Comparison

Joist vs Site Plans

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

Head to head
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/

About

Site Plans

Features
Read full description

Store your site plans in the cloud. Site Plans is a modern, low cost, simple way to store, access and share your digital plans. Simply upload and store your plans in the site manager. Plans can then be shared using the unique share link. Plans can be viewed on any device without requiring any software download or installation. Changes made to plans can be re-uploaded and redistributed to site immediately. Use the built in file storage solution to store your important documents, policies, images and more. This allows you to keep all of your site related files in one organised place. • No More Paper No more ordering, printing, delivery or collection costs. No more lost, damaged or coffee stained paper plans. No more strong boxes required for plan storage. Revised plans can be uploaded, avoiding extra printing and distribution costs. Environmentally friendly. • Unlimited Shared Access Share plans from the site manager to provide access to an unlimited number of people, as often as you need. • Cloud Based Available world wide with 24/7 access. Changes in the site manager are updated instantly for immediate sharing. Secure administrator login. - Subscription Details - Site Plans requires a month to month subscription after your free trial. Your subscription can be cancelled at any time. No long term commitment required. Subscriptions will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew unless automatic renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and automatic renewal status in Account Settings after purchase. Price may vary by location. Privacy Policy: https://smudge.app/privacy Terms and Conditions: https://smudge.app/app-terms

Screenshots

Joist4 screens
Site Plans4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Joist at every 2 weeks against Site Plans's monthly. Joist also leads on chart position (#16 vs unranked). Site Plans's advantage is device support (5 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Joist sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Site Plans sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, Site Plans monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Joist versus Site Plans: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJoistSite Plans
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings14K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
Best chart rank#16 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoist Software Inc.Thomas Coomer

Bugs and 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

Site Plans

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

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
10 purchases

Site Plans

Subscriptions6
  • Tier 114 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Storage Tier 1$9.991 Month
  • Tier 2$12.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Tier 3$24.991 Month
  • Files Tier 2$49.991 Month
  • Filest Tier 3$119.991 Month
One-time4
  • Tier 1 (365 Days)$48.99
  • Garage$48.99
  • Container$149.99
Show 1 more
  • Warehouse$899.99

Questions

Is Joist free?
Joist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Site Plans free?
Site Plans is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Joist or Site Plans have ads?
Neither Joist nor Site Plans shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Joist or Site Plans?
Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, and Site Plans monthly. Most recently, Joist was updated on October 29, 2026 and Site Plans on October 12, 2026.

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