QuotrPro vs Joist (2026)

Joist offers a free tier, but it is limited to 5 estimates per month and basic invoicing with Joist branding on your documents. For most active contractors, 5 estimates will run out within the first week or two. The Pro plan at $31/month removes those limits and adds custom branding, client e-signatures, and QuickBooks sync. QuotrPro starts at $29/month — two dollars less than Joist Pro — but includes AI-powered photo-to-estimate generation, real-time Home Depot material pricing, and professional digital proposals with e-signature. Both offer a similar price point at the paid tier, but the capabilities are very different. QuotrPro also offers a 3-day free trial so you can test the AI estimating workflow before committing.

No. Joist is a straightforward manual estimating tool where you type in every line item, quantity, unit cost, and description yourself. There is no photo analysis, no automatic scope detection, no AI-generated line items, and no real-time pricing lookup. The tool is essentially a digital version of a paper estimate form with better formatting. QuotrPro takes a fundamentally different approach — you snap photos of the job site, answer a few clarifying questions, and the AI identifies the full scope of work, generates detailed line items for materials and labor, pulls live SKU-level pricing from Home Depot, and delivers a professional proposal in about 10 minutes. The difference shows up in both speed and accuracy, especially on complex or unfamiliar job types where you might miss line items doing it manually.

If budget is your absolute top priority and you only need a handful of estimates per month, Joist free tier gets you started at zero cost. However, consider the hidden cost of manual estimating: underpricing a single job because you forgot a line item or used outdated material prices can easily cost you $200-$500 in lost margin — far more than a monthly subscription. QuotrPro at $29/month includes AI that catches missed scope items and pulls current Home Depot pricing on every estimate. Many contractors find the subscription pays for itself on the very first job. QuotrPro also offers a 3-day free trial, so you can test the AI estimating workflow on real projects before spending anything. For new contractors still learning to price jobs accurately, the AI acts as a safety net that more experienced estimators do not need as much.

Yes, Joist offers a full-featured app on both iOS and Android, which is a genuine advantage for contractors using Android phones. QuotrPro currently offers an iOS app with an Android version in development. If you use an Android device as your primary phone and need a mobile estimating app today, Joist has the clear advantage on this point. That said, QuotrPro web app works in any mobile browser including Chrome on Android, so you can still access AI estimating from an Android device — it just will not have the native app experience with push notifications and camera integration that the iOS app provides. If Android-native support is a dealbreaker for you, Joist is the safer choice until QuotrPro Android launches.

No. In Joist, you manually set your own prices for every line item or reuse prices saved in your templates. These prices do not update automatically when supplier costs change, which means you need to periodically check and update your templates yourself to stay accurate. During periods of material price volatility — like the lumber swings contractors have experienced in recent years — static prices can drift significantly from reality within weeks. QuotrPro connects directly to Home Depot product data for live SKU-level pricing on materials. When the cost of a specific tile, piece of lumber, or hardware item changes, your QuotrPro estimates automatically reflect the current price. This protects your margins and gives homeowners confidence that your numbers are grounded in real, verifiable costs they can check themselves.