Joist Alternatives for Residential Contractors (2026)
Joist is built around estimates, invoices and payments for one user. Five alternatives for solo and small residential crews that need job cost, mileage, crew and sub access, and change orders tied to the contract, priced by team size from each vendor's own pages.
By Clamp ResearchReviewed by Emmanuel ForgePublished Oct 15, 2026✓ Reviewed Oct 2026
Direct answer: For a solo or small residential crew outgrowing Joist, Clamp is the closest fit at the lowest published price: change orders, job costing and mileage on every plan, from $12.50 a month billed annually, and $83.33 for up to 10 people. Contractor Foreman prices by user tier from $49; Contractor+ has job costing on Pro Team at $58 for 2 users; Handoff suits AI estimating from your own price sheets; Jobber fits service visits. Stay with Joist for built-in payments, homeowner financing and QuickBooks sync.
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
Joist is good at the documents: estimates, invoices and getting paid, with card payments, homeowner financing and QuickBooks sync built in. Contractors usually start looking when the work outgrows the documents: they need to know what a job actually cost, log the miles they drive, give a crew member or a sub their own access, and keep change orders tied to the contract.
Every price and feature here 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: Joist 12, Contractor Foreman 21, Contractor+ 18, Handoff 24, Jobber 18.
Compare Clamp with (pick one or more)
Clamp plan
Every Clamp feature, next to each alternative
Feature
Clamp
Joist
Contractor Foreman
Contractor+
Handoff
Jobber
CRM and leads
3 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
0 of 5
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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
Run, $70Visit reminder emails to the client and payment reminders; none to you
PartlyPlan not stated. Crew schedule texts and emails; expiration reminders
PartlyOverdue invoices and estimate expiration
Pro, $239Automatic proposal and invoice follow-ups to the client by email or SMS; no reminders before appointments or scheduled work found
From Connect$99 a month
Customer appointment remindersHomeowners get an email before an appointment, with confirm and reschedule built in.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
Run, $70Email reminders of visits; no confirm or reschedule by the customer
Not foundReminders go to crews, not clients
Not foundOn-My-Way texts only
Not foundAutomatic reminders cover proposals and invoices only
From Connect, $99Confirm only; the business reschedules
Five-factor lead scoringA clear yes, no, or maybe on a lead before driving out.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundClient profiles record how each customer found you; no lead scoring or pipeline
Not foundLead stages and sources; custom fields only
Not foundPipeline stages, no scoring
Not foundSales reps get a lead pipeline; no lead scoring or qualification found
Not foundRequest forms only
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
Elite, $32Sales and estimate reports; no close rate by lead source or lost reasons
PartlyPlan not stated. Lead stats by source, stage and timing; no close rate
PartlyLead status and pipeline value; no close rate
Not foundPro lists an AI Business Advisor with business insights; close rate and lead-source reports not found
Plus, or $49 add-onSales pipeline
Daily briefingOverdue invoices, detected trips, follow-ups, appointments, and open proposals in one morning view.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Elite, $32Monthly Snapshot of the current month; no daily view
PartlyPlan not stated. Dashboard of widgets you pick
PartialAn on-request AI summary of the last 24 hours (assignments, approvals, payments); no morning view of overdue invoices or follow-ups
PartlyHome: today's visits, overdue balances
Estimating
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Design agreementsPaid preconstruction sits in the document chain, so planning work is paid work.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundContracts and terms attach to an estimate; no paid design agreement
Not foundDocument Writer contracts and warranties
Not foundService contracts only
Not foundDocuments tab drafts contracts, work orders and scope sheets; no paid design or preconstruction agreement found
Not foundContract text on quotes
Itemized estimatesAssembly-based estimates with quantities and rates the contractor can inspect line by line.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ Pro, $17Basics makes estimates; the pricing page lists line items from Pro
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Estimates; 1build pricing not on Basic or Standard
✓ Every planFreedom capped at 5 a month
✓ Every plan, Flex $119Line items with quantities and rates from your catalog, supplier catalogs or AI pricing
✓ Every planQuotes
Estimate templatesSave an estimate as a template for work done often.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ IncludedProject templates; the pricing grid does not show which plan
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Estimate templates (KB title only)
✓ Estimate templatesPlan not stated
✓ Pro, $239Templates built in Settings or drafted by the AI, reused across projects; saving an estimate as one is not described
✓ Every planQuote templates
Proposals with multiple package tiersGood, better, best packages in one proposal.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not foundNo options or packages in one estimate
PartlyPlan not stated. Optional items, selections and options (KB titles only)
Pro, $29Optional items for good, better, best
✓ Scale, $719Up to 5 estimate options per proposal; the client picks one when approving. Options and add-on groups have no plan stated in their own article
Grow, $149Optional line items; Quote Options in beta
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
✓ Every planEstimate with AI from a typed or spoken description
Not foundAI assistant for takeoffs only
✓ Pro, $29Estimatic AI; 10 credits a month per support article, no limit on pricing page
✓ Every plan, Flex $119Describe the job in the AI chat or by voice; prices from your catalog first; 50 credits a month on Flex, unlimited on Pro
PartlyJobber AI drafts from your quote templates
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 foundJoist says it is not a construction cost estimating program
Not foundResidential and commercial templates; no job-type detection
Not foundNo job-type detection
PartialAI chat estimates any described job (remodel examples); AI takeoff from residential plans on Scale; no remodel vs new-home detection found
Not foundNo job-type detection
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 foundLabor is a line item you price yourself
Not foundLabor pricing in the cost database; no hour ranges
PartlyLabor lines in hours you enter
Not foundLabor added at a rate in the AI chat; labor hours per line, as a range or with an allowance, not described
Not foundUnit cost and markup only
Contracts and invoicing
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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
✓ IncludedDeposits and milestone payments; the pricing grid does not show which plan
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Schedule of values and progress invoicing; deposits not stated
✓ Deposit and milestonesPlan not stated
✓ No plan limit statedDeposit, milestone and final entries by percent or amount; each converts to an invoice after approval. Listed as Milestone Invoicing on the pricing page
✓ Every planProgress invoicing
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
✓ IncludedSaved taxes per line item; Sales Tax Summary in reports
PartlyPlan not stated. Tax rates by location; no tax report found
PartlyTax on documents, no tax report
PartialTax set per catalog rate or as a preset and applied to estimates and invoices; no collected-tax totals by quarter or year found
✓ Every planTax rates and Taxation report
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
Refunds onlyRefunds of Joist Payments within 60 days; no credits or balance adjustments
Not foundKB credit article did not load; offline payments recorded
PartlyRefunds only, no credits
✓ No plan limit statedCredits applied when an invoice is made; full or partial refunds of payments processed through Handoff
PartlyRefunds only, no credits
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
✓ Elite, $32
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Contract amount updates on approval
PartlyOn invoices; help says none on estimates
✓ No plan limit statedLinked to the proposal; the client approves online and project totals update
Not foundThrough DocuSign
Invoices tied to the contractEvery invoice belongs to the contract or change order it bills.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ Every planEstimates convert to invoices
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Progress, AIA and time and material invoices
✓ Every planFreedom capped at 5 a month
✓ No plan limit statedConverted from the approved proposal or its payment schedule, or standalone; change-order invoicing not described
✓ Every plan
Customer portal
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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
Shared linksCustomers review, sign and pay each document by link; no persistent project portal
PartlyPlan not stated. Client Portal per contact; no-account access stated only for estimate links
✓ Pro Team, $58Secure link by phone or email
✓ Pro, $239No account or password; the client enters a one-time code by phone or email at each sign-in
✓ Client HubEvery plan
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
Pro, $17Up to 20 photos on each estimate or invoice; no portal
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Pick files and photos to share; limits not stated
✓ Pro Team, $58Photos and files; limits not stated
✓ Pro, $239Proposals, invoices, change orders, documents, files and daily logs; no count limit stated
PartlyAttachments
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
✓ IncludedClient signs from the emailed link on any device
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Estimates by link, no account; change orders
✓ Pro, $29Automated contracts, signature pad
✓ No plan limit statedClient types a signature on the proposal link; signed proposals carry a timestamp
✓ Quote approvalsTyped or drawn
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
Several recipientsSends to several emails; signing shows you and one client, no per-signer tracking or reminders
Not foundCourtesy copies on estimate approvals only
PartlyClient and contractor only
PartialThe selections article refers to a first required signature and later signers; signer limit, status and reminders not documented
Not foundOne client 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 foundNo project updates or customer decisions after signing
PartlyPlan not stated. Approvals of estimates, change orders, RFIs and submittals
Pro Team, $58Updates; approvals on change orders only
Pro, $239Updates feed of shared items and daily logs; approve or decline only on proposals and change orders; no decision request found
Not foundChoices at quote time only
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
✓ Every planUndelivered status in the document list plus an email to you; resend by text
Not foundKB troubleshooting article only; body did not load
Not foundNo outgoing email log
Not foundHelp article advises a test send, checking contact details and resending; no bounce detection described
Not found
Expense tracking
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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 foundVehicle logs record mileage for maintenance
PartlyBeta; clock-in points per help, Start Trip per feature page
Not foundMileage tracking is an open user request on Handoff's feature board
Not foundGPS waypoints only
Automatic time on siteGPS geofence tracking of hours at the jobsite.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
PartlyPlan not stated. GPS and geofenced time cards; automatic clock-in not stated
PartlyGPS at manual clock-in; geofence upcoming
Pro, $239Crew clock in by hand; an optional geofence flags shifts started off site. Beta
✓ Grow, $149Location timers by geofence; need a connection
Receipts and expenses on the jobReceipts logged against the job they belong to.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
✓ IncludedExpense tracking with receipt photos tied to jobs; plan not shown on the grid
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Expenses; receipt photos not stated
PartlyReceipt photos on client expenses
✓ Pro, $239Upload a receipt photo or PDF; AI extracts it to the project budget for review
✓ From Connect, $99Expenses with receipt photo
Purchase ordersCommitted costs captured between the estimate and the receipt.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Not found
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. One-click bill from a PO
Not foundShopping lists only
Not foundAI-powered material lists on the pricing page; no purchase orders found
Not found
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 foundExpenses and receipts only; no bills or vendor records
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Bills tied to POs and subcontracts
Not foundVendors for materials only
Pro, $239Vendor invoices uploaded as expenses, with a vendor or contact on manual entries; no bill or payables tracking found
Not found
Job costing and reports
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Job costingWhat the job actually cost, with a variance and catalog learning loop.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Elite, $32Job expenses and profit-margin reports; no estimate-against-actual review
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Original and revised budgets; job costing reports
✓ Pro Team, $58
✓ Pro, $239Budget tab: estimate plus change orders against confirmed expenses and approved labor, variance by line
Grow, $149Not on Core or Connect
Accountant export packageA package of the business's records prepared for an accountant.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
CSV and QuickBooksMonthly CSV of document totals from the web; QuickBooks Online sync
QuickBooks syncTwo-way, Online and Desktop
Pro Team, $58QuickBooks Online sync
Flex, $119QuickBooks Online sync: estimates and invoices one way, clients both ways; no accountant package found
QuickBooks, XeroIntegrations
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
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Time card reports; Gusto export
✓ Time clock reportExcel by email; plan not stated
✓ Pro, $239Timesheet filtered by person, project and dates, exported as CSV or PDF; hourly rate per person. Beta
✓ From Connect, $99Timesheet report, Excel export
Jobsites and teams
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Teams: up to 10 linked accountsUp to 10 accounts, including the owner, sharing one business.
✓ TeamsTeams, $83.33 a month billed annually
NoOne user, one login per account
✓ Standard, $105Up to 3 users; feature pages say unlimited users
✓ Pro Team, $582 users, $20 to $29 per extra user
✓ Flex 2 users, Pro 5Scale lists 5+; extra-seat price not stated
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Custom roles, four access levels per feature
✓ Pro Team, $58Admin, Manager, Field Worker, custom
✓ Plan not statedAdmin, Project Manager, Sales Rep / Estimator, Field Crew, plus custom roles; the team article says roles depend on the plan
✓ Every plan
Unlimited subcontractor linkingSubs share jobsite photos and notes into the business account without consuming a seat.
✓ TeamsTeams, $83.33 a month billed annually
NoOne user, one login per account
Not foundSub project access exists; seat use not stated
Not foundExtra users are paid seats
✓ Scale, $719Sub & Vendor Portal: subs sign in with a code, take no seat, post daily logs and upload invoices; Pro can try it on one project
Not foundSubs need a paid seat
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
Run, $70Jobs and visits in a calendar, for one person; no photos, crew or subs
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Projects
✓ Pro, $29Jobs, work orders and visits
✓ Every plan, Flex $119Projects hold files, estimates, schedule, tasks and daily logs, with a global Schedule calendar; tasks and daily logs on Pro, free sub access on Scale
✓ Every planJobs
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
Run, $70Visits on each job with overlap alerts; no suppliers or assignees
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Gantt scheduling per project
✓ Pro, $29Visits and calendar
✓ No plan limit statedPhases and events such as inspections per project; AI builds it from the estimate on Pro; deliveries and suppliers not mentioned
✓ Every planScheduling
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
NoRun scheduling is for one person
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Gantt and crew schedule; no clash alerts found
✓ Pro Team, $58Color-coded by assignee; no clash notes
✓ No plan limit statedGlobal Schedule calendar across projects with team members on phases; no clash warnings found
✓ Every plan
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
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Punchlists, sent as PDF
Pro, $29Post-inspection reports, PDF or SMS
✓ Pro, $239A task list can hold a punch list; export as PDF or CSV
From Connect, $99Checklists, emailed as PDF
Job site photosPhotos saved to the project with full-screen viewing.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
Pro, $17Photos attach to estimates and invoices (up to 20); not to jobs
✓ IncludedPlan not stated. Files and Photos, with markup
✓ Task and job photosPlan not stated
✓ No plan limit statedFiles tab per project, photos taken in the app, tap to preview
✓ Every planAttachments
Backup and offline
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Full job workflow, offlineLeads, design agreements, estimates, proposals, change orders, and invoices on the phone, working without a connection.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
NoJoist says it needs an internet connection to work
Not foundOffline use not stated
Not foundOffline use not stated
Not foundOffline use not described; the AI chat shows a Network Unavailable error without a connection
PartlyForms, visit details and time only
Cloud backupBusiness data backed up to the cloud and restorable on a new device.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
✓ Every planData lives on Joist's servers; data may be deleted without a paid plan
✓ Cloud softwareWeb and mobile app
✓ Cloud software
✓ Every plan, Flex $119Cloud account used on the web, iPhone and Android; no separate backup or restore described
✓ Cloud software
Business portal: read-only web viewA read-only view of the business in a browser.
✓ Assistant and TeamsAssistant, $41.67 a month billed annually
✓ Every planFull web app at pro.joistapp.com, not read-only
✓ Web app
✓ Web appFull web app, not read-only
✓ Every plan, Flex $119Full web app at app.handoff.ai, not read-only
✓ Web app
Device backup, restore, CSV export, bulk importLocal backup and restore with CSV export and bulk import.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
CSV export onlyMonthly CSV from the web; no backup, restore or import
PartlyCSV import and export of some records
PartlyCSV or Excel import only
PartialCSV export of tasks and timesheets, catalog import from CSV; no backup, restore or bulk client import found
PartlyClient CSV import and export only
No account required to startThe app opens to local use; an account is needed only for server features or subscribing.
✓ Every planSolo, $12.50 a month billed annually
NoData is hosted online and reached with your login; 14-day trial, no card
Not foundStarts from a 30-day trial on the plans page
Not foundFree plan is an account
Not foundSign-in by phone, email, Google or Apple is the only entry described; 7-day Flex trial
Not foundStarts from a Jobber subscription
Only in Joist
Where Joist is ahead
Built-in payments
Clamp records payments; it does not process them
✓ Every plan
Homeowner financing
Not in Clamp
✓ Every plan, 30+ lenders
QuickBooks Online sync
Accountant export only
✓ Daily sync of estimates and invoices
AI Receptionist
Not in Clamp
✓ Add-on from $49 a month
Review requests
Not in Clamp
✓ Elite, $32
Contractor lending
Not in Clamp
✓ Joist Lending
Only in Contractor Foreman
Where Contractor Foreman is ahead
Plan takeoffs
Not in Clamp
✓ Measure plans and link quantities to estimates
Bid management and subcontracts
Not in Clamp
✓ Vendor bid invites, convert to a PO or subcontract
AIA G702 and G703 billing with retainage
Payment schedules, no AIA forms
✓ Schedule of values and retention tracking
Two-way QuickBooks sync
Accountant export package
✓ QuickBooks Online and Desktop
Gantt scheduling
Shared job schedule, no Gantt
✓ Dependencies, critical path, baselines
Built-in payments and client financing
Your own payment link
✓ Stripe card and ACH; SweetPay financing
Only in Contractor+
Where Contractor+ is ahead
Built-in payments and client financing
Your own payment link
✓ Card and ACH on Pro; financing offers
Business phone system and chat
Not in Clamp
✓ Pro Team
PRO website
Not in Clamp
✓ Pro
Gantt chart and recurring tasks
Not in Clamp
✓ Project management
Automated overdue invoice texts
Email reminders (Assistant)
✓ Email, SMS or both
Only in Handoff
Where Handoff is ahead
Price-sheet catalog import
Not in Clamp: saved rates are entered in the app, no price-sheet import
✓ PDF, Excel, CSV, Word or a photo of a price sheet; the AI prices from your catalog, then supplier catalogs, then its own rates. 1 catalog on Flex, unlimited on Pro
Revise by message with saved AI presets
Clamp revises by message too; saved AI presets are not in Clamp
✓ Follow-up messages change the draft; presets for labor rate, markups, tax and below-the-line fees apply to every estimate
AI takeoff from plans
Not in Clamp
✓ Scale: residential plans up to 7,000 sq ft, quantities measured and counted into the estimate. One article says PDF only, another accepts PDF, PNG, JPG or TIFF
Built-in card and ACH payments
Not in Clamp: add your own payment link and record what was paid
✓ Pro: card 2.85%, ACH 1% capped at $10, both covered by the client; refunds in the app
Client financing
Not in Clamp
✓ Homeowner financing through Acorn Finance. The pricing page lists it on Pro (FAQ: Pro and Custom); the Help Center overview calls it a Business feature
AI daily logs
Not in Clamp
✓ Pro: logs drafted from narration and photos in walkthrough mode, with weather, shared to the client portal
Only in Jobber
Where Jobber is ahead
Route optimization
Not in Clamp
✓ From Connect
Recurring jobs and online booking
Not in Clamp
✓ Every plan
Built-in payments
Your own payment link
✓ Cards 2.9% + 30¢, ACH 1%
Automated quote and invoice follow-ups
Email reminders (Assistant)
✓ From Connect
Nothing here matches. Pick All or another filter.
Competitor columns from each vendor's own pricing page, feature pages and help center, checked October 14, 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.
Joist Basics is $10 a month for up to 5 documents, Pro is $17 with unlimited documents, Elite is $32 with change orders, and Run is $70 a month introductory (from $100) with jobs and visit scheduling. Annual plans get two months free. Joist's free plan is no longer available; every plan starts with a 14-day trial, no card required.
Accounts are set up for one user with one login, so a crew member or a sub cannot get their own access.
Joist says it is not a construction cost estimating program. It tracks job expenses and margin reports on Elite; a review of estimated against actual cost was not found on its official pages.
Change orders start on Elite at $32 a month, and jobs and visits on Run at $70 a month introductory.
Time tracking and a business mileage log were not found on its official pages, and Joist says it needs an internet connection to work.
5 Joist alternatives
In order of fit for a solo or small-crew residential contractor who has outgrown an estimate and invoice app. Each entry says where it is stronger, not only where it falls short.
1ClampBest for solo and small residential crews that have outgrown documents and need the whole job in one app
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
The whole residential job in one record, first call to final invoice: lead score, design agreement, AI estimate at cost, proposal, change orders and invoices.
Change orders, job costing, receipts and punch lists on every plan, including Solo.
Mileage and time on site detected automatically and costed to the job, on every plan.
Leads, estimates, proposals, change orders and invoices work with no signal on every plan; AI drafts, e-signing and the customer portal need a connection when you use them.
A customer portal with e-signatures and email reminders from Assistant, $41.67 a month billed annually.
Teams covers up to 10 people plus unlimited free sub invites, who never see your prices, for $99.99 a month.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
No takeoff from plans and no Gantt schedule; the shared schedule is whole days, on Teams.
Clamp does not process payments; you add your own payment link and record what was paid.
No QuickBooks sync; an accountant export package instead.
Not a lead source; it scores and follows up the leads you already get.
2Contractor ForemanBest for small residential crews that want change orders, job costing and crew tools at a low tier price
Price
Basic $49 a month billed annually for one user, annual only. Standard $105 (up to 3 users), Plus $166 (up to 8), Pro $221 (up to 15) and Unlimited $332 billed annually; $139, $199, $279 and $399 month to month. 30-day free trial.
Team
Priced by user tier, not per user. Its feature pages say plans include unlimited users with no per-user charges, while the pricing page lists user caps, so confirm the cap for your crew.
Where it is stronger
Change orders signed online, and the contract amount updates when one is approved.
Job costing reports that show whether a job overspent on material and labor against the estimate.
Progress invoices with retainage, plus AIA G702 and G703 billing.
Two-way QuickBooks Online and Desktop sync.
Gantt scheduling with critical path, a crew schedule, and GPS time cards with geofencing.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Which plan includes which feature did not render on the pricing page; the only readable note is that Basic and Standard leave out Local Material Database pricing.
Basic is sold on annual billing only.
AI is for takeoffs only; AI estimating was not found on official pages.
Vehicle logs record mileage for maintenance; trip detection was not found on official pages.
3Contractor+Best for a contractor who wants a free start and a two-person plan with job costing and a client portal
Price
Freedom is free for 5 estimates or invoices a month. Pro is $29 a month billed annually, $49 month to month or $997 lifetime, for one user. Pro Team is $58 a month billed annually or $98 month to month for 2 users; extra users $20 or $29 a month. Max is $500 a month.
Team
2 users on Pro Team, then paid per user; Admin, Manager, Field Worker and custom roles. Extra logins are paid seats, and a subcontractor role was not found.
Where it is stronger
A free plan to start, which Joist no longer offers.
Estimatic AI from Pro: describe the job, add photos or plans, and it prices from your cost book.
Job costing, a branded client portal and QuickBooks Online sync on Pro Team.
Deposits and milestone payments, card and ACH from Pro, and client financing.
Automated overdue invoice reminders by email, text or both.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Change orders are updates to an invoice; its help center says there is no direct change order on an estimate.
Its pages disagree on price: the pricing page shows Pro at $29 and Pro Team at $58 a month, while the help center lists $49 and $98 a month.
The mileage log is in beta, and offline use was not found on official pages.
4HandoffBest for remodelers who want AI estimates priced from their own price sheets and can pay for a larger plan
Price
Flex $119 a month billed annually or $149 monthly, with 2 users. Pro $239 or $299 with 5 users and Scale $719 or $899, each with a 12-month commitment. 7-day free trial.
Team
2 users on Flex and 5 on Pro; the extra-seat price is not stated. A free sub and vendor portal is on Scale.
Where it is stronger
AI estimates from a typed or spoken description, priced from your own catalog first; catalogs import from PDF, Excel, CSV, Word or a photo of a price sheet.
Change orders linked to the proposal, approved online, with project totals updated automatically.
On Pro, a budget of the estimate plus change orders against actual costs, with receipts read by AI.
Built-in card and ACH payments, paid by the client: card 2.85%, ACH 1% capped at $10.
A client portal and AI daily logs drafted from narration and photos, on Pro.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Job costing, the client portal and automatic follow-ups start on Pro, $239 a month billed annually with a 12-month commitment.
The free sub portal is on Scale, $719 a month billed annually.
Time tracking is manual clock-in and in beta; mileage tracking was not found on official pages.
5JobberBest for crews whose work is mostly service visits rather than multi-week remodeling projects
Price
Core $29 a month billed annually ($49 month to month) for one user. Connect from $99, Grow from $149 and Plus from $399 with 5 users, billed annually; extra users $29 a month.
Team
Priced by user count: Grow is $229 a month for 5 users and $299 for 10, billed annually. Free subcontractor access was not found on official pages.
Where it is stronger
Client Hub on every plan: clients approve quotes, pay invoices and check appointments.
Progress invoicing on every plan, by percentage or fixed amount tied to milestones.
Recurring jobs and online booking on every plan; route optimization from Connect.
Built-in payments at 2.9% + 30¢ per card payment or 1% by ACH, and QuickBooks Online sync from Connect.
On Grow, timers start and stop automatically within a 200 m geofence of the visit.
Where it falls short for a small residential contractor
Job costing starts on Grow, $149 a month billed annually for one user.
A native change order workflow was not found; Jobber documents signed change orders through DocuSign.
A business mileage log was not found; its GPS records waypoints, not trips.
What each costs by team size
What the whole business pays each month for one person, a three-person crew and ten people, on the first plan with job costing. For Joist the row is Elite, the first plan with change orders.
Joist stops at one user, so a crew has to move. From one person to ten, Contractor+ Pro Team goes from $58 to $218 a month billed annually and Jobber Grow from $149 to $299. Contractor Foreman steps up by user tier, and Handoff covers 5 users on Pro. Clamp Teams is one flat $83.33 a month billed annually for up to 10 people, and subs are free.
Monthly cost by team size
Software
1 person
3 people
10 people
Clamp
$12.50 billed annually ($19.99 monthly), Solo
$83.33 billed annually ($99.99 monthly), Teams
$83.33 billed annually ($99.99 monthly), Teams
Joist
$32 monthly, Elite (first plan with change orders); annual plans get two months free
Not offered: one user per account
Not offered: one user per account
Contractor Foreman
$49 billed annually, Basic (annual only)
$105 billed annually ($139 monthly), Standard
$221 billed annually ($279 monthly), Pro (up to 15)
Contractor+
$58 billed annually ($98 monthly), Pro Team for 2 users
$78 billed annually ($127 monthly), Pro Team plus 1 user
$218 billed annually ($330 monthly), Pro Team plus 8 users
$239 billed annually ($299 monthly), Pro (5 users)
Not published: Pro covers 5 users; Scale ($719) lists 5+ with no seat count
Jobber
$149 billed annually ($199 monthly), Grow
$229 billed annually, Grow at 5 users
$299 billed annually, Grow at 10 users
Per month for the whole business, from each vendor's own pricing page read 2026-10-14 (Joist re-checked 2026-10-15). Billed annually where the vendor offers it, with the monthly-billing price in parentheses where published; 'calculated' figures add the vendor's per-user price. Contractor+ prices read $29 and $58 as annual-billing rates and $49 and $98 as month to month, because its pages disagree. Which Contractor Foreman plan includes job costing did not render on its pricing page. The plans compared are not equivalent: check what each includes before you compare totals.
When to stay with Joist
You want cards, ACH, PayPal, Venmo, Pay Later and Tap to Pay processed in the same app.
Homeowner financing from more than 30 lenders helps your customers say yes.
You want estimates and invoices synced to QuickBooks Online every day.
You work alone, and estimates, invoices and getting paid are most of what you need the app to do.
How to choose
Write down the jobs you ran last month and what each one needed: change orders, progress invoices, receipts, crew hours, mileage.
Count everyone who needs a login, including subs, and price that number on each vendor's current pricing page.
Check which plan each feature you need starts on; change orders and job costing are often on a higher tier than the advertised price.
Run one real job through a trial from first call to final invoice before you move your records.
Keep Joist until the trial job closes cleanly.
Before you switch
Export what you can from Joist before you cancel: its help center describes a monthly CSV of estimate or invoice totals, without line items, from the website on a computer. Save documents you need as PDFs.
Joist says data may be deleted without a current paid subscription, so export before the plan ends.
Save your Joist line items somewhere you can re-enter them as rates in the new software.
Finish open jobs where they started, and start new jobs in the new software.
If you take card payments or offer financing through Joist, set those up another way first.
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 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 to ten people doing residential project work: remodeling, specialty trades and small builds.
Questions
Does Joist still have a free plan?
No. Joist's pricing page says its free plan is no longer available; every plan starts with a 14-day free trial and no card. The lowest plan, Basics, is $10 a month for up to 5 documents, and Pro is $17 for unlimited documents. Contractor+ still has a free plan, capped at 5 estimates or invoices a month.
Can my crew or subs use Joist?
No. Joist's help center says accounts are set up for one user with a single login. Clamp Teams is $99.99 a month or $999.99 a year for up to 10 accounts, plus free sub invites who never see your prices. Contractor Foreman Standard is $105 a month billed annually for up to 3 users, Contractor+ Pro Team is $58 for 2 users plus $20 per extra user, and Handoff Flex includes 2 users.
Which Joist alternative has job costing on its cheapest plan?
Clamp has job costing on every plan, including Solo at $12.50 a month billed annually. Contractor+ puts job costing on Pro Team at $58 a month billed annually, Jobber on Grow at $149, and Handoff on Pro at $239 with a 12-month commitment. Contractor Foreman lists job costing, but which plan includes it did not render on its pricing page. Joist has expenses and margin reports on Elite at $32.
Which alternatives tie change orders to the contract?
Clamp has change orders on every plan. In Contractor Foreman the contract amount updates when a change order is approved, and in Handoff the project totals update. Contractor+ handles a change order as an update to an invoice, and its help center says there is no direct change order on an estimate. Jobber documents signed change orders through DocuSign. Joist's change orders start on Elite at $32 a month.
Which of these apps track business mileage?
Clamp detects trips automatically and values them at the IRS rate, on every plan. Contractor+ has a mileage log in beta. Contractor Foreman's vehicle logs record mileage for maintenance, and Jobber's GPS records waypoints, not trips. A mileage log was not found on Joist's or Handoff's official pages; on Handoff it is an open user request.
Does Joist work offline?
No. Joist's help center says the app needs an internet connection to work, because its data is hosted online. Clamp's leads, estimates, proposals, change orders and invoices work with no signal on every plan; AI drafts, e-signing and the customer portal need a connection when you use them. Jobber added offline forms, visit details and time tracking in March 2026.
When is Joist still the better choice?
When estimates, invoices and getting paid are most of your work and you work alone. Joist processes cards, ACH, PayPal, Venmo, Pay Later and Tap to Pay, offers homeowner financing from more than 30 lenders, and syncs estimates and invoices to QuickBooks Online daily. Clamp processes no payments, offers no financing and has an accountant export instead of a QuickBooks sync.
