Invoice Simple Alternatives for Contractors (2026)
Invoice Simple caps invoices at 3 a month on Essentials and 10 on Plus. Five alternatives for solo and small-crew contractors, priced by team size and invoices a month from each vendor's own pages, with where a simple invoicing app is still the better answer.
By Clamp ResearchReviewed by Emmanuel ForgePublished Oct 15, 2026✓ Reviewed Oct 2026
Direct answer: If you only need cheaper invoices or built-in payments, stay with a simple invoicing app: Square Free is $0 a month plus processing fees, and Joist Pro is $17 a month with unlimited documents. If you have outgrown invoices into change orders and job cost, Clamp has both on every plan with unlimited documents, from $149.99 a year, the same as Invoice Simple Plus with its 10-invoice cap. Contractor+, QuickBooks Online and Jobber add job costing on higher plans, from $58, $140 and $149 a month.
Change order, priced
Job cost against budget
Sample data. A change order shows its effect on the contract before it is signed, and the job costs card compares what the job is consuming with its budget.
At a glance
Invoice Simple is a good, low-cost way to send estimates and invoices and get paid. Contractors usually look for an alternative for one of two reasons: they hit the monthly invoice limit, 3 on Essentials and 10 on Plus, or the work has outgrown invoices into change orders and knowing what a job actually cost.
If all you want is cheaper invoices or payments built into the app, a simple invoicing app is the better answer, and two on this list cost less than Clamp. Clamp is first because it keeps the estimate, change orders, invoices and job cost on one job record.
Every price and feature comes from each vendor's own pricing, feature or help pages, read between October 10 and 15, 2026. Where a page doesn't mention something, this list says 'not found on official pages' rather than 'can't'.
Every Clamp feature, next to each alternative
Solo includes 28 of Clamp's 44 features. In full, across their plans: Invoice Simple 7, Joist 12, Square Invoices 7, Contractor+ 18, Jobber 18, QuickBooks Online 13.
Compare Clamp with (pick one or more)
Clamp plan
Every Clamp feature, next to each alternative
Feature
Clamp
Invoice Simple
Joist
Square Invoices
Contractor+
Jobber
QuickBooks Online
CRM and leads
3 of 5
1 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
Email remindersEmail reminders before appointments, follow-ups, and scheduled installs, deliveries, and inspections.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
✓ Invoice due date reminders
Run, $70Visit reminder emails to the client and payment reminders; none to you
Payment remindersBefore, on or after the due date; no appointment reminders
PartlyOverdue invoices and estimate expiration
From Connect$99 a month
Not found
Customer appointment remindersHomeowners get an email before an appointment, with confirm and reschedule built in.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not found
Run, $70Email reminders of visits; no confirm or reschedule by the customer
Not foundPayment reminders only; Square Appointments is separate
Not foundOn-My-Way texts only
From Connect, $99Confirm only; the business reschedules
Not found
Five-factor lead scoringA clear yes, no, or maybe on a lead before driving out.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not foundClient profiles record how each customer found you; no lead scoring or pipeline
Not found
Not foundPipeline stages, no scoring
Not foundRequest forms only
Not foundPlus lists Customer AI for leads; no score described
Lead reportingClose rate, revenue won, open pipeline, close rate by lead source, and lost leads by reason, on Home and the stats screen, with CSV and PDF export. Revenue by source does not exist; see _excluded.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Elite, $32Sales and estimate reports; no close rate by lead source or lost reasons
Not found
PartlyLead status and pipeline value; no close rate
Plus, or $49 add-onSales pipeline
Not foundNo close rate or lead source reports described
Daily briefingOverdue invoices, detected trips, follow-ups, appointments, and open proposals in one morning view.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Elite, $32Monthly Snapshot of the current month; no daily view
Design agreementsPaid preconstruction sits in the document chain, so planning work is paid work.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not foundContracts and terms attach to an estimate; no paid design agreement
Contract templatesService agreement template; no design-agreement flow
Not foundService contracts only
Not foundContract text on quotes
Not foundContracts and a deposit on estimates only
Itemized estimatesAssembly-based estimates with quantities and rates the contractor can inspect line by line.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ Unlimited estimates on paid plans
✓ Pro, $17Basics makes estimates; the pricing page lists line items from Pro
✓ Square FreeHelp article names Invoices Plus or Premium; pages disagree
✓ Every planFreedom capped at 5 a month
✓ Every planQuotes
✓ Simple Start and upLimited on Free
Estimate templatesSave an estimate as a template for work done often.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ Customizable estimate document templates
✓ IncludedProject templates; the pricing grid does not show which plan
PartlyInvoice layouts and contract templates; saved estimates not stated
✓ Estimate templatesPlan not stated
✓ Every planQuote templates
Not foundNot stated on the estimates Help article
Proposals with multiple package tiersGood, better, best packages in one proposal.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not foundNo options or packages in one estimate
Invoices Plus2 to 9 packages; not in the Invoices app
Pro, $29Optional items for good, better, best
Grow, $149Optional line items; Quote Options in beta
Not foundOne estimate, no package tiers described
AI estimating from a plain-language job descriptionDescribe the job in plain words and get an itemized draft: assemblies, quantities, researched baseline rates, with the contractor's own saved rates taking over once set.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
✓ Every planEstimate with AI from a typed or spoken description
Not foundSquare AI listed for marketing and contract clauses
✓ Pro, $29Estimatic AI; 10 credits a month per support article, no limit on pricing page
PartlyJobber AI drafts from your quote templates
Not foundAI listed is for books, tax and leads
Remodel and new-home estimatingOne estimator covers remodels and new homes and detects which one a description is. Detect is the default job type; a contractor can pick Remodel or New home per estimate, or set Kind of work to Remodeling to turn the choice off.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not foundJoist says it is not a construction cost estimating program
Not found
Not foundNo job-type detection
Not foundNo job-type detection
Not found
Labor hours on estimatesEstimated labor hours, shown as a range, on every labor line, with an allowance for setup, cleanup, and material runs (15% by default) the contractor can change in Settings or per estimate. A planning figure; it never appears on proposals, PDFs, or the portal.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not foundLabor is a line item you price yourself
Not found
PartlyLabor lines in hours you enter
Not foundUnit cost and markup only
Not foundLabor cost rates, not estimated hours
Contracts and invoicing
5 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
3 of 5
2 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
Payment schedulesSplit a proposal into a deposit, milestone payments, and a final payment, then invoice each one from the signed contract.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ Multiple scheduled invoice paymentsDocumented with Stripe; lowest subscription tier not stated.
✓ IncludedDeposits and milestone payments; the pricing grid does not show which plan
✓ Square Plus, $49Up to 12 milestones; deposit on Free
✓ Deposit and milestonesPlan not stated
✓ Every planProgress invoicing
✓ Simple Start and upProgress invoices by percent or line; online deposit
Sales tax on documentsAdd a sales tax rate or a flat amount to invoices and other documents, with collected tax totaled by quarter and year. The contractor enters the rate; Clamp does not look rates up.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ Configurable document and item tax
✓ IncludedSaved taxes per line item; Sales Tax Summary in reports
✓ Square FreeTax applied per line item
PartlyTax on documents, no tax report
✓ Every planTax rates and Taxation report
✓ Simple Start and upAutomatic tax on invoices and sales receipts
Customer credits and refundsApply a customer's credit to an open invoice, record a refund, or adjust a balance, with the history kept on the job. Recorded only; Clamp moves no money.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Refunds onlyRefunds of Joist Payments within 60 days; no credits or balance adjustments
RefundsFrom Dashboard or POS; credits not stated
PartlyRefunds only, no credits
PartlyRefunds only, no credits
✓ Credit memosApplied to open invoices; plan not stated
Change orders that update the contractScope changes get written up and tied to the original contract, so verbal changes stop costing money.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
✓ Elite, $32
Not foundInvoices can be edited after a partial payment
PartlyOn invoices; help says none on estimates
Not foundThrough DocuSign
Not foundListed as a feature to look for, not described
Invoices tied to the contractEvery invoice belongs to the contract or change order it bills.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ Three invoices per monthPlus allows 10; Premium unlimited.
✓ Every planEstimates convert to invoices
✓ Square Free
✓ Every planFreedom capped at 5 a month
✓ Every plan
✓ Every planFree: 2 invoices a month
Customer portal
0 of 6
0 of 6
2 of 6
1 of 6
3 of 6
2 of 6
1 of 6
Password-free customer portalThe homeowner opens a link. No account, no password, no app to install.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not found
Shared linksCustomers review, sign and pay each document by link; no persistent project portal
Emailed linksReview, sign and pay from a link; no project portal named
✓ Pro Team, $58Secure link by phone or email
✓ Client HubEvery plan
Simple Start and upEstimate link with sign and pay page; no job portal
Unlimited documents and photos shared to the portalShare job documents and photos to the customer portal without a count cap, subject to per-item size limits.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not found
Pro, $17Up to 20 photos on each estimate or invoice; no portal
AttachmentsUp to 10 files, 25 MB on an estimate
✓ Pro Team, $58Photos and files; limits not stated
PartlyAttachments
Not foundPhotos on estimates only
E-signing on the homeowner's phoneDocuments get signed on the homeowner's own phone, no account required.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Presentation only client estimate signaturesVendor says not a legally binding contract; owner signatures start on Plus.
✓ IncludedClient signs from the emailed link on any device
✓ Square ContractsSigned electronically from an emailed link
✓ Pro, $29Automated contracts, signature pad
✓ Quote approvalsTyped or drawn
✓ Simple Start and upTyped legal name
Several signers on one documentSend one document to up to five people, each signing their own line, see who has signed, and remind anyone who has not.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not found
Several recipientsSends to several emails; signing shows you and one client, no per-signer tracking or reminders
Not found
PartlyClient and contractor only
Not foundOne client signs
NoOne recipient signs
Project updates and decisions in the portalPost project updates to the customer's portal and ask the customer to make a decision, which they answer from their phone.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not found
Not foundNo project updates or customer decisions after signing
Not found
Pro Team, $58Updates; approvals on change orders only
Not foundChoices at quote time only
Not found
Not delivered email handlingWhen a customer email Clamp sends bounces, the document is marked Not delivered so the contractor can fix the address and resend, or copy the link to text it.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not found
✓ Every planUndelivered status in the document list plus an email to you; resend by text
Not found
Not foundNo outgoing email log
Not found
Not found
Expense tracking
5 of 5
1 of 5
1 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
2 of 5
3 of 5
Automatic GPS mileage trackingBackground trip detection, route maps, IRS rates, trips linked to the job that caused the drive.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not found
Not found
PartlyBeta; clock-in points per help, Start Trip per feature page
Not foundGPS waypoints only
App tracks tripsPlan and IRS rate not stated; no job link described
Automatic time on siteGPS geofence tracking of hours at the jobsite.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not found
Not foundSquare Staff is a separate product
PartlyGPS at manual clock-in; geofence upcoming
✓ Grow, $149Location timers by geofence; need a connection
Workforce Elite, $134Separate QuickBooks Time product
Receipts and expenses on the jobReceipts logged against the job they belong to.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ Scanned receipts and expense recordsLowest tier not established.
✓ IncludedExpense tracking with receipt photos tied to jobs; plan not shown on the grid
Not found
PartlyReceipt photos on client expenses
✓ From Connect, $99Expenses with receipt photo
✓ Plus, $140Receipt photo on an expense; expenses go to a project
Purchase ordersCommitted costs captured between the estimate and the receipt.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not found
Not found
Not foundShopping lists only
Not found
✓ Plus, $140Not stated for projects
Accounts payable and vendor billsVendor bills tracked and surfaced in the attention flows, with first-class vendor records.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not foundExpenses and receipts only; no bills or vendor records
Not found
Not foundVendors for materials only
Not found
✓ Simple Start and upUnpaid tab; bill pay
Job costing and reports
3 of 3
0 of 3
0 of 3
0 of 3
2 of 3
1 of 3
1 of 3
Job costingWhat the job actually cost, with a variance and catalog learning loop.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Elite, $32Job expenses and profit-margin reports; no estimate-against-actual review
Not foundInsights cover estimates, invoices and payments
✓ Pro Team, $58
Grow, $149Not on Core or Connect
✓ Plus, $140Projects
Accountant export packageA package of the business's records prepared for an accountant.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Invoice and expense summary exportsPDF/XLSX/CSV, not verified estimate-to-actual job costing.
CSV and QuickBooksMonthly CSV of document totals from the web; QuickBooks Online sync
Not found
Pro Team, $58QuickBooks Online sync
QuickBooks, XeroIntegrations
Accountant access2 accountants; Excel sync on Advanced
Time reporting with CSV exportReported labor time with a time-tracking CSV export for payroll preparation and per-person rate decomposition.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not found
Not foundSquare Staff is separate
✓ Time clock reportExcel by email; plan not stated
✓ From Connect, $99Timesheet report, Excel export
Plus, $140Timesheets by project; CSV export not stated
Jobsites and teams
2 of 8
0 of 8
0 of 8
0 of 8
6 of 8
6 of 8
1 of 8
Teams: up to 10 linked accountsUp to 10 accounts, including the owner, sharing one business.
✓ TeamsTeams, $83.33 a month billed annually
Support added account email accessNo published per-plan seat count; this is not evidence of crew roles.
NoOne user, one login per account
Priced per locationNot per user; Square Staff is separate
✓ Pro Team, $58Admin, Manager, Field Worker, custom
✓ Every plan
Advanced, $340Custom user permissions
Unlimited subcontractor linkingSubs share jobsite photos and notes into the business account without consuming a seat.
✓ TeamsTeams, $83.33 a month billed annually
Not found
NoOne user, one login per account
Not found
Not foundExtra users are paid seats
Not foundSubs need a paid seat
Not foundW-9 requests and 1099 mapping only
Jobsites tab: jobs and schedule in one placeA Jobsites tab with Jobs and Schedule views. With Assistant each job has its own screen with its schedule, photos, and updates, and the Schedule view holds every install, delivery, inspection, appointment, and follow-up; Teams adds the crew and subs on each job, shaped by role. Subs invited to a job use it free and see their own jobs grouped by builder.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not found
Run, $70Jobs and visits in a calendar, for one person; no photos, crew or subs
ProjectsListed on Square Free; no jobsite screen described
✓ Pro, $29Jobs, work orders and visits
✓ Every planJobs
Plus, $140Projects track income and costs, not a schedule
Job scheduleSchedule installs, deliveries, and inspections on each job, with the contractor, a supplier, or nobody yet on each item, and see them all in the Jobsites tab. Putting crew or subs on an item is the Teams shared schedule.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Not found
Run, $70Visits on each job with overlap alerts; no suppliers or assignees
Square AppointmentsSeparate product
✓ Pro, $29Visits and calendar
✓ Every planScheduling
Not found
Shared job scheduleOne schedule for the business: installs, deliveries, and inspections visible to the team, with clash notes when dates collide.
✓ TeamsTeams, $83.33 a month billed annually
Not found
NoRun scheduling is for one person
Not found
✓ Pro Team, $58Color-coded by assignee; no clash notes
✓ Every plan
Not found
Punch listsThe small final items that close a job out, tracked per job and shareable as a text message or a PDF.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
Not found
Not found
Pro, $29Post-inspection reports, PDF or SMS
From Connect, $99Checklists, emailed as PDF
Not found
Job site photosPhotos saved to the project with full-screen viewing.
✓ Add-on or bundle, from $6.50 per employee plus a base fee
Card and ACH payments on invoices
Your own payment link
✓ Cards 2.99%, ACH 1%
W-9 requests and 1099 mapping
Not in Clamp
✓ Construction page; 1099 e-filing on Advanced
Bill pay by ACH
Not in Clamp
✓ From Simple Start
Accountant seats
Export package
✓ 2 accountants, 3 on Advanced
Nothing here matches. Pick All or another filter.
Competitor columns from each vendor's own pricing page, feature pages and help center, checked October 15, 2026. Not found means not on those pages, not that the product can't do it another way. Partly means something narrower than the Clamp feature. No product was tested against another.
Invoice Simple makes estimates and invoices on iOS, Android and the web. Essentials is $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year for 3 invoices a month, Plus is $14.99 or $149.99 for 10, and Premium is $21.99 or $219.99 for unlimited invoices. Estimates are unlimited on every paid plan, and payments are processed in the app for a fee.
Essentials stops at 3 invoices a month and Plus at 10. A deposit, a progress invoice and a final on four jobs a month is 12 invoices, which needs Premium at $21.99 a month.
Change orders, a customer portal and job costing were not found on Invoice Simple's official pages.
Its help page says the client signature, on Premium, is for presentation and is not a legally binding contract.
No user count is published for any plan; support can add another email to an account after verifying ownership.
6 Invoice Simple alternatives
Clamp first, because it is the pick built for the work after the invoice: change orders and job cost. Joist and Square Invoices follow for contractors who mainly need invoices and payments, then Contractor+, Jobber and QuickBooks Online for crews. Each entry says where it is stronger, not only where it falls short.
1ClampBest for solo and small-crew residential contractors who have outgrown invoices and need change orders and job cost
Price
Solo $19.99 a month or $149.99 a year. Teams $99.99 a month or $999.99 a year for up to 10 accounts.
Team
One account on Solo and Assistant; up to 10 on Teams, plus free sub invites who never see your prices.
Where it is stronger
Unlimited documents on every plan, so there is no invoice count to watch.
Change orders, job costing, receipts and punch lists on every plan, including Solo.
A signed proposal whose milestones become the payment schedule, then invoices that follow it through the final payment.
Mileage and time on site detected automatically and costed to the job, on every plan.
Customers sign proposals and change orders in a customer portal from Assistant, $41.67 a month billed annually.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
It costs more than Invoice Simple Essentials. If you send 3 or fewer invoices a month and nothing changes mid-job, Essentials at $69.99 a year is the cheaper answer.
Clamp does not process payments; you add your own payment link and record what was paid.
No QuickBooks sync; an accountant export package instead.
E-signatures and the customer portal start on Assistant, not Solo.
2JoistBest for a solo contractor who wants a contractor invoicing app with unlimited documents and change orders
Price
Basics $10 a month (up to 5 documents a month), Pro $17, Elite $32, Run $70 a month introductory (from $100); annual plans get two months free; 14-day trial, no card.
Team
One user with one login per account; no crew or sub access.
Where it is stronger
Unlimited documents from Pro at $17 a month.
Change orders from Elite at $32 a month.
AI estimates and invoices from a typed or spoken description on every plan.
Built-in payments with Tap to Pay and ACH capped at $15, and homeowner financing offers from 30+ lenders on estimates.
QuickBooks Online sync of estimates and invoices.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
One user per account, so it does not grow into a crew.
Basics stops at 5 documents a month.
Job expenses and profit-margin reports on Elite, but no review of a job's actual cost against its estimate.
Time tracking and a mileage log were not found on official pages.
3Square InvoicesBest for contractors who mainly want to get paid and want no monthly fee
Price
Square Free is $0 a month per location; Plus is $49 and Premium $149. A card payment on an invoice is 3.3% + 30¢ on Free and 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium; ACH is 1% with a $1 minimum.
Team
Priced per location, not per user; team hours go through Square Staff, a separate product.
Where it is stronger
No subscription for invoices, recurring invoices, estimates, contracts and projects on Square Free.
Contracts signed electronically from an emailed link, with five standard templates.
Deposits on Free and up to 12 milestone payments on Plus.
Payment methods including Apple Pay, Cash App Pay, Afterpay and ACH.
Accepted estimates convert to invoices, with automatic payment reminders.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Change orders and job costing were not found on Square's official pages.
Square's pages disagree on which plan includes estimates: the pricing page lists Square Free, and a help article names Invoices Plus or Premium.
Every card payment carries a processing fee; the $10 ACH cap comes with Plus.
Receipt capture and a mileage log were not found on official pages.
4Contractor+Best for small crews that want built-in payments, a client portal and job costing in one app
Price
Freedom is free with 5 estimates or invoices a month. Pro is $29 a month billed annually ($348 a year) or $49 monthly for 1 user. Pro Team is $58 a month billed annually ($696 a year) or $98 monthly for 2 users. Max is $500 a month.
Team
2 users on Pro Team; each extra user is $20 a month billed annually or $29 monthly. Admin, Manager, Field Worker and custom roles; no subcontractor role.
Where it is stronger
A free plan with leads, clients and 5 estimates or invoices a month.
Job costing and profitability, a client portal and QuickBooks Online sync on Pro Team.
Estimatic AI drafts an estimate from a job description, photos or plans, priced from your cost book.
Deposits and milestone payments, with overdue invoice reminders by email or SMS.
Crew scheduling with assignments, and a time clock that logs location at each punch.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Its help center says there isn't a direct feature for change orders on estimates; a change order is an update to an existing invoice.
The pricing page and the help center show different prices for the same plans.
Payments on Freedom cost 3.5% + $0.30 by card and 1.5% by ACH.
5JobberBest for crews running repeat service visits who want scheduling, a client hub and payments
Price
Core is $29 a month billed annually ($49 monthly) for 1 user. Connect starts at $99, Grow at $149 and Plus at $399 with 5 users, billed annually; $139, $199 and $499 month to month.
Team
1 user on Core; extra users $29 a month, with permissions and schedules for each.
Where it is stronger
Progress invoicing on every plan, by percentage or fixed amount tied to milestones.
Client Hub on every plan, where clients approve quotes, pay invoices and check appointments.
Job costing with timesheet labor and expenses on Grow.
Automated quote and invoice follow-ups and QuickBooks Online sync from Connect.
Recurring jobs, online booking and route optimization.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
A native change order workflow was not found; Jobber documents signed change orders through its DocuSign integration.
Job costing is not on Core or Connect; it starts on Grow at $149 a month billed annually.
GPS waypoints are recorded from field actions, but there is no trip or mileage log.
6QuickBooks OnlineBest for contractors who want invoices inside their accounting, on the same books as their bookkeeper
Price
Free is $0 with 1 user and 2 invoices a month. Simple Start is $38 a month for 1 user, Essentials $85 for 3, Plus $140 for 5 and Advanced $340 for 25. Monthly list prices with no annual contract; each paid plan shows 50% off for 3 months.
Team
1, 3, 5 or 25 users by plan; custom user permissions on Advanced.
Where it is stronger
Accounting with bank feeds, bills and accountant access, and payroll as an add-on.
Progress invoices from an accepted estimate, by percentage or line item, from Simple Start.
Project profitability on Plus, with estimates, invoices, expenses, bills and timesheets on each project.
Card payments on invoices at 2.99% and ACH at 1%.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Job costing needs Plus, $140 a month.
A change order feature was not found on official pages.
Free allows only 2 invoices a month and has no mobile app.
Crew time with geofencing is a separate QuickBooks Time product.
What the whole business pays each month: one person by how many invoices go out, then a three-person crew and ten people. Payment processing fees are extra wherever the app processes payments.
Monthly cost by team size and invoices a month
Software
1 person, up to 10 invoices a month
1 person, over 10 invoices a month
3 people
10 people
Clamp
$12.50 billed annually ($19.99 monthly), Solo
$12.50 billed annually ($19.99 monthly), Solo
$83.33 billed annually ($99.99 monthly), Teams
$83.33 billed annually ($99.99 monthly), Teams
Invoice Simple
$5.83 billed annually ($6.99 monthly), Essentials, for up to 3; $12.50 ($14.99), Plus, for up to 10
$18.33 billed annually ($21.99 monthly), Premium
No user count published
No user count published
Joist
$10, Basics, for up to 5 documents; $17, Pro, unlimited
$17, Pro; $32, Elite, for change orders
Not offered: one user per account
Not offered: one user per account
Square Invoices
$0, Square Free; $49, Plus, for milestone schedules
$0, Square Free; $49, Plus, for milestone schedules
$0 or $49 per location; priced by location, not user
$0 or $49 per location; priced by location, not user
Contractor+
$29 billed annually ($49 monthly), Pro; Freedom is free for up to 5
$29 billed annually ($49 monthly), Pro
$78 billed annually ($127 monthly), Pro Team plus 1 user
$218 billed annually ($330 monthly), Pro Team plus 8 users
Jobber
$29 billed annually ($49 monthly), Core; no job costing
$29 billed annually ($49 monthly), Core; no job costing
Grow from $149 billed annually, priced by user count
Grow from $149 billed annually, priced by user count
Per month for the whole business, from each vendor's own pricing page read between October 10 and 15, 2026. Billed annually where the vendor publishes an annual price, with the monthly-billing price in parentheses; Joist, Square and QuickBooks figures are monthly list prices. Invoice Simple and Clamp monthly equivalents divide the annual price by 12, and Contractor+ crew totals add its per-user price; both are calculated. Jobber prices Grow by user count, so no crew total is calculated here. Processing fees are not included. The plans compared are not equivalent: check what each includes before you compare totals.
When to stay with Invoice Simple
You send 3 or fewer invoices a month and want the lowest price: Essentials is $69.99 a year.
Your jobs go from estimate to invoice with nothing changing in between, and you want unlimited estimates on customizable templates.
You want card, ACH, buy now pay later and Tap to Pay processed in the same app.
You want a Bookkeeping add-on with bank transaction import and profit and loss reports from the same vendor.
How to choose
Count the invoices you sent last month, including deposits and progress payments. Under 3, Invoice Simple Essentials or Square Free is enough; over 10, compare unlimited plans.
Decide whether you need invoices or a job record. If the price never changes after the estimate, an invoicing app works; if scope changes, you need signed change orders and a job cost against the estimate.
Price your actual team size. Joist is one user, Invoice Simple publishes no user count, and the others price by user, location or a flat team plan.
Add processing fees to the subscription. On a $10,000 invoice paid by card, a 2.9% fee is $290.
Run one real job through a trial from estimate to final invoice before you move your records.
Before you switch
Export your invoice and expense summaries from Invoice Simple as PDF, XLSX or CSV, and save your expense photos, before you cancel.
Finish open jobs and any scheduled payments where they started; start new jobs in the new app.
If you take cards or ACH through Invoice Simple, set up payments in the new app, or your own payment link for Clamp, before you send the next invoice.
If you use the Bookkeeping add-on, decide where your bookkeeping will live before you cancel.
How this list was made
Published by Clamp, which is one of the options listed. Clamp's own facts come from its pricing page and method guide.
Competitor prices and features come only from each vendor's own pricing, feature, fee schedule or help pages, read between October 10 and 15, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor's page before you buy.
'Not found on official pages' means exactly that. It does not mean the product cannot do it another way.
No product was tested against another. No speed or accuracy claim is made.
Small residential contractor here means one person or a crew of up to ten doing residential work: remodeling, specialty trades and repairs.
Questions
How many invoices does each Invoice Simple plan allow?
Essentials is $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year and allows 3 invoices a month. Plus is $14.99 or $149.99 and allows 10. Premium is $21.99 or $219.99 with unlimited invoices, and estimates are unlimited on every paid plan. Among the alternatives, Joist Basics allows 5 documents a month and Pro is unlimited, Contractor+ Freedom allows 5 estimates or invoices, QuickBooks Free allows 2, and Clamp has unlimited documents on every plan.
Is there a free alternative to Invoice Simple?
Yes. Square Free is $0 a month per location for invoices, estimates, contracts and deposits, and you pay a fee on each payment. Contractor+ Freedom is free for 5 estimates or invoices a month, and QuickBooks Online Free allows 2 invoices a month. Invoice Simple itself documents 2 free invoices on the web and a 14-day Premium trial in the app. Clamp has no free plan; Solo is free for the first month on monthly billing.
Which Invoice Simple alternatives have change orders?
Clamp has change orders on every plan, including Solo. Joist adds them on Elite at $32 a month. Contractor+ handles a change order as an update to an existing invoice that the client approves by link, and its help center says there is no direct change order feature for estimates. Jobber documents signed change orders through its DocuSign integration. Change orders were not found on the official pages of Invoice Simple, Square Invoices or QuickBooks Online.
Which alternatives do job costing, and from what price?
Clamp has job costing on every plan, from $12.50 a month billed annually. Contractor+ starts it on Pro Team at $58 a month billed annually, QuickBooks Online on Plus at $140 a month, and Jobber on Grow at $149 a month billed annually. Joist Elite has job expenses and profit-margin reports but no estimate-against-actual review. Job costing was not found on Invoice Simple's or Square's official pages.
What do these apps charge to take a card payment?
On published US rates: Invoice Simple up to 3.49% + $0.49, Joist 3.49% + $0.49, Square 3.3% + 30¢ on Free or 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus, Jobber 2.9% + 30¢, QuickBooks 2.99% on invoices, and Contractor+ 3.5% + $0.30 on its free plan. ACH runs about 1% on most of them, with Invoice Simple and Joist capping it at $15. Clamp does not process payments; you add your own payment link and record what was paid.
Which alternative works for a crew of three?
Clamp Teams is $83.33 a month billed annually, or $99.99 monthly, for up to 10 accounts with free sub invites. Contractor+ Pro Team for three is $78 a month billed annually, calculated from its 2-user price plus one extra user. QuickBooks Online Essentials is $85 a month for 3 users, but job costing needs Plus at $140. Joist is one user per account, Square prices by location, and Invoice Simple publishes no user count.
