Joist does one thing well: it gets a clean estimate in front of a client quickly, and turns it into an invoice with online payment. For plenty of contractors that's all they need, and Joist's cheapest plans are cheaper than VanReceipts. The reason to look elsewhere is usually what happens after the invoice: where the receipts go, what the job actually made, and whether you can write the estimate without typing every line. Prices below are as listed on Joist's pricing page on September 28, 2026.
Price
| Joist | VanReceipts | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Basics $12/mo (up to 5 documents a month), Pro $17/mo, Elite $32/mo, Run $100/mo, paid monthly | Pro $14.99/mo or $99.99/yr |
| Annual billing | About two months free on each plan | $99.99/yr, about $8.33/mo |
| Add-ons | AI Receptionist $49/mo | None |
Features
| Joist | VanReceipts | |
|---|---|---|
| Estimates to invoices | Yes | Yes, one tap |
| AI-drafted estimates | Not listed | Yes, from a photo or voice note |
| Online payments | Yes | Yes, card, wallet or bank from a pay link |
| Change orders | Elite plan | Written as a new estimate or line; free change order template |
| Receipt scanning to the job | Not listed | Yes |
| Job costing, profit per job | Job organization on Run | Yes, from receipts, mileage and hours |
| Mileage | Not listed | Yes, at your own rate |
| Scheduling visits | Run plan | No |
| Homeowner financing | Yes | No |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, web | iPhone and iPad only |
Stay with Joist if
- You only need estimates and invoices, and the Pro plan covers you.
- Anyone on your team uses Android or a computer.
- You offer homeowner financing on larger jobs.
Try VanReceipts if
- You want to talk through a job and get a drafted estimate to edit, rather than typing each line.
- You want receipts, miles and hours on the same job as the invoice, so you can see what the job made.
- You work from an iPhone and want one app from the estimate to the books.
More comparisons
If you're outgrowing both and need dispatch, see Jobber and Housecall Pro. If you want to see how an AI draft compares with a hand-typed estimate, read what AI estimating gets right, and what you still check.
What did that job really make?Profit and margin for any job in seconds.FAQ
Is Joist free?
Joist lists paid plans starting at $12 a month, with the entry plan limited to five documents a month, as of September 2026.
Does Joist have job costing?
Joist's pricing page lists job organization, linking jobs to estimates, invoices and clients, on its Run plan. It doesn't list receipt scanning or per-job profit.
