does, and wish it did more. That's actually a fair summary of the product.
Our Verdict
7.0/10 — Best free estimating app, but that's all it is
Joist is the best app for creating quick, professional estimates from your phone. Full stop. If that's your primary need and you're a solo operator, start here. It's free, it's fast, and it looks great.
But it's intentionally limited. No scheduling, no CRM, no team features, no desktop app. If your business is growing — or if you need anything beyond estimates and invoices — you'll need to pair Joist with other tools or graduate to a full platform like Jobber.
Best for: Solo contractors who want professional estimates without paying $70+/month for software they won't use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Joist really free?
Yes — the free plan lets you create estimates and invoices with no time limit. You get basic templates, client management, and photo documentation. The paid plans ($8.49 and $13.99/month) add payment processing, custom branding, and expense tracking.
How much does Joist cost?
Free (basic features), Pro at $8.49/month (payment processing + custom branding), and Pro+ at $13.99/month (expense tracking + batch invoicing + advanced reporting). Both paid plans include signature capture.
Is Joist better than Jobber?
They serve different needs. Joist is a fast, mobile estimating app. Jobber is a full business management platform. Joist is better if you only need estimates and invoices for $0-14/month. Jobber is better if you need scheduling, CRM, and team management.
Can I use Joist on my computer?
Joist is mobile-only — iOS and Android apps, no web or desktop version. If you need to work from a laptop, consider Jobber, Housecall Pro, or Kickserv instead.
Does Joist integrate with QuickBooks?
No. Joist has very limited integrations. If QuickBooks sync is important to you, look at Kickserv (native Xero integration) or Jobber (native QuickBooks integration).
Need more than estimates? Compare the full platforms.
See how Joist stacks up against Jobber, Housecall Pro, and 5 other tools in our complete comparison.
Compare All Estimating Tools → or Try Jobber Free →