# Joist vs ContractorTools

Joist and ContractorTools both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of ContractorTools's written reviews are positive against 62% of Joist's. Joist's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (14K vs 1.8K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Joist sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and ContractorTools sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Joist against 4.7 for ContractorTools. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Joist has 14K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Joist's written reviews are positive against 82% of ContractorTools's.

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, ContractorTools every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Joist | ContractorTools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joist-estimate-invoice-maker/id592163563/reviews) | [4.7 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contractortools/id707055968/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 1.8K |
| Positive reviews | 61.9% of reviews | **81.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#15** | #194 |
| Size | 191 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joist Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/512868153) | [Contractor Tools](https://appshunter.io/developer/707055953) |

## 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


### ContractorTools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contractortools/id707055968)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Streamline your contracting business with tools for creating estimates, invoices, and managing payments. Sync data seamlessly with QuickBooks Online and collaborate with your team across multiple devices. Focus on your work while this app handles the paperwork.

**Highlights:** Estimating, Invoicing, Payment tracking, QuickBooks Online sync, Multi-device sync, Offline functionality, Job templates

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Craftsman Costbooks | $12.99 | per month |
| Basic Plan | $24.99 | per month |
| Essentials Plan | $34.99 | per month |
| Pro Plan | $64.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great solution for estimating
- 👍 Easy to learn and operate
- 🚀 Convenient and professional
- 👍 Seamless access across devices
- 👍 Integrates with QuickBooks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive for small contractors
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🔒 Limited payment processor options
- 📄 Limited customization for invoice templates
- 🔒 Frequent layout/hierarchy changes

**Reported bugs**

- Deleting items from estimates causes issues with invoices
- Syncing problems leading to incorrect data
- App crashing and becoming unusable

**Requested features**

- Option to show labor and materials costs separately
- Ability to copy/paste entire sections in estimates
- Quarterly updates for cost books
- Stage manager support
- Basic company financial reports


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Joist free?

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

### Is ContractorTools free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Joist or ContractorTools?

Joist and ContractorTools are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 14K and 1.8K ratings respectively.

### Do Joist or ContractorTools have ads?

Neither Joist nor ContractorTools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Joist or ContractorTools?

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, and ContractorTools every 5 weeks. Most recently, Joist was updated on September 24, 2026 and ContractorTools on September 22, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Joist or ContractorTools?

Joist currently peaks at #15 in the App Store charts, and ContractorTools at #194. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*