Comparison

ServicePal vs Joist

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

Head to head
About

ServicePal

This app transforms your tablet into a digital tool for managing service work. It streamlines job scheduling, invoicing, estimates, and inspections, helping to reduce paperwork and improve efficiency for field service professionals. It also offers features like appointment reminders and mobile payment acceptance.

Highlights
  • Electronic work orders, invoices, estimates, and inspections
  • Scheduling and dispatching
  • Price book with flat rate pricing
  • Mobile payment acceptance
  • Offline work capability
  • Customer signature capture
  • Customizable invoice formats
Read full description

ServicePal turns your iPad into an electronic clipboard for work orders, invoices, estimates, and inspections. ServicePal for iPad works with ServicePal for the Office, bringing comprehensive scheduling and dispatching to your company. BENEFITS - Minimize paperwork. - Schedule and dispatch jobs with ease - Up-to-date price book at your fingertips - Sell more service agreements - Appointment reminders - Shorten drive time - Accept mobile payments (merchant account required) - Work offline - Capture customer signatures, photos and notes - Email invoices FEATURES - Price Book with support for Flat Rate pricing - Offer discounts and coupons - Sales tax calculation. Supports multiple rates - Custom invoice formats - Equipment tracking - Supports multiple service locations - Integrates with Apple Maps or Google Maps - Industry specific forms - Customize invoices using drag/drop Form Designer - Text Messaging reminders to customers. - Form library: Invoice, Estimate, Work Order, NFPA-72, HVAC Work Order, Pool Cleaning, Landscape Maintenance, Insulation Estimate, HVAC Maintenance Agreement, Level 1 and Level 2 Chimney Inspections, Dryer Vent Inspection, Safety Inspection, Multi-Unit, Inspection, Pest Inspection, Equipment Inspection (Water heater, Boiler, Furnace, Water Heater), Bleacher inspections and more... Works across field service disciplines - Air Quality testing - Bleacher Inspections - Chimney Inspections (Level 1 chimney inspection, Level 2 Chimney inspection) - Chimney Sweep scheduling - Electrical services - Elevator Repair - Facilities Management - Fireplace / Hearth repair - Fire Inspections, Fire Safety (NFPA-72) - Hood Cleaning / Commercial Kitchen service (NFPA-98) - HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) - Inspections (fire, property, state and local government) - Landscaping - Machine Calibration - Pest & Termite Control - Plumbing - Pool Service - Rental Agencies - Solar panel installers and more REVIEWS "Customer's perception of my business have massively improved!" "My company has been fully paperless in the field for 5 yrs with ServicePal" "The most straightforward, adaptable, and easy to use app in its class. The form builder allows you to make beautiful, fully customized worksheets, invoices, estimates, inspections, ...whatever you need. All kept and synced in the cloud...no tech burden or experts necessary!" "We have been utilizing this app in our service department and found it to be very beneficial. Not only to us as a company, but for our customers as well!" "This app has been greatly beneficial to our HVAC company. I enjoy the ability to share information about jobs with our service techs. The tech support team is also very responsive to the questions that I have." "This is the first mobile solution we have been able to use for our air filtration business. ServicePal is critical to our ongoing maintenance and service offerings. With ServicePal we are able to service our customers more consistently and see if we are running behind on jobs."

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

Joist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ServicePal at 94% against Joist's 62%. ServicePal also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). Joist's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 7). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. ServicePal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase 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

ServicePal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Joist has 14K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of ServicePal's written reviews are positive against 62% of Joist's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ServicePal ships an update every 3 months, Joist every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
ServicePal versus Joist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterServicePalJoist
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (7 ratings) — better4.7 (14K ratings)
Positive reviews93.9% of reviews — better62.0% of reviews
Number of ratings714K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank—#16 — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB191 MB
Age rating12++4
DeveloperServicePal Inc.Joist Software Inc.

Customer experience

ServicePal

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive93.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.1%

Joist

All ratings14,117 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews455 reviews
Positive62.0%
Neutral7.3%
Negative30.8%

Bugs and requests

ServicePal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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

1 purchases

ServicePal

One-time1
  • PREMIUM$59.99
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 ServicePal free?
ServicePal 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, ServicePal or Joist?
ServicePal is rated higher. ServicePal averages 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Joist averages 4.7 from 14K ratings.
Do ServicePal or Joist have ads?
Neither ServicePal nor Joist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ServicePal or Joist?
ServicePal ships an update every 3 months, and Joist every 2 weeks. Most recently, ServicePal was updated on June 9, 2026 and Joist on September 25, 2026.

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