Updated October 2026 · Prices verified on Jobber’s and Joist’s official pricing pages
Jobber vs Joist is a common question for contractors who started with a simple estimating app and are wondering whether it’s time to upgrade. Joist is a low-cost app for writing estimates and invoices on your phone, with plans from $10 a month. Jobber does estimates and invoices too, but it’s built to run the whole business: scheduling, client reminders, automatic follow-ups and a team. The right choice depends on how much of your business you need the software to handle.
This guide compares current pricing for both, what each plan includes, and when it makes sense to stay on Joist or move to Jobber.
Quick Verdict
- Stay with Joist if you’re a solo contractor who mainly needs professional estimates and invoices, you schedule jobs in your head or a phone calendar, and you want to keep software costs as low as possible.
- Choose Jobber if you’re juggling several jobs a week, you want scheduling, client reminders and automatic quote and invoice follow-ups, or you have (or plan to hire) a crew.
- Price: Joist runs $10–32/month for its estimating plans and $70/month (introductory price) for its Run plan with scheduling. Jobber starts at $29/month (1 user, billed annually), with scheduling included.
- Trial: both offer a free trial with no credit card. Joist’s is 14 days. Joist no longer has a free plan.
Jobber vs Joist at a Glance
| Jobber | Joist | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Field service management: quotes, scheduling, invoicing, payments, client management | Estimating and invoicing app, with job scheduling on its top plan |
| Starting price | $29/month (1 user, annual) or $49 month-to-month | $10/month (Basics) |
| Plans | Core, Connect, Grow, Plus (teams) | Basics, Pro, Elite, Run |
| Free plan | ❌ No (free trial) | ❌ No longer offered (free trial) |
| Free trial | ✅ Yes, no credit card | ✅ 14 days, no credit card |
| Scheduling | ✅ All plans, with online booking | ⚠️ Run plan only ($70/month) |
| Automatic reminders & follow-ups | ✅ Connect and up | ⚠️ Not listed on Joist’s pricing page |
| Team / multiple users | ✅ Team plans for 2–5 and 6–10 people | ⚠️ No team plans listed; built for owner-operators |
| Online payments | ✅ All plans | ✅ All plans |
| Homeowner financing | ⚠️ Not listed in Jobber’s plans | ✅ All plans |
| AI receptionist | $29/month add-on (included in Plus) | $49/month add-on |
| Best for | Growing businesses that want one system for the whole job | Solo contractors who mainly need estimates and invoices |
Pricing: Jobber vs Joist
Joist pricing
Joist publishes four plans. Annual billing gives you two months free:
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (approx.) | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basics | $10 | ~$8/month | Up to 5 documents a month, online payments, estimates to invoices, AI tools, homeowner financing |
| Pro | $17 | ~$14/month | Unlimited documents and clients, your logo, line items and photos, client activity tracking, work orders |
| Elite | $32 | ~$27/month | License and insurance storage, change orders, business and sales reports, Joist Reviews, social integrations |
| Run | $70 (intro price; listed at $100) | ~$58/month at the intro price | Job organization, visit scheduling, and linking jobs to estimates, invoices and clients |
Joist’s AI Receptionist, which answers missed calls and captures leads, is a $49/month add-on. Standard card processing fees apply to Joist Payments, and there are no setup fees. Note that the Run plan’s $70 price is an introductory 30% discount, so it may rise to $100. For every plan in detail, including payment processing fees, see our Joist pricing guide.
Jobber pricing
Jobber publishes every plan. Solo plans cost $29 (Core), $99 (Connect) or $149 (Grow) a month billed annually, or $49, $139 and $199 month-to-month. Team plans include a set number of users:
| Team size | Connect | Grow | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2–5 people | $149/month | $229/month | $399/month |
| 6–10 people | $229/month | $299/month | $449/month |
Optional add-ons are the Marketing Suite ($99/month), AI Receptionist ($29/month) and Sales Pipeline ($49/month), all included in Plus. There are no setup fees. For the full breakdown, see our Jobber pricing guide.
What You’ll Actually Pay
The two tools overlap less than their prices suggest, so it helps to compare by what you need, month-to-month:
| What you need | Joist | Jobber |
|---|---|---|
| Estimates and invoices only, a few jobs a month | $10/month (Basics) | $49/month (Core), more than you need |
| Unlimited estimates and invoices with your logo | $17/month (Pro) | $49/month (Core) |
| Estimates, invoices and job scheduling | $70/month (Run, intro price) | $49/month (Core) |
| Plus automatic reminders, follow-ups and QuickBooks sync | Not available as a package | $139/month (Connect) |
| A team of 2–5 people | No team plans listed | $199/month (Connect, 2–5) |
The pattern: Joist is the cheapest way to send professional estimates and invoices. But once you want scheduling, Jobber’s entry plan is cheaper than Joist’s Run plan, and it includes online booking too. Past that point, Jobber is the more complete system.
Features Compared
Estimates and invoices
This is Joist’s core strength. It’s quick to build a professional estimate on your phone, add photos and line items (Pro and up), get it approved and turn it into an invoice. Elite adds change orders, which matter for remodeling and renovation work. Jobber’s quotes are equally professional, and on Grow you get rich quotes with photos and reviews plus optional line items customers can add themselves.
Scheduling and dispatch
Here the tools split. Joist only added visit scheduling with its Run plan; the cheaper plans have no schedule. Jobber is built around the schedule: every plan includes job scheduling and online booking, and team plans let you assign visits to crew members, with crew scheduling on Plus.
Automation and follow-ups
Jobber’s Connect plan adds automatic visit reminders, quote follow-ups and invoice reminders, plus automatic payment collection. These are often what make the upgrade pay for itself, because they win back quotes and payments you’d otherwise forget to chase. Joist’s pricing page doesn’t list automatic follow-ups on any plan.
Payments and financing
Both take online payments. Joist includes homeowner financing on every plan, which can help close larger jobs, and lists contractor lending among its features. Jobber offers automatic payment collection from Connect and QuickBooks Online sync from Connect.
Teams
Jobber has dedicated team plans for 2–5 and 6–10 people, so your price doesn’t jump with every hire within that range. Joist’s pricing page doesn’t list team or multi-user plans; it’s aimed at owner-operators. If you’re about to hire your first helper, that alone may decide it.
When to Switch From Joist to Jobber
Many contractors start with Joist and move to a fuller system as they grow. It’s probably time to switch if:
- You’re running more than a handful of jobs a week and keeping the schedule in your head or a notebook.
- Quotes go unanswered because you don’t have time to follow up.
- You’re chasing unpaid invoices by hand.
- You’ve hired, or are about to hire, someone who needs to see their jobs.
- You’d be paying for Joist Run anyway to get scheduling.
If none of these apply, Joist is doing its job and there’s no need to pay more.
Which Is Better for Your Business?
| Your business | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Part-time or just starting, a few jobs a month | Joist (Basics or Pro) |
| Solo remodeler or handyman who mainly quotes and invoices | Joist (Pro or Elite) |
| Solo contractor with a full weekly schedule | Jobber (Core or Connect) |
| Lawn care, cleaning or other recurring service work | Jobber |
| Any business with 2 or more people | Jobber |
Still comparing? See our Jobber vs QuoteIQ, Jobber vs Housecall Pro and Jobber vs Workiz comparisons, or our guide to software for general contractors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Joist cheaper than Jobber?
For estimates and invoices only, yes: Joist starts at $10 a month versus $29 a month (billed annually) for Jobber Core. But if you need scheduling, Joist’s Run plan ($70 a month at its introductory price) costs more than Jobber Core, which includes scheduling.
Does Joist still have a free plan?
No. Joist’s pricing page says the free plan is no longer available. New users get a 14-day free trial with full access to the Run plan and no credit card.
Does Joist have scheduling?
Only on the Run plan, which adds job organization and visit scheduling. The Basics, Pro and Elite plans focus on estimates, invoices and payments.
Can Joist handle a team?
Joist’s pricing page doesn’t list team or multi-user plans; it’s built for owner-operators. Jobber has team plans for 2–5 and 6–10 people.
Does Jobber offer homeowner financing like Joist?
Homeowner financing isn’t listed in Jobber’s plans; check Jobber’s app marketplace for financing integrations. Joist includes it on every plan, which is a point in its favor if financing helps you close larger jobs.
Can I try both?
Yes. Both offer free trials with no credit card. Joist’s trial is 14 days and includes its Run plan.
The Bottom Line
Joist is a great, low-cost tool for solo contractors who mainly need to send professional estimates and invoices. Jobber is the better choice once you need to run the whole job: scheduling, reminders, automatic follow-ups and a crew. If you’re already paying for Joist Run to get scheduling, or you’re about to hire, Jobber’s Core or Connect plan is likely the better value. Start with Jobber’s free trial and see if it covers how you work.
Prices change, so confirm current rates on each vendor’s website before buying. ContractorTechGuide.com reviews software for contractors and trade businesses. Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We have no financial relationship with Joist. That never affects our recommendations.