Joist Alternative · Updated May 2026

Looking for an alternative to Joist? Here's how JobStack compares.

Joist is a popular, very affordable estimate-and-invoice app for contractors — starting at $10/month. It's not really a CRM, though: there's no job scheduling, no customer pipeline, and no AI. If you only need to quote and bill, Joist is excellent value. If you want the whole operation in one place, that's where JobStack comes in. Honest comparison below.

Side by side

	Joist	JobStack
Best for	Contractors who only need estimates & invoices	Solo operators and crews up to 5
Starting price	$10/mo (Basics)	$29/mo (1 user)
Full CRM (scheduling + customers)	No — estimates/invoices only	Yes
Job scheduling	No	Yes
Built-in AI auto-responder	No	Yes, on AI Assistant tier
Voice-to-estimate	No	Yes
Automated follow-ups	No	Yes (on AI Assistant)
Online payments	Yes	Yes
Homeowner financing	Yes	Not at launch
Document limits	5/mo on Basics; unlimited on Pro+	Unlimited
Track record	Established (EverCommerce)	Pre-launch (no reviews yet)
Contract	Monthly or annual (2 months free)	Monthly, no contract

Joist pricing reflects its current per-account tiers (Basics $10/mo, Pro $16/mo, Elite $32/mo; ~2 months free annual). JobStack is pre-launch; its figures are planned. Confirm current Joist details at For the plan-by-plan cost breakdown, see the Joist pricing guide.

Where Joist wins

Hard to beat on price.

Joist's Basics plan is $10/month and Pro is $16. For a contractor who just needs to send professional estimates and invoices, that's about as cheap as paid software gets — well below JobStack's $29 entry.
Dead-simple estimating and invoicing.

Joist does one job and does it cleanly: build an estimate on your phone, convert it to an invoice, take payment. No learning curve, no setup. For pure quote-to-bill, it's excellent.
Homeowner financing built in.

Joist offers financing options that let customers pay over time — a genuinely useful feature for bigger-ticket jobs that JobStack won't have at launch.
Per-account pricing.

Joist charges per account, not per user, so a small team can share one subscription. For light invoicing needs, that keeps the cost flat.

Where JobStack wins

It's a CRM, not just an invoice app.

JobStack schedules jobs, keeps full customer and job history, sends appointment reminders, and runs your pipeline. Joist is estimates and invoices — anything beyond billing, you'd be running in another tool.
AI that answers, drafts, and chases.

Missed-call text-back, voice-to-estimate, and automated follow-ups on bids and unpaid invoices are core to JobStack's $59 AI Assistant tier. Joist has no AI.
No document caps.

Joist's $10 Basics plan limits you to five documents a month. JobStack's plans don't cap your estimates and invoices — quote as much as you want.
One system instead of three.

If you use Joist for billing, a calendar app for scheduling, and your phone for customer notes, JobStack replaces all three with one place that also does the AI work.

How to decide

A few honest filters:

You only ever need estimates and invoices: Joist. At $10–$16/mo it's the cheaper, simpler choice for pure quote-to-bill.
You also need scheduling and customer history: JobStack. Joist doesn't schedule jobs or run a customer pipeline.
You want AI answering leads and chasing invoices: JobStack. Joist has no AI features.
You're hitting Joist's 5-document Basics limit: Either upgrade Joist to Pro, or move to JobStack for uncapped documents plus the rest of the CRM.
You offer financing on big jobs: Joist has built-in homeowner financing JobStack won't have at launch — weigh that if it's central to how you sell.

Pricing side by side

Joist (as of May 2026)

Basics: $10/mo, up to 5 documents/month, online payments + financing
Pro: $16/mo, unlimited documents & clients, logo, work orders
Elite: $32/mo, business reports, change orders, advanced line items

Joist's current per-account pricing; annual billing includes ~2 months free, and a 14-day trial of Pro/Elite is available. Payment-processing fees are separate. Check joist.com for current details.

JobStack

Solo Pro: $29/mo, 1 user
AI Assistant: $59/mo, 1 user, full AI
Small Crew: $99/mo, up to 5 users

Flat tiers. No per-user fees.

Make the switch

JobStack launches soon. Be first in line.

Get notified when we open up, plus a hand-written migration guide to move your data from Joist.

Notify me at launch See the migration guide

Frequently asked questions

Is JobStack cheaper than Joist?

No — Joist is cheaper, starting at $10/mo versus JobStack's $29. But they're different tools: Joist is an estimate-and-invoice app, while JobStack is a full CRM with scheduling, customer history, and AI. You're comparing a billing app to an all-in-one system.

Does Joist do scheduling or have a CRM?

No. Joist focuses on estimates, invoices, and payments. It doesn't schedule jobs or run a customer pipeline, so most contractors pair it with a separate calendar or CRM. JobStack rolls scheduling, customer management, invoicing, and AI into one tool.

Does Joist have AI features?

No. Joist has no AI auto-responder, voice-to-estimate, or automated follow-ups. Those are part of JobStack's $59 AI Assistant tier.

Can I import my data from Joist?

Yes, at launch. Export your clients, estimates, and invoices from Joist and JobStack will import them — see /switch-from/joist/ for the steps. Because Joist holds less data than a full CRM, the migration is usually quick.

Should I switch from Joist to JobStack?

Only if you've outgrown pure invoicing. If Joist covers everything you need, its price is unbeatable. If you're stitching Joist together with a calendar and notes app — or you want AI and scheduling in one place — JobStack is the upgrade.

Looking for JobStack for your line of work? Browse CRM by trade, compare all alternatives, or try the free contractor tools.

Comparison verified as of May 2026. Joist and other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. We don't speak for them; check their sites for current details.