Comparison

Joist vs Thumbtack for Professionals

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 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
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

Thumbtack for Professionals

Connect with clients seeking home services like cleaning and moving. This platform helps professionals fill their calendars with quality jobs, manage bookings, and set lead budgets. Integrate with existing tools for a streamlined workflow and grow your business.

Highlights
  • Find home care jobs
  • Fill your calendar
  • Integrate with partner tools
  • Set lead prices and budgets
  • Connect with ready customers
  • Grow online presence
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Find high-quality home care jobs in house cleaning, moving, general contracting and more. Thumbtack for Professionals matches you with customers who are ready to get their projects done. Grow your online presence and get shown to new customers. FILL YOUR CALENDAR Work when you want and fill your schedule with quality jobs. Get more leads during open times and slow seasons. Use Thumbtack to target specific jobs, create your perfect job schedule and get the lead volume you want. INTEGRATE WITH YOUR FAVORITE TOOLS Manage your bookings more easily, simplify your workflow and get more jobs done. Connect to your favorite partner tools and services including Housecall Pro, GoSite, Service Titan, Google Calendar and more. With these seamless integrations, you’ll get quality jobs and manage your business effortlessly and efficiently. BUDGET EFFORTLESSLY Set lead prices and pay only for the jobs you want. Set a weekly spending budget and get as many leads as possible within it. Change your budget as often as you want to scale your business to suit your needs. CUSTOMERS ARE WAITING Over 4 million customers joined Thumbtack in the last 12 months, seeking professionals in your area. Thumbtack offers less competition between pros and provides quality leads from customers ready to book.

Screenshots

Joist4 screens
Thumbtack for Professionals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Joist at 61% against Thumbtack for Professionals's 13%. Joist also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Thumbtack for Professionals's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ratings volume (66K vs 15K). On price, update cadence 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. Thumbtack for Professionals asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Joist holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15K and 66K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Joist's written reviews are positive against 13% of Thumbtack for Professionals's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, Thumbtack for Professionals weekly. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Joist versus Thumbtack for Professionals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJoistThumbtack for Professionals
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (15K ratings) — better4.4 (66K ratings)
Positive reviews61.3% of reviews — better12.7% of reviews
Number of ratings15K66K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#14 — better#191
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size194 MB254 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoist Software Inc.Thumbtack, Inc.

Customer experience

Joist

All ratings14,480 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews463 reviews
Positive61.3%
Neutral7.3%
Negative31.3%

Thumbtack for Professionals

All ratings65,696 ratings
Positive84.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative12.1%
Written reviews1,391 reviews
Positive12.7%
Neutral4.7%
Negative82.6%

User reviews

Joist

From 15K App Store ratings

What 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

Thumbtack for Professionals

From 66K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great for finding gigs
  • 👍 Good for connecting with people for future parties

Room to improve

  • 💰 Ridiculously expensive
  • 🤑 Charges for every quote request
  • 🤦‍♀️ Customers don't respond after first message
  • 💸 Leads rarely result in actual jobs
  • 🔍 Potential clients are just shopping around

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

Thumbtack for Professionals

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Incorrect location targeting
  • Inconsistent lead quality and responsiveness

Requested features

5 requests
  • Charge only for confirmed and paid jobs
  • Allow pros to review customers before accepting leads
  • Provide more transparency on lead quality and pricing
  • Improve customer service and refund policies
  • Implement better safeguards against fake leads and abuse

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

Thumbtack for Professionals

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Joist free?
Joist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Thumbtack for Professionals free?
Thumbtack for Professionals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Joist or Thumbtack for Professionals?
Joist is rated higher. Joist averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Thumbtack for Professionals averages 4.4 from 66K ratings.
Do Joist or Thumbtack for Professionals have ads?
Thumbtack for Professionals shows ads; Joist does not.
Which is updated more often, Joist or Thumbtack for Professionals?
Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, and Thumbtack for Professionals weekly. Most recently, Joist was updated on November 10, 2026 and Thumbtack for Professionals on November 10, 2026.
Which is more popular, Joist or Thumbtack for Professionals?
Joist currently peaks at #14 in the App Store charts, and Thumbtack for Professionals at #191. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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