Joist pricing in one line: four plans at $10 (Basics), $17 (Pro), $32 (Elite) and $70 (Run, introductory, $100 list) per month, a 14-day free trial with no card, no free plan, and an AI Receptionist add-on from $49 a month. For a solo contractor the subscription is the small part of the bill; card processing at up to 3.49% plus $0.49 usually costs more than the plan.
How we put this together: researched from Joist’s pricing page and the Joist Help Center articles on payment fees, taxes, cancelling plans and the AI Receptionist, all read on November 8, 2026, plus PricingSaaS’s public change log for dates of past price changes. We have not run a paid Joist account, so nothing below is a hands-on test; the monthly totals are our own arithmetic from Joist’s published rates. Our research and testing methods explain the difference. Prices checked November 8, 2026.
Joist plans and prices at a glance
| Plan | Monthly price | Who Joist pitches it to | The limit or feature that matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basics | $10 | Occasional jobs, new businesses | Up to 5 documents a month; online payments; built-in AI tools; homeowner financing |
| Pro | $17 | Full-time solo contractors | Unlimited documents and clients, logo, line-item photos, client activity tracking, work orders |
| Elite | $32 | Busy contractors wanting more tools | Change orders, business and sales reports, license and insurance storage, Joist Reviews, social integrations |
| Run | $70 intro ($100 list) | Several jobs at once, growing workload | Jobs, visit scheduling, linking jobs to estimates, invoices and clients |
| AI Receptionist (add-on) | $49 / $99 / $199 | Anyone missing calls on the job | Up to 50, 150 or 300 AI-answered calls a month, billed monthly |
Joist’s page also says “Annual plans get two months free,” but does not print annual prices. If that means ten months for the price of twelve, Pro would be about $170 a year and Elite about $320; confirm in the app before you pay, because Joist does not show the figure.
If you are choosing between Joist and a similar estimate-and-invoice app, our Invoice Simple vs Joist comparison lines the two up feature by feature.
Which Joist plan fits which contractor
Basics is only worth it if you send five or fewer estimates and invoices a month combined. An estimate that turns into an invoice is two documents, so the cap is closer to two or three jobs. Best for: a weekend handyman testing whether paid software is worth it.
Pro is the plan most solo contractors land on: unlimited documents for $17, and it is the cheapest plan that removes the cap. Best for: a one-person painter, electrician or handyman billing every week. Limitation: no change orders, which remodelers use constantly.
Elite adds change orders and the sales and business reports. Best for: a remodeler or deck builder whose jobs grow after the first estimate. Limitation: still no scheduling, so a crew calendar lives somewhere else.
Run is new in 2026 and the first Joist plan with jobs and visit scheduling. Best for: a two-to-four person outfit that has outgrown a paper calendar but does not want full field service software. Limitation: the $70 is an introductory price, and Joist does not say when or whether it returns to $100. At that level it competes with entry plans from Jobber; see our Jobber pricing breakdown before you commit.
What Joist really costs a month: three worked examples
The subscription is the smaller line for most users. Joist Payments in the US charges up to 3.49% plus $0.49 for cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and 1% capped at $15 for ACH bank transfers and mobile check deposits. The fee comes out of your payout. Here is what that does to three typical contractors, using the 3.49% top rate.
| Scenario | Plan + add-ons | Payments in a month | Processing fees | Total a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time handyman | Basics $10 | 4 invoices of $500, all card | $71.76 | $81.76 |
| Solo painter | Pro $17 | 12 invoices of $1,000: 6 card, 6 ACH | $212.34 card + $60 ACH | $289.34 |
| Small remodeler | Run $70 + AI Receptionist $49 | 8 invoices of $3,000, all ACH | $120 (capped at $15 each) | $239 |
The remodeler pays less in total than the painter despite a plan seven times the price, only because large ACH payments hit the $15 cap. The same eight $3,000 invoices paid by card would cost $841.52 in fees. If clients will pay by bank transfer, ask them to; Joist also has help articles on passing the transaction fee to the customer, so check your state’s rules on surcharges before you switch that on.
Joist AI Receptionist: price, call limits and how to cancel
The AI Receptionist costs $49, $99 or $199 a month for up to 50, 150 or 300 AI-answered calls, billed monthly. Joist counts calls, not minutes, which is easier to budget than per-minute receptionists if your callers ramble. It answers missed calls and captures leads you follow up later; Joist’s help center says calls route through call forwarding to a Joist number.
Cancelling is where people get stuck, because the subscription and the call forwarding are two separate things. Joist’s steps, in short:
- Open AI Receptionist (web: left menu, then “Go To Your Assistant”; iOS: More; Android: Manage).
- Click “Removal Instructions” at the top right and undo the call forwarding on your phone, so calls stop going to the Joist number.
- Click “Continue Cancellation” and confirm.
If you cancel mid-cycle, the receptionist keeps working until the billing period ends. If you skip the forwarding step to use those last days, you must come back and disconnect it under Make Changes, then Live call capture, or your calls may keep forwarding to a line nobody answers. For how AI answering compares with alternatives built for trades, see our guide to the best AI receptionists for small businesses.
Fine print and costs that are not on the pricing table
- Klarna pay-later costs 4.99% plus $0.49 in the US. Useful for a big job, expensive for small ones.
- Canada is different: 2.90% plus C$0.30 for cards and wallets, 4.99% plus C$0.30 for Klarna; the help page lists no ACH or check deposit option there.
- Refunds do not return the fee, and chargebacks and disputes carry extra fees.
- Sales tax may be added to the plan price by the App Store, Play Store or other payment processor, depending on your state or province.
- Cancel where you bought it. A plan bought on an iPhone is cancelled through Apple, on Android through Google Play, and on the web inside Joist. To downgrade, cancel, wait for the cycle to end, then pick the new plan.
- No free plan any more. Joist’s FAQ says the free plan “is no longer available”; the 14-day trial gives full Run access without a card.
Joist price changes in 2026
Joist has changed its lineup three times this year, according to PricingSaaS’s public change log for Joist:
- July 3, 2026: Pro went from $16 to $17 a month.
- Late July 2026: the AI Receptionist add-on appeared at $49 a month, and Elite gained sales dashboards.
- August 24, 2026: the Run plan launched at $70 introductory against a $100 list price.
We will update this page when the Run introductory price ends or another plan changes. For a bigger field service platform with similar add-on creep, compare Housecall Pro’s plans and fees.
Is Joist cheaper than the alternatives?
On subscription price, yes for a solo contractor: $17 for unlimited estimates and invoices is below the entry plans of full field service suites. It stops being the cheap option when you need crew scheduling, because that only arrives in Run. Our best field service software for small business roundup covers what the bigger platforms add for that money, and the field service software hub lists every comparison we have published.
Joist pricing questions
Is Joist free?
No. The free plan has been retired. You can use every Run feature free for 14 days without a credit card.
How much is Joist Elite?
$32 a month on joist.com as of November 8, 2026. App store prices may add sales tax.
What is the cheapest Joist plan with unlimited invoices?
Pro at $17 a month. Basics caps you at five documents a month.
Does Joist charge a fee when customers pay online?
Yes, through Joist Payments: up to 3.49% plus $0.49 per card payment in the US, or 1% capped at $15 for ACH. There is no fee if a payment does not complete.
Sources (read November 8, 2026): Joist pricing page; Joist Help Center: Joist Payments transaction fees, taxes and fees on plans, cancel or downgrade a plan, AI Receptionist plans, cancel the AI Receptionist; PricingSaaS, Joist pricing change log.
