Comparison

Zoho Invoice Maker App vs Joist

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Zoho Invoice Maker App

Create professional invoices and estimates for your small business. Send them directly to clients, accept online payments, and automate reminders for overdue bills. Track expenses and gain insights into your business finances with comprehensive reports.

Highlights
  • Create professional invoices
  • Generate estimates
  • Accept online payments
  • Automated payment reminders
  • Track business expenses
  • Customer portal
  • Time tracking for projects
Features
Read full description

Zoho Invoice is a completely FREE invoicing application that ensures you get paid for your hard work. Zoho Invoice is the perfect invoicing app for your small business, allowing you to create estimates, convert them into professional invoices, send the invoices, and receive payments from customers. Here's everything you need to know about the ultimate invoice creator app, Zoho Invoice. The best invoicing app is on the house Zoho Invoice was a paid app until 2021, when we decided to level the playing field for small businesses and made it completely free. Zoho Invoice does not have hidden paid plans; it is free forever. Create and send invoices however you'd like You get to choose from over 18 professional invoice templates and customize the tables, fonts, colors, fields, and more. The invoices can be sent directly to the customer's email inbox or downloaded as a PDF invoice, which can be shared via iMessage or WhatsApp. Easily collect and track online payments Connect your Zoho Invoice account to a payment gateway and give your customers the flexibility to pay with their preferred payment modes. Upon payment, invoices are automatically marked as "paid" in Zoho Invoice. Your payment follow-ups are on autopilot Configure automated payment reminders to follow up with customers for overdue invoices. You have full control over when the payment reminders are sent and can customize the emails as you'd like. Get better deals with estimates
 Use Zoho Invoice's estimates to negotiate with customers and close deals. Customers can view, discuss, reject, and approve estimates. Approved estimates are automatically converted into invoices. Work on hour-based projects with time tracking If you're a freelancer or small business where you charge customers based on total hours spent on the project, you can use Zoho Invoice to track time and convert timesheets into invoices. A simplified and elevated customer experience Your customers are empowered with a portal where they can log in with a user ID and password. Here, they can view credits, approve and reject estimates, pay invoices, download customer statements, and drop feedback. Track every penny that leaves your business's pockets All these capabilities aside, Zoho Invoice is also your friendly business expense tracking app. Record unbillable expenses like rent and maintenance. Also, record billable expenses like raw material costs and get reimbursed by customers. Your business's numbers at your fingertips The moment you log into Zoho Invoice, the dashboard gives you a visual glimpse of your business's health. Dive into deeper metrics with in-depth reports on best-selling products and services, AR aging, top customers, expenses, and projects.   We're constantly tweaking your favorite invoice maker app to work better with your Apple device. We also focus our efforts towards introducing features exclusive to iOS. Here are some of Zoho Invoice's special features tailored for iOS: • Place a handy widget on your iPhone's home screen that shows crucial business numbers and also allows you to perform quick actions. • Secure your financial information with the Touch/Face/Apple ID passcode verification. • Print your invoices and estimates using Air Print. • Upload and store your customer files securely on iCloud. • Use Zoho Invoice's built-in document scanner to save clear copies of paper documents. • Add new contacts using the OCR-powered scan feature by simply snapping a picture of the customer's business card. • Locate your customers' addresses on the map so your field staff can navigate to the locations effortlessly.   Zoho Invoice is trusted by thousands of businesses around the world. Download the Zoho Invoice app today to simplify your invoicing and payment tracking.   Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions: - https://www.zoho.com/privacy.html - https://www.zoho.com/terms.html   Have questions? Write to us at support+mobile@zohoinvoice.com

About

Joist

Streamline your contracting business with this app. Create professional estimates and invoices quickly, accept payments, and manage client information all from your mobile device. Save time and win more jobs with organized project management.

Highlights
  • Create professional estimates and invoices
  • Accept credit card and PayPal payments
  • Manage client information
  • Convert estimates to invoices
  • Attach photos and contracts
  • Export to accounting software
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Win more jobs and get paid faster with Joist — the ultimate estimate, invoice & job management tool for contractors. Manage your business entirely from your iPhone or iPad. Create professional quotes in seconds, schedule work, accept secure payments, and stay ahead of the competition with the industry's most trusted tool for builders. Whether you are estimating on-site, scheduling upcoming work, or sending professional bills from the office, Joist saves time, keeps you organized, and helps you stay on top of your workday. Note: Payments functionality is currently available in the US & Canada. ——— WHY CONTRACTORS LOVE JOIST • SAVES TIME – Complete administrative work at the jobsite or on-the-go. Stop spending evenings catching up on paperwork, paper notes & digital receipts. • STAY ORGANIZED – Keep every job organized in one place. Connect customer details, estimates, invoices, notes, and schedules so you always know where work stands without digging through texts or spreadsheets. • PLAN WITH CONFIDENCE – See upcoming work in a simple calendar view, avoid scheduling conflicts, and always know what’s coming next. • WIN MORE JOBS – Send your client an estimate before you leave. Be the first to create an estimate & give them the opportunity to say YES on the spot. • SPEED UP ESTIMATING & INVOICING – Build estimates & invoices quicker by selecting from your list of commonly used materials + labor rates. • ACCEPT PAYMENTS – Accept Credit Card & PayPal payments directly through Joist. No more driving around to pick up checks. • EASILY MANAGE CLIENTS – Create, organize & store valuable info to access your clients' data anytime, on the go. • LOOK PROFESSIONAL – Show clients you are the contractor they should trust with customized estimates & invoices. ——— KEY FEATURES • Create & organize jobs, keeping notes, photos, estimates & invoices connected • Schedule visits for every job & track workload in a simple calendar view • Customize estimates & invoices with company info & logo • Attach a client contract & collect a signature on the spot • Accept Credit Card & PayPal payments directly through the app • Build a list of commonly used items, services & materials • Attach photos to your estimates & invoices • Preview, print, or email estimates & invoices on the spot • Create personal messages & digital receipts for your clients • Convert estimates into invoices ASAP • Keep track of customer payments & bills • Export data into your accounting program to reduce costs • Access all your info from any device or the web — Joist is cloud-based. ——— USE CASES & VERSATILITY • On-Site Estimates: Walk through a job & create a quote before leaving the property. • Smart Scheduling: Plan your workday, set up job site visits, and stay on top of active work. • Job Organization: Keep estimates, invoices, client notes & photos grouped neatly under each job. • Instant Invoicing: Convert approved quotes into professional bills & send instantly. • Mobile Payments: Accept payments immediately upon job completion. • Project Tracking: Use the estimator for accurate material & labor margins. ——— WHO USES JOIST General contractors, handymen, electricians, plumbers, builders, landscapers, roofers, painters, HVAC, flooring, remodeling, construction & more! ——— WHAT OTHER CONTRACTORS ARE SAYING "Now I can do quotes on the fly! I don't have to walk through the job & write everything down; it's all programmed into my iPad right from material cost to cost per square foot! This app is so awesome." ——— JOIST SUBSCRIPTIONS You can subscribe to Joist Pro or Joist Elite (Monthly/Annual). Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off 24 hrs prior to the end of the current period. Manage settings in App Store or iTunes. ——— Joist is FREE to Download & FREE to try! Available on iPhone, iPad & desktop. Get support FAST: hello@joist.com | www.joist.com | In-app live chat Terms: https://www.joist.com/terms/ Privacy: https://www.joist.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Zoho Invoice Maker App4 screens
Joist4 screens

Verdict

The call

Zoho Invoice Maker App and Joist both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Zoho Invoice Maker App's written reviews are positive against 61% of Joist's. Zoho Invoice Maker App also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium) and device support (4 vs 2). Joist's advantage is chart position (#15 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Zoho Invoice Maker App sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Joist sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Zoho Invoice Maker App against 4.7 for Joist. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15K and 14K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Zoho Invoice Maker App's written reviews are positive against 61% of Joist's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zoho Invoice Maker App ships an update every 9 days, Joist every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Zoho Invoice Maker App versus Joist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZoho Invoice Maker AppJoist
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (15K ratings) — better4.7 (14K ratings)
Positive reviews90.5% of reviews — better61.3% of reviews
Number of ratings15K — better14K
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank—#15 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size396 MB193 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZoho CorporationJoist Software Inc.

Customer experience

Zoho Invoice Maker App

All ratings15,008 ratings
Positive97.7%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews724 reviews
Positive90.5%
Neutral1.7%
Negative7.9%

Joist

All ratings14,376 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews463 reviews
Positive61.3%
Neutral7.3%
Negative31.3%

User reviews

Zoho Invoice Maker App

From 15K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 User-friendly
  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 💰 Free app
  • ⭐ Excellent functionality
  • 🔧 Customizable templates

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Limited customization options
  • 🔒 Security concerns with account access
  • 💻 Requires internet connection
  • 📁 Difficulty managing contacts and expenses

Joist

From 14K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Professional-looking invoices
  • 🚀 Convenient for small businesses
  • 🚀 Helpful for organizing estimates and invoices
  • 🚀 Great customer service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🔒 Security and payment processing issues
  • 💰 Expensive subscription fees
  • 🔒 Locking users out of their data
  • 🤯 Removing previously free features

Bugs and requests

Zoho Invoice Maker App

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Invoices not sending to clients
  • Inability to edit or delete saved contacts
  • Timesheet entries not syncing properly
  • Recurring invoice issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline mode for invoicing
  • Advanced expense tracking and categorization
  • Bulk invoice management and emailing
  • Integration with accounting software
  • Customizable invoice templates and branding

Joist

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Freezing when removing photos
  • Estimates and invoices not being delivered
  • Inconsistent behavior across devices
  • Issues with payment processing and funds being held

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline mode
  • Ability to customize invoices and estimates
  • More payment options
  • Integration with accounting software
  • Better organization and search for past invoices

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Zoho Invoice Maker App

Subscriptions10
  • Basic - Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Basic Plan - Monthly$10.991 Month
  • Standard - Monthly$14.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Standard Plan - Monthly$21.991 Month
  • Professional - Monthly$29.991 Month
  • Professional Plan - Monthly$32.991 Month
  • Basic - Yearly$69.991 Year
  • Basic Plan - Yearly$107.991 Year
  • Standard - Yearly$149.991 Year
  • Standard Plan - Yearly$229.991 Year
10 purchases

Joist

Subscriptions10
  • Quickbooks Sync Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Joist Basics Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Joist Pro Monthly$16.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Joist Elite Monthly$31.991 Month
  • Quickbooks Sync Annual$90.991 Year
  • Joist Run Monthly$99.991 Month
  • Joist Basics Annual$99.991 Year
  • Joist Pro Annual$169.991 Year
  • Joist Elite Annual$319.991 Year
  • Joist Run Annual$999.991 Year

Questions

Is Zoho Invoice Maker App free?
Zoho Invoice Maker App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Joist free?
Joist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Zoho Invoice Maker App or Joist?
Zoho Invoice Maker App is rated higher. Zoho Invoice Maker App averages 4.9 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Joist averages 4.7 from 14K ratings.
Do Zoho Invoice Maker App or Joist have ads?
Neither Zoho Invoice Maker App nor Joist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zoho Invoice Maker App or Joist?
Zoho Invoice Maker App ships an update every 9 days, and Joist every 2 weeks. Most recently, Zoho Invoice Maker App was updated on October 30, 2026 and Joist on October 30, 2026.

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