The Best Free Joist Alternative for Contractors in 2026
Joist is built for contractors and its free plan is a fair place to start, but reviewers report the free tier caps you at only a handful of invoices and estimates a month, and the paid plan runs about $31 a month with processing fees on any card payments you take. If you just need a professional invoice or estimate out the door and you collect payment by check or bank transfer anyway, a free browser generator has no account and no monthly cap.
Contractor Invoice Template vs Joist
| Criteria | Contractor Invoice Template | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Ease & speed | 10.0 | 8.0 |
| Professional output | 9.5 | 8.5 |
| Features | 6.0 | 8.5 |
| Price | 10.0 | 7.0 |
| No signup | 10.0 | 4.0 |
| Flexibility | 8.5 | 7.0 |
| Overall | 9.2 | 7.3 |
Scores from our full 2026 comparison, out of 10.
Why people switch to Contractor Invoice Template
- ✓Free, with no signup to make your first documents
- ✓Invoice, estimate, quote, and work order from one form
- ✓Automatic labor/materials totals, tax, and license-number field
- ✓Print, save as PDF, or download CSV instantly
When Joist is the better choice
If getting paid by card matters and you want to turn an approved estimate into an invoice and track it inside an app, Joist's payment features are worth the subscription.
Its trade-offs: Requires creating an account; Payment processing and premium features carry fees; Lighter on scheduling/CRM than Jobber.
Try it in your browser — free, no signup.
Open Contractor Invoice Template →Or see the full ranking of all 6 tools.