A Joist alternative for crews who quote from photos
Joist is a solid, inexpensive estimating and invoicing app. If you're on Joist Basics and keep hitting the 5-document limit, or you're tired of typing every line item yourself, here's an honest look at how QuoteProof compares, including where Joist is the better buy.
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QuoteProof vs Joist at a glance
| QuoteProof | Joist | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Solo contractors and crews of 1–5 who quote from the job site | Contractors who want estimates, invoices and payments in one app |
| How a quote starts | You take photos of the job. QuoteProof drafts the scope and line items from your photos and notes. | You build the estimate from line items, saved items and project templates. You can add job photos to documents, and Joist offers "Create estimates & invoices with AI." |
| Pricing logic | Your hourly rate, materials markup and drive time/mileage | Line items with your prices, markups and taxes |
| What the customer sees | One price per line and the total, not your rates or markup | A branded estimate with line items and pricing |
| Approval | A link that opens on any phone, with no account and no app. They type their name; the approval is stored with a date stamp. | Customers review and sign estimates online. In-app digital signatures. |
| Price good-for date | Quotes show how long the price is good for | Expiration dates on estimates |
| Extra work | Price extra work in writing before you do it. | Change orders on Elite and Run |
| Payments | Doesn't process payments | Online payments, deposits, Tap to Pay, homeowner financing |
| Invoicing | QuickBooks direct on Solo and Crew; QuickBooks-ready CSV on Starter | Estimates convert to invoices; QuickBooks sync |
| After the job | Before-and-after proof report with time stamps, which the customer verifies | — |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card | 14 days, no credit card |
| Starting price | $49/mo | $10/mo |
Where Joist is strong
- It's cheaper. Joist starts at $10 a month, and unlimited documents start at $17. QuoteProof starts at $49.
- It takes payments. Online payments, Tap to Pay, deposit and milestone payments, and homeowner financing are all built in. QuoteProof doesn't process payments.
- Estimates turn into invoices inside the app.
- Change orders are on Elite and Run. Work orders start on Pro, and license and insurance info on Elite.
- Templates and saved items for jobs you do over and over.
- A longer trial: 14 days, with no credit card required.
- It's been around a long time, and plenty of contractors already know it.
Where QuoteProof is different
- It starts from the photos. Joist lets you add job photos to documents. QuoteProof starts from the photos and drafts the scope and line items from them. You still check and fix every line.
- Your numbers, every time. It prices on your hourly rate, materials markup and drive time/mileage, so the drive doesn't get forgotten on a busy day.
- Your rates stay private. The customer sees one price per line and the total.
- Proof at the end. A before-and-after proof report with time stamps, which the customer verifies. That's the record you want when someone says "that's not what we agreed to."
- Revisions are tracked, and each quote shows how long the price is good for.
- What it doesn't do: payments, financing or dispatch.
Pricing side by side
Joist (per joist.com/pricing, Oct 2026; fetched Oct 11, 2026)
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually (2 months free) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basics | $10/mo | $8.34/mo | Up to 5 documents a month, online payments, estimates to invoices, built-in AI tools, homeowner financing |
| Pro | $17/mo | $14.17/mo | Unlimited documents and clients, logo, line items and document photos, client activity, work orders |
| Elite | $32/mo | $26.67/mo | Adds change orders, license and insurance, business and sales reports |
| Run | $100/mo listed; introductory $70/mo (30% off) | $58.33/mo | Adds job organization and visit scheduling |
| AI Receptionist add-on | from $49/mo | Answers missed calls and captures leads |
14-day free trial, no credit card. Standard processing fees apply to payments taken through Joist.
QuoteProof (per quoteproof.dev/pricing, Oct 11, 2026)
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly (1 month free) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49/mo | $539/yr | 1 user, 10 jobs a month, QuickBooks-ready CSV |
| Solo | $99/mo | $1,089/yr | 1 user, unlimited jobs, direct QuickBooks connection |
| Crew | $249/mo | $2,739/yr | Up to 5 users, crew job assignment |
7 days free, no card. After the trial the account is view-only, and nothing is deleted. On iPhone, monthly plans are available through Apple in-app purchase; on Android, buy on the web.
Put plainly: Joist costs less at every level. QuoteProof only makes sense if quoting from photos and the proof report save you more than the difference.
Who should stay on Joist
Stay on Joist if:
- Getting paid is the main problem, and you want payments, deposits and financing in the same app.
- You're happy building estimates from saved items and templates.
- You use Joist's change orders, work orders or contracts.
- Monthly cost matters more than quoting speed. Joist Pro at $17/month is a good deal.
Some users on r/Contractor say they've had trouble with Joist and want to move off it (example thread). Plenty of others are happy with it. If Joist is working for you, keep it.
Who should switch
QuoteProof is worth a look if:
- You quote from the truck, and turning photos into a priced quote is what keeps slipping to 10pm.
- You want every quote priced on your own rate, markup and drive without retyping.
- You want before-and-after proof tied to the quote the customer approved.
- You already get paid by check, Zelle or card through something else, and you invoice in QuickBooks.
Also comparing a full field-service suite? See the Jobber alternative page, or the roundup of the best photo-to-quote apps. Or just see a real quote. Pricing.