Joist vs ProBooks
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Joist
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.
- 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
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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/
ProBooks
Create professional invoices and estimates in seconds with this app. It helps manage expenses, track payments, and send bills efficiently. Customize templates and accept various payment methods to streamline your business finances.
- Create invoices and estimates
- Expense tracking and management
- Customizable invoice templates
- Recurring invoice setup
- Payment processing
- Receipt generation
- Client signature capture
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Streamline Your Finances with ProBooks - Invoice Maker: The Ultimate Invoice Creator and Expense Manager. Create estimates and invoices in seconds with ProBooks, the professional invoice maker and billing app that helps you get paid fast. Discover how ProBooks, the leading bill app & invoice creator, transforms business transactions into a streamlined, efficient process. Crafted for small business owners, freelancers, contractors, and handymen, ProBooks is more than just an invoice app - it's a comprehensive expense manager and invoice/bill organizer that keeps your financials in perfect order. EFFORTLESS INVOICING WITH PROBOOKS - INVOICE MAKER Simplify your accounting with a bill app that generates professional invoices in just a few taps. Use our intuitive invoice creator to produce polished PDF documents that help you get paid quickly while maintaining your brand’s image. As a robust invoice template solution, it allows you to customize designs and convert estimates to invoices instantly. Whether at your office or on-the-go, send invoices via email, text, or any other messaging app. Enjoy instant notifications when clients open your invoices. CUSTOMIZE YOUR INVOICE TEMPLATES With multiple invoice template designs, you can tailor each invoice to fit your brand. Personalize colors and add your logo, or use our innovative AI logo generator for inspiration. ENHANCE CASH FLOW MANAGEMENT Tackle cash flow disruption issues with the ProBooks - Invoice Maker & business expense tracker. Send invoices and estimates promptly while managing payments effectively. Accept payments via debit cards, credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), bank transfers, checks, or cash. RECURRING INVOICES & BILL TRACKING Set up automated, recurring invoices to ensure timely billing with minimal effort. ProBooks’ bill tracker handles invoices on a weekly, monthly, or yearly schedule, allowing you to focus on growing your business. RELIABLE INVOICE & RECEIPT MAKER ProBooks stands out as the best receipt maker for its ability to generate both once-off and recurring invoices. Customize each invoice with descriptions, quantities, rates, and tax details. Capture client signatures for added authenticity and attach additional documentation as needed. Downloadable PDF invoices make record-keeping straightforward and efficient. EXPENSE TRACKING MADE SIMPLE Harness the power of an advanced expense manager. Easily add and categorize business expenses, monitor spending trends, and track taxes for seamless accounting. Let ProBooks revolutionize how you track invoices and business expenses. ProBooks’ intuitive expense tracking makes it easy to scan receipts using your camera, securely storing them for future reference. 5 Reasons You’ll Love ProBooks - Invoice App 1. Professional Invoice Templates: Stand out with modern designs tailored to your business needs. 2. Fast Payment Processing: Win more projects by getting paid faster compared to other apps. 3. Effortlessly receive payments: Facilitate easy payments with our secure Stripe.com integration, a globally renowned payment processor, enabling your business to accept credit card and bank payments efficiently. 4. Time-Saving Features: Rely on ProBooks for a stress-free invoicing and accounting experience. 5. Manage Invoicing Anywhere: Handle your invoices, estimates, and receipts on-the-go with ease. 6. Trusted by Businesses: Join thousands of satisfied users who rely on our app’s comprehensive solutions. Download ProBooks - Invoice Maker today and experience professional finance management at your fingertips. Start your 30-day risk-free trial and enjoy the full suite of ProBooks features for just $4.99/month or $49.99/year after. Access our full terms at https://ProBooks.com/terms. Should you have any questions or need assistance, our customer support is always ready to help. Contact us at contact@probooks.com and transform your invoicing and expense management with ProBooks today!
Screenshots
Verdict
Joist and ProBooks both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 88% of ProBooks's written reviews are positive against 61% of Joist's. ProBooks also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Joist's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 444) and chart position (#13 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Joist sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and ProBooks sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 4.8 for ProBooks. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Joist has 14K ratings behind it against 444, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Joist's written reviews are positive against 88% of ProBooks's.
Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, ProBooks weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Joist | ProBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (14K ratings) | 4.8 (444 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | 87.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 14K — better | 444 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #13 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 194 MB | 61 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joist Software Inc. | ProBooks |
Customer experience
Joist
ProBooks
User reviews
Joist
From 14K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Professional-looking invoices
- 🚀 Convenient for small businesses
- 🚀 Helpful for organizing estimates and invoices
- 🚀 Great customer service
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Security and payment processing issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🔒 Locking users out of their data
- 🤯 Removing previously free features
ProBooks
From 444 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 📱 Seamless cross-device syncing (iPhone, iPad, MacBook)
- 🎨 Professional and customizable invoice templates
- 💰 Affordable pricing with flexible subscription options
- ⚡ Quick and easy invoice creation process
Room to improve
- 🐛 Data loss during app updates (critical issue)
- 📱 Mobile app has significant glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Search functionality doesn't find customers reliably
- ❌ Missing customer names in estimates tab
- 😞 Inconsistent customer service response times
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
ProBooks
Reported bugs
9 issues- Customer database deletion after forced updates
- All invoices and profile data disappearing
- Mobile app query doesn't find customers
- Estimates tab missing customer names
- App force logs out after leaving
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- Credits lost with each update
- iOS compatibility issues after system updates
- Mobile app glitches and performance issues
- App incompatibility after iOS updates with no developer support
Requested features
8 requests- Dark mode option
- Payment method quick options (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App)
- Horizontal/landscape mode support
- Automotive shop customization (make, model, year, VIN, license plate)
- Dashboard restoration or improvement
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- Better mobile app stability and feature parity with desktop
- Update notification system for changes and tweaks
- Inventory management features
In-app purchases
Joist
- Quickbooks Sync Monthly$9.991 Month
- Joist Basics Monthly$9.991 Month
- Joist Pro Monthly$16.991 Month
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- 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
ProBooks
- Unlock Everything$4.991 Month
- Unlock Everything7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- AI Logo Pack$4.99









