Comparison

Joist vs Buildwise

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

Buildwise

Streamline construction project management by automating the tracking of job site time, material receipts, and invoices. This app simplifies manual coding and provides real-time project analytics through its web-based platform, drawing on extensive industry experience.

Highlights
  • Track job site time by cost code
  • Upload material receipts by cost code
  • Upload trade invoices by cost code
  • Minimize manual coding
  • Real-time project analytics
  • Web-based platform access
Read full description

Want to STOP manually coding receipts and invoices and hounding your team for their timesheets? With Buildwise you can: - Track job site time effortlessly by cost code with our unique approach - And upload material receipts and trade invoices by cost code - So you can minimize the hassle of manual coding and impress your bookkeeper with a streamlined approach All inputs flow right into our web-based platform where you’ll utilize Buildwise's simple yet powerful project analytics to know how your projects are performing in real-time. We've got your back! Buildwise is built on 21 years of professional building and over 4000 one-on-one coaching hours for small construction businesses like yours. We understand your needs because we've perfected this system with a series of spreadsheets, and now it's time to tame that chaos using Buildwise.

Screenshots

Joist4 screens
Buildwise4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Buildwise at 100% against Joist's 62%. Buildwise also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10). Joist's advantage is chart position (#15 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Buildwise asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, Buildwise every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and July 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Joist versus Buildwise: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJoistBuildwise
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews62.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
Best chart rank#15 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size191 MB29 MB
Age rating+417+
DeveloperJoist Software Inc.Buildwise

Customer experience

Joist

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

Buildwise

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Buildwise

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
None

Buildwise

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Joist free?
Joist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Buildwise free?
Buildwise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Joist or Buildwise have ads?
Neither Joist nor Buildwise shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Joist or Buildwise?
Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, and Buildwise every 3 weeks. Most recently, Joist was updated on September 27, 2026 and Buildwise on July 23, 2026.

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