# Joist vs ProBooks

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Joist | ProBooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joist-estimate-invoice-maker/id592163563/reviews) | **[4.8 (444 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/probooks-invoice-maker/id836090315/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 444 |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | **87.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 194 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joist Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/512868153) | [ProBooks](https://appshunter.io/developer/1760398888) |

## What reviewers say

### Joist

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

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**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


### ProBooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/probooks-invoice-maker/id836090315)

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.

**Highlights:** Create invoices and estimates, Expense tracking and management, Customizable invoice templates, Recurring invoice setup, Payment processing, Receipt generation, Client signature capture

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Everything | $4.99 | per month |
| Unlock Everything | $49.99 | per year |
| AI Logo Pack | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Joist free?

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

### Is ProBooks free?

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

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

ProBooks is rated higher. Joist averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while ProBooks averages 4.8 from 444 ratings.

### Do Joist or ProBooks have ads?

Neither Joist nor ProBooks shows ads.

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

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, and ProBooks weekly. Most recently, Joist was updated on November 4, 2026 and ProBooks on November 1, 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.*