# Joist vs Design a Dock

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Design a Dock at none against Joist's 10. Design a Dock also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Joist's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 3). On price, 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. Design a Dock asks for nothing beyond the download.

Design a Dock 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 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, Design a Dock every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Joist | Design a Dock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joist-estimate-invoice-maker/id592163563/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/design-a-dock/id1460839874/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#15** | — |
| Size | 193 MB | 116 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joist Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/512868153) | [FLOE International](https://appshunter.io/developer/1460839873) |

## What reviewers say

### Joist

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

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

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:** 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


### Design a Dock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/design-a-dock/id1460839874)

Design your ideal modular aluminum dock from your phone. Choose size, style, and accessories to create a durable and safe dock tailored to your shoreline needs.

**Highlights:** Modular aluminum dock styles, Customizable size and design, Accessory selection, Durable and safe engineering, Shoreline needs assessment

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Joist free?

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

### Is Design a Dock free?

Design a Dock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Joist or Design a Dock?

Design a Dock is rated higher. Joist averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Design a Dock averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Joist or Design a Dock have ads?

Neither Joist nor Design a Dock shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Joist or Design a Dock?

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, and Design a Dock every 7 months. Most recently, Joist was updated on November 1, 2026 and Design a Dock on October 14, 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.*