Joist is a no-frills estimate-and-invoice app that discontinued its free plan in 2026 and charges extra for scheduling. JobPricer keeps a genuine free tier and includes AI quoting, profit tracking, booking forms, and scheduling in every plan.
Choose JobPricer if you're a solo or 1–2 person contractor who wants AI quoting, real profit visibility, your own booking forms, and a free plan to start.
Choose Joist if you run a multi-crew team that needs a dead-simple paid estimate and invoice tool with nothing else to learn — that's where Joist is genuinely stronger today.
Export a CSV of your clients from Joist. Drop it into JobPricer. Columns are auto-detected, you review the mapping before anything commits, and every import has an Undo button.
Most solo contractors are done in under 15 minutes. Your quotes, jobs, and history start fresh — clients carry over.
Stuck, or just want company? Book a free 15-minute call and we’ll walk through the import live.
An honest look at where each tool is strong. We don't all do the same thing.
| Feature | JobPricer | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Quoting & estimates | ||
| Built-in AI quote draftingDescribe the job, get priced line items in seconds | ✓ | — |
| Mix Task / T&M / Misc on one quoteFlat-rate, hourly, and one-off line items together | ✓ | Partial |
| Real free plan5 active quotes & 10 clients, free forever — no card, no expiration | ✓ | Killed in 2026 |
| Profit & pricing intelligence | ||
| Real overhead per billable hourTruck, insurance, tools baked into every bid | ✓ | — |
| Profit margin on every quoteSee your real profit before you hit send | ✓ | — |
| Owner take-home + tax estimateWhat you actually pocket after self-employment tax | ✓ | — |
| Get booked | ||
| Custom public form builderYour own request / assessment / booking forms — not one fixed widget | ✓ | — |
| Online booking + Google Calendar syncCustomers pick a slot; it syncs both ways | ✓ | — |
| Send, sign & get paid | ||
| E-sign on the phoneCustomer signs in 30 seconds, no printing | ✓ | Partial |
| Stripe payments / online depositsGet paid before you start; straight to your bank | ✓ | ✓ |
| 0% platform fee on paid plansYou keep 100%; ACH is 0.8% capped at $5 | ✓ | 3.49% + 49¢ |
| Branded PDFsYour logo + colors on every quote, CO, and invoice | ✓ | ✓ |
| Operations | ||
| Built-in CRMClient history + revenue per client | ✓ | Partial |
| Job pipeline (Pending → Won → Done)Track every job through every stage | ✓ | — |
| Payroll + timesheetsPay your crew and subs without a second app | ✓ | — |
| Dedicated crew appCrew's own installable app: time clock, job checklists, materials requests, day sign-off | ✓ | — |
| Offline time clockClock in/out in dead zones — taps queue with the real time and sync later | ✓ | — |
| Clock time without a jobShop time, travel, equipment, warranty callbacks — tracked & paid correctly | ✓ | — |
| Invoice open tracking + payment timelineSee when a client opens an invoice; every event in one feed | ✓ | — |
| One-tap overdue chaseBatch reminders for everything overdue, pre-written message included | ✓ | — |
| Cost & access | ||
| Free plan that's actually freeNo credit card, no trial expiration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Phone-first / works on the truckMobile-first, fast on a 4G connection | ✓ | Partial |
| Setup timeFrom signup to your first sent quote | ~5 min | ~15 min |
| Monthly price | $0 – $99Free / Pro / Business | $12 – $32/mopaid only — free plan discontinued; scheduling +$100/mo |
We'd rather you pick the right tool than the wrong one. Joist is a mature product, and for some teams it's the better call. Here's when.
If all you want is a basic estimate and invoice, Joist is about as simple as it gets.
Paid tiers start at $12/mo — cheap if you need nothing beyond invoices.
Been around a while with a large install base.
Not a 14-day trial. A genuine free plan you can run your business on, with AI quoting included.
Describe the job, get priced line items using your rates — built in, not a paid add-on.
Overhead per billable hour, margin on every quote, and your take-home after taxes.
Build request, assessment, and booking forms with your branding — not one fixed widget.