Comparison

Joist vs Gutter IQ

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

Gutter IQ

Features
Read full description

Gutter IQ is the field tool for gutter and rainware contractors. Measure a roofline from satellite imagery without setting foot on a ladder, match the customer's existing gutter color on your phone, and send a branded PDF estimate before you leave the driveway. Now with a real business phone line that rings your iPhone like any other call. MEASURE WITHOUT A LADDER - Pull up any property and trace the roofline from satellite imagery - Get gutter footage along the eaves, plus corners and downspout counts - Measurements save to the job, so there are no repeat trips and no guesswork MATCH THE COLOR ON SITE - Browse the standard gutter color palette, with supplier availability, right on your phone - Or photograph the existing gutter and Gutter IQ ranks the closest matching colors - The chosen color attaches to the job and prints on the estimate, so the swatch book stays in the truck BUILD AND SEND ESTIMATES - Line-item estimates that pull quantities straight from your measurements - Save templates for your common jobs and reuse them in seconds - Generate clean, branded PDF estimates with your logo, photos, and signature block - Create material order worksheets to send to any supplier FRONT DESK: YOUR BUSINESS LINE - A real business phone number for your company, separate from your cell - Incoming calls ring your iPhone like any other call, on the lock screen, whether the app is open, in the background, or closed - Answer, decline, mute, and switch to speaker or AirPods - A shared call log your whole team can see, and texting from a number that is not your cell - Turn on the AI receptionist and she answers when you cannot. She knows your services, your hours and your service area, books estimates straight onto your calendar, takes a message when the caller needs a person, and emails you the recording and a summary - Both sides are told the call is recorded, and recording can be switched off RUN THE BUSINESS - Full customer database with jobs, photos, documents, and notes - Visual pipeline: move jobs from Lead through Estimate Sent, Approved, In Progress, and Paid - Tasks, reminders, and a built-in calendar - Photo reports, contracts, and e-signature - Invoice your customers and let them pay online - Track job expenses and see profit per job TAX CENTRAL - Track business expenses by job and by Schedule C category - Scan a receipt with your camera and let it fill in the details - Collect a W-9 from every subcontractor you pay and keep it on file, encrypted, shown only as the last four digits - See your Schedule C category totals in one place at year end WORK AS A TEAM - Your data syncs securely across all your devices and crew - Invite installers and office staff to share customers, templates, and documents - Everything backed up automatically A Gutter IQ account is required to use the app. Accounts are set up at https://mygutteriq.com. Color matching is a decision aid. Screens and cameras are not color-calibrated, so confirm the final color against a physical manufacturer chip before ordering material.

Screenshots

Joist4 screens
Gutter IQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gutter IQ at none against Joist's 10. Joist's advantage is chart position (#15 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, ads, device support 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. Gutter IQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, Gutter IQ monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Joist versus Gutter IQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJoistGutter IQ
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings14K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
Best chart rank#15 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoist Software Inc.The Elite Firm Inc

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

Gutter IQ

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

Gutter IQ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Joist free?
Joist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gutter IQ free?
Gutter IQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Joist or Gutter IQ have ads?
Neither Joist nor Gutter IQ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Joist or Gutter IQ?
Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, and Gutter IQ monthly. Most recently, Joist was updated on October 26, 2026 and Gutter IQ on October 5, 2026.

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