Joist vs Thumbtack for Professionals
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
Read full descriptionHide 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/
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.
- Find home care jobs
- Fill your calendar
- Integrate with partner tools
- Set lead prices and budgets
- Connect with ready customers
- Grow online presence
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Joist ships an update every 2 weeks, Thumbtack for Professionals weekly. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.
| Parameter | Joist | Thumbtack for Professionals |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (15K ratings) — better | 4.4 (66K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews — better | 12.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15K | 66K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #14 — better | #191 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 194 MB | 254 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joist Software Inc. | Thumbtack, Inc. |
Customer experience
Joist
Thumbtack for Professionals
User reviews
Joist
From 15K 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
Thumbtack for Professionals
From 66K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Joist
- Quickbooks Sync Monthly$9.991 Month
- Joist Basics Monthly$9.991 Month
- Joist Pro Monthly$16.991 Month
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- 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
Thumbtack for Professionals
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Joist free?
Is Thumbtack for Professionals free?
Which has better reviews, Joist or Thumbtack for Professionals?
Do Joist or Thumbtack for Professionals have ads?
Which is updated more often, Joist or Thumbtack for Professionals?
Which is more popular, Joist or Thumbtack for Professionals?
Other comparisons















