# Joist vs Valay Contractor

The clearest difference is rating: Joist at 4.7 against Valay Contractor's 4.2. Joist also leads on ratings volume (15K vs 10) and chart position (#13 vs unranked). Valay Contractor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (80% vs 61%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Joist sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Valay Contractor asks for nothing beyond the download.

Joist holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Joist has 15K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 61% of Joist's written reviews are positive against 80% of Valay Contractor's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Joist | Valay Contractor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joist-estimate-invoice-maker/id592163563/reviews)** | [4.2 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valay-contractor/id1285856800/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 194 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **10.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joist Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/512868153) | [Valay](https://appshunter.io/developer/1285856799) |

## What reviewers say

### Joist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joist-estimate-invoice-maker/id592163563)

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Streamline your contracting business with tools for creating professional estimates and invoices, managing jobs, and accepting secure payments. Keep all client and job details organized in one place, accessible from any device.

**Highlights:** Create professional estimates and invoices, Manage jobs and client information, Schedule work and track workload, Accept credit card and PayPal payments, Customize with company logo, Convert estimates to invoices, Export data to accounting programs

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quickbooks Sync Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Joist Basics Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Joist Pro Monthly | $16.99 | per month |
| Joist Elite Monthly | $31.99 | per month |
| Quickbooks Sync Annual | $90.99 | per year |
| Joist Run Monthly | $99.99 | per month |
| Joist Basics Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Joist Pro Annual | $169.99 | per year |
| Joist Elite Annual | $319.99 | per year |
| Joist Run Annual | $999.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Valay Contractor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/valay-contractor/id1285856800)

This app connects skilled tradespeople with customers needing services like plumbing, electrical, or repair work. Professionals can go online to receive job requests, accept them within a time limit, complete the service, and get paid.

**Highlights:** Receive on-demand job requests, Accept or deny jobs within 20 seconds, Flexible working hours, Stream of new customers, Built for contractors by contractors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Joist free?

Joist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Valay Contractor free?

Valay Contractor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Joist or Valay Contractor?

Joist is rated higher. Joist averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Valay Contractor averages 4.2 from 10 ratings.

### Do Joist or Valay Contractor have ads?

Neither Joist nor Valay Contractor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Joist or Valay Contractor?

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, and Valay Contractor every 2 weeks. Most recently, Joist was updated on November 8, 2026 and Valay Contractor on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*