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Invoice Simple vs Joist: the low-cost invoicer or the contractor's estimator
Invoice Simple and the Joist app both put estimates and invoices on your phone, and neither has a permanent free plan. Invoice Simple is the cheaper way in. Joist is built for contractors, with work orders, change orders and financing. Here's how they compare, from their own pricing pages checked November 2026.
The short version
Invoice Simple is the lowest-cost paid entry, from $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year. It's a simple invoice, estimate and receipt app with online payments on every plan. Its two lower plans cap you at 3 and 10 invoices a month. Joist starts at $10 a month for up to 5 documents, and unlimited documents start at $17 a month. What Joist adds is contractor paperwork: work orders, change orders, client approval on estimates and homeowner financing.
Both run on iPhone, Android and the web. Both take cards, US bank transfers, PayPal and Tap to Pay, and both offer a 14-day trial.
- Invoice Simple suits a low-volume invoicer who wants the cheapest paid app and read receipts.
- Joist suits a contractor whose jobs are quoted in detail and change as they go.
- Invoice Simple doesn't schedule jobs. Joist does only on its Run plan.
Invoice Simple vs the Joist app at a glance, with Workeey as the free option
Two invoice apps side by side, and the free app for a one-person trade next to them.
| Invoice Simple | Joist | Workeey | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price for one person | $6.99, $14.99 or $21.99 a month by plan — 3, 10 or unlimited invoices a month | $10, $17 or $32 a month by plan (5 documents a month on the lowest); scheduling from $70 a month, an introductory price | Free $0 · Pro $5 a month · Premium $19 a month |
| Free plan | No — a 14-day trial of Premium, then a paid plan | No — a 14-day free trial, then a paid plan | Yes — free forever, no card: unlimited invoicing, 10 payment reminder texts (switched on per invoice) and 23 quick estimates a month |
| Invoicing | Yes — capped at 3 or 10 invoices a month below Premium | Yes — capped at 5 documents a month on Basics, unlimited from Pro | Unlimited on every plan; a finished job becomes an invoice in one tap and is emailed from the app |
| Online payments | Yes — card and bank, at its own processing rates | Yes — clients pay online; deposits and milestone payments from its Pro plan | Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and US bank transfer through your own Stripe, on the free plan too; a small processing fee applies |
| Estimates | Yes — estimates alongside invoices and receipts; deposits and client signatures on Premium | Yes — contractor estimates that become invoices; client signatures from Pro, change orders on Elite and Run | 23 quick estimates a month on Free, unlimited on Pro; shared as a quote PDF that can show your deposit percent, and one tap turns it into the invoice |
| Scheduling | Not listed on its pricing page | Only on its Run plan | Yes — the day in time slots, repeating jobs, and a route to the next client |
| Google Calendar sync | Not listed on its pricing page | Calendar sync only on its Run plan | On Pro: jobs go into their own Workeey calendar in Google, and a time you move in Google writes back |
| QuickBooks sync | Not listed on its pricing page | Only on its Run plan | On Pro and Premium: customers, invoices, payments and expenses go into QuickBooks Online |
| Built for | Anyone who mainly needs to send invoices and estimates from a phone | Contractors whose day runs on estimates and invoices | One- or two-person trades running the business from a phone |
| Phone app | Yes — iPhone and Android apps, and the web | Yes — iPhone and Android apps, and the web | Android app on Google Play; runs in any phone's browser too |
Competitor details are from their own pricing pages, checked in November 2026 — prices change, so check theirs before you buy.
What Invoice Simple costs
Invoice Simple bills monthly or yearly, and it advertises the yearly price as two months free. It has no permanent free plan, but it keeps a free online invoice generator on its website, and the mobile app has a 14-day trial of Premium. Figures are from its pricing page, checked November 2026.
- Essentials: $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year, up to 3 invoices a month.
- Plus: $14.99 a month or $149.99 a year, up to 10 invoices a month, with photos, summary reports and due-date reminders.
- Premium: $21.99 a month or $219.99 a year, unlimited invoices, with deposits and premium templates.
What the Joist app costs
Joist's free plan is no longer available. Its 14-day trial covers the top plan and needs no credit card. Each plan is cheaper billed annually. Figures are from Joist's pricing page, checked November 2026.
- Basics: $10 a month, or $8.34 a month billed annually, up to 5 documents a month.
- Pro: $17 a month, or $14.17 a month billed annually, unlimited documents, with photos, client activity and work orders.
- Elite: $32 a month, or $26.67 a month billed annually, adds change orders, license and insurance details and business reports.
- Run: $70 a month introductory, from a list price of $100, adds job organizing, visit scheduling and calendar sync.
How they differ day to day
Invoice Simple is about speed on the bill. It fills in client and item details as you type, tells you in real time when a client opens your invoice, and keeps estimates, invoices and receipts in one list. Its limits are invoice counts. If you send more than ten a month, you need the top plan.
Joist is about the life of a job. An estimate becomes a work order and then an invoice, the higher plans add change orders when the scope grows, and your client can approve the estimate on the document. It also offers homeowner financing and handles deposits and milestone payments. Scheduling only arrives on Joist's top, most expensive plan, so on its lower plans you still keep your calendar somewhere else.
Getting paid works much the same way in both. Clients pay by card or US bank transfer, and both add PayPal, Tap to Pay and buy now pay later. Joist also takes Venmo and mobile check deposit. Card fees on both are set on their own fee pages, so compare them for the size of your typical job.
Which should you pick?
Pick Invoice Simple if you send a handful of invoices a month and want the lowest price and a very short learning curve. Pick Joist if you're a remodeler or contractor whose estimates are detailed and whose jobs change, and you want change orders and financing on hand. Try both on their trials with one real job each.
A free third option
If you'd rather not pay a monthly fee at all, Workeey's free plan never runs out and needs no card. It includes unlimited invoicing with a pay link and 23 quick estimates a month, shared as a quote PDF that prints your deposit percent. You get 10 payment reminder texts a month and a schedule with routes to the next client. Workeey Pro is $5 a month and Premium is $19 a month.
Workeey doesn't do what these two do best. It has no change orders, no financing, no deposit collection, no online approval of quotes, no Tap to Pay and no iPhone app. It runs as an Android app and in any phone's browser. Read Workeey vs Invoice Simple and Workeey vs Joist for the details.
Which is cheaper, Invoice Simple or Joist?
Invoice Simple, at the entry level: from $6.99 a month against Joist's $10 a month (checked November 2026). Unlimited costs more on Invoice Simple, though. Its unlimited plan is $21.99 a month, while Joist's unlimited documents start at $17 a month.
Do Invoice Simple or Joist have a free plan?
No. Invoice Simple has no permanent free plan, but it offers a free online invoice generator and a 14-day trial on mobile. Joist's free plan is no longer available, and it offers a 14-day trial with no card.
Which is better for contractors?
Joist, if your jobs change mid-way. It has work orders, change orders, client approval on estimates and homeowner financing. Invoice Simple is simpler and cheaper for straightforward invoicing.
Is the Joist app the same as Joist lumber or tools?
No. Joist here is the estimating and invoicing app for contractors at joist.com, not building materials.
Is there a free app like Invoice Simple or Joist?
Workeey is free to keep, with unlimited invoicing, quick estimates, reminder texts and a schedule. It doesn't have change orders, financing or Tap to Pay.