Joist vs. Jobber (2026): Price, Features, Which to Pick

Two popular apps, compared on what their own pages say. Checked October 27, 2026.

Quick answer

Joist is the lighter, cheaper app: unlimited documents from $17 a month on Pro, with scheduling only on its top Run plan. Jobber is a fuller field-service tool with scheduling on every plan, from $29 a month billed annually ($49 month-to-month). Choose Joist if you mostly send estimates and invoices. Choose Jobber if you need scheduling, dispatch or a crew.

Side by side

	Joist	Jobber	Settle
Price for unlimited documents	Pro, $17 a month	Core, $49 a month month-to-month, $39 a month with a one-year commitment, or $29 a month billed annually	Free: $0, no document limit
Limits on lower plans	Basics is capped at 5 documents a month; unlimited starts at Pro	No document limit listed on the pricing page	None on any plan. AI drafts: 3 free, then Pro
Free plan	No. Joist's pricing page says its free plan is no longer available. 14-day trial, no card	No. Free trial only	Yes
Card payment fee	Not listed on the pricing page ("standard payment processing fees apply")	2.9% + 30¢ for cards, 1% for bank payments, and 1% more for instant payouts	Stripe's standard 2.9% + 30¢ paid to Stripe; Settle adds nothing
Payouts	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	Jobber's help center says every new account has a standard payout delay of 5 business days (US and Canada), and that its Risk Team can place reviews and holds at any time	Paid straight to your own Stripe account. Stripe sets payout timing and runs its own risk checks; Settle never holds the money
Scheduling and dispatch	Only on the top Run plan ($70 to $100 a month)	Yes, on every plan	No
Platforms	iPhone, Android, web	iPhone, Android, web	iPhone only
Cancelling	On the web: Joist Pro tab, then Cancel. If you subscribed in the app, cancel through Apple or Google. Access continues until the plan expires.	Admins cancel under Account and Billing, or in the app if you subscribed there. Jobber's help center says account data stops being available after the plan ends, so export first.	Subscription billed by Apple; cancel in your iPhone settings in two taps

From each company's public pages and help centers, checked October 27, 2026. Confirm on their pages before you buy.

Choose Joist if

You mostly send estimates and invoices and want the lower monthly price: Pro is $17 a month for unlimited documents.
You want scheduling later as an upgrade (Run, $70 to $100 a month) rather than from day one.

Choose Jobber if

You need scheduling and dispatch on every plan, not just the top one.
You have employees. Jobber adds users for $29 a month each.
You want QuickBooks Online sync, which Jobber lists on its Connect plan and above.

How their prices have changed

Joist's free Starter plan became a paid Basics plan by late 2024 ($10 a month now), and Pro went from $13 a month in 2022 to $17. Jobber's Core plan is $49 month-to-month, the same as in 2022, with cheaper annual and commitment prices added. See the 2022 to 2026 price history, with a link to each archived pricing page.

A third option if you work alone

Settle is made for one person with an iPhone who mostly sends estimates and invoices. It's free with no document cap, you describe the job out loud and it writes the estimate with your own prices, and payments go to your own Stripe account. It has no scheduling, dispatch or crew logins. See Settle vs. Joist and Settle vs. Jobber.

Questions

Which is cheaper, Joist or Jobber?

Joist: Pro, $17 a month. Jobber: Core, $49 a month month-to-month, $39 a month with a one-year commitment, or $29 a month billed annually. The plans include different things, so compare features as well as price. Prices checked October 27, 2026.

Is Joist or Jobber better for a solo contractor?

For a solo contractor who mostly sends estimates and invoices, Joist is usually the lighter fit. Jobber makes sense once you schedule jobs or add people.

Is there an alternative to both Joist and Jobber?

Yes. Settle is a free iPhone app for solo contractors with no cap on estimates or invoices, and payments go to your own Stripe account. It has no scheduling, no crew logins and no Android or web app, so it only fits if you work alone on an iPhone.

Sources

Working alone? Try Settle.

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

Joist vs. Jobber: which is right for you?