Settle vs. SimplyWise Cost Estimator
A SimplyWise Cost Estimator alternative for solo contractors
What SimplyWise Cost Estimator costs, where it caps you, and when it is the better pick. Prices checked November 4, 2026.
SimplyWise Cost Estimator is an AI estimating app that turns a job photo or description into an itemized estimate with local material prices, and can bill clients from the app. 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 SimplyWise Cost Estimator if you mostly price material-heavy jobs and want local material costs filled in for you.
Side by side
| Settle | SimplyWise Cost Estimator | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited estimates and invoices | Free: $0, no document limit | One standard plan, $29.99 a month or $239.99 a year (about $20 a month), per SimplyWise's pricing page; it notes prices can differ in the app stores |
| Limits on lower plans | None on any plan. AI drafts: 3 free, then Pro | No document limit stated on its pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | No. A 7-day free trial, then a paid plan |
| Card payment fee | Stripe's standard 2.9% + 30¢ paid to Stripe; Settle adds nothing | Not listed on its pricing page |
| Payouts | Paid straight to your own Stripe account. Stripe sets payout timing and runs its own risk checks; Settle never holds the money | The App Store listing says you can bill clients from the app; the pages we checked don't say how clients pay or where the money goes |
| Scheduling and dispatch | No | Not listed on the pages we checked |
| Platforms | iPhone only | iPhone and Android |
From each company's public pages, checked November 4, 2026. Confirm on SimplyWise Cost Estimator's page before you buy.
Why contractors look for a SimplyWise Cost Estimator alternative
There is no free plan
SimplyWise's pricing page lists one standard plan at $29.99 a month or $239.99 a year after a 7-day trial, and says there is no permanent free tier. Settle's free plan sends unlimited estimates and invoices and takes payments; Pro is only for unlimited AI drafts.
Prices come from market data, not your own history
SimplyWise's App Store listing describes real-time local material prices and price matching. That helps when you don't know a number. Settle starts from the prices you've charged before and marks any line it had to guess, so the estimate sounds like you.
Source: SimplyWise on the App Store
How you get paid isn't spelled out
The listing says you can bill clients from the app, but the pages we checked don't describe card or bank payments, fees, or where the money lands. In Settle, customers pay by card, Apple Pay or bank into a Stripe account in your name, and Settle takes no cut.
Source: SimplyWise on the App Store
When SimplyWise Cost Estimator is the better choice
- You mostly price material-heavy jobs and want local material costs filled in for you.
- You'd rather start an estimate from a photo than by talking. Settle can use photos too, but it's built around describing the job out loud.
- You're on Android. Settle is iPhone only.
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 SimplyWise Cost Estimator
Subscriptions bought in the iPhone app are cancelled through Apple (Settings, your name, Subscriptions); Android subscriptions through Google Play. We didn't find a data-export statement on the pages we checked, so save PDFs of the estimates you need before you 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 SimplyWise Cost Estimator?
Settle is a good alternative to SimplyWise Cost Estimator 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 SimplyWise Cost Estimator cost compared to Settle?
SimplyWise Cost Estimator: One standard plan, $29.99 a month or $239.99 a year (about $20 a month), per SimplyWise's pricing page; it notes prices can differ in the app stores. Cheapest plan: The standard plan; there are no feature tiers. No document limit stated on its pricing page. 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 November 4, 2026.
Can I export my data from SimplyWise Cost Estimator before I switch?
Subscriptions bought in the iPhone app are cancelled through Apple (Settings, your name, Subscriptions); Android subscriptions through Google Play. We didn't find a data-export statement on the pages we checked, so save PDFs of the estimates you need before you cancel.
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 SimplyWise Cost Estimator.
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 StoreiPhone, iOS 17 or later. Questions? Text Nina: (818) 945-9686