Joist Alternative (2026): Settle vs. Joist

What Joist costs, where it caps you, and when it is the better pick. Prices checked October 27, 2026.

Quick answer

Joist is an estimate and invoice app for contractors, with scheduling and job tracking on its top plan. Settle is a free iPhone app for solo contractors with no cap on estimates or invoices, where payments go to your own Stripe account. Choose Settle if you work alone on an iPhone. Stay with Joist if you need an Android or web app.

Side by side

	Settle	Joist
Unlimited estimates and invoices	Free: $0, no document limit	Pro, $17 a month
Limits on lower plans	None on any plan. AI drafts: 3 free, then Pro	Basics is capped at 5 documents a month; unlimited starts at Pro
Free plan	Yes	No. Joist's pricing page says its free plan is no longer available. 14-day trial, no card
Card payment fee	Stripe's standard 2.9% + 30¢ paid to Stripe; Settle adds nothing	Not listed on the pricing page ("standard payment processing fees apply")
Payouts	Paid straight to your own Stripe account. Stripe sets payout timing and runs its own risk checks; Settle never holds the money	Joist Payments runs on Stripe; Joist's help center lists standard payouts at 1 to 2 business days and a 7-day wait for the first Stripe payout
Scheduling and dispatch	No	Only on the top Run plan ($70 to $100 a month)
Platforms	iPhone only	iPhone, Android, web

From each company's public pages, checked October 27, 2026. Confirm on Joist's page before you buy.

Why contractors look for a Joist alternative

The free plan is gone, and the cheapest plan has a cap

Joist's pricing page says its free plan is no longer available. Its entry plan, Basics, allows 5 documents a month. Unlimited documents start on Pro at $17 a month. Settle's free plan has no limit on estimates or invoices.

Source: Joist pricing

You build an item list before it pays off

Joist's estimates lean on a saved item list. Reviewers say the early weeks are slow. Settle learns your prices from the estimates you send, so there is nothing to set up first.

"At first it's time consuming, adding items slowly."Joist reviewer, Software Advice

Exporting your records takes a computer

Joist's help center says invoice and estimate data can only be exported from a desktop or laptop on the Joist website, one month at a time. Settle exports everything to CSV from your phone, any time, on any plan.

Source: Joist help: export your data

When Joist is the better choice

You need an Android or web app. Settle is iPhone only.
You want scheduling and job tracking in the same app. Joist has it on its Run plan; Settle has none.
You want to sync your client and item lists with QuickBooks. Joist's help center describes that sync; Settle only exports CSV.
You want Joist Pro extras such as work orders. Settle doesn't have them.

When Settle is not the right app

We would rather you know before you download:

iPhone only. There is no Android app and no web app.
No scheduling, dispatching, GPS or time tracking.
No QuickBooks sync. You can export everything to CSV.
One user per account. No crew or team logins.
Documents live on your phone. There is no sync between devices yet.
English only for now.
A new app from a small team. Most of the apps it competes with have been around for years.

How to switch from Joist

Joist's help center says access continues until your plan expires, so you can keep exporting. Export your client list (Clients, then the three-dot menu, then Export) and your invoice data first, then cancel.

There is nothing to import into Settle. Open the app, tap the orange button, and describe your next job. Your own prices are remembered from what you send, so your old price list doesn't need to come along.

Questions

Is Settle a good alternative to Joist?

Settle is a good alternative to Joist if you work alone, use an iPhone, and want no cap on how many estimates and invoices you send. It is not a replacement if you need scheduling, dispatch, a crew login, QuickBooks sync, or an Android or web app.

How much does Joist cost compared to Settle?

Joist: Pro, $17 a month. Cheapest plan: Basics, around $10 a month. Basics is capped at 5 documents a month; unlimited starts at Pro. Settle's free plan sends unlimited estimates and invoices; Settle Pro is $19.99 a month or $149.99 a year and adds unlimited AI-written drafts. Prices checked October 27, 2026.

Can I export my data from Joist before I switch?

Does Settle hold my money?

No. Customers pay through a link, and the payment goes to a Stripe account in your own name. Settle takes no cut and is never in the money path. Stripe sets payout timing and still runs its own identity and risk checks, as it does for any business.

Sources

Try Settle alongside Joist.

Free on iPhone. Unlimited estimates and invoices. 7 days of Pro to try the voice drafts, and you cancel in two taps.

Download on the App Store

iPhone, iOS 17 or later. Questions? Text Nina: (818) 945-9686

A Joist alternative for solo contractors