Comparison
BidWriter Pro vs Joist
Joist is an estimating and invoicing app built around line items. BidWriter Pro writes the proposal from your notes and follows up until it is signed and paid.
Joist is a widely used estimating and invoicing app for contractors. It is good at line-item estimates and invoices, it takes card payments, and its lower plans cost less than BidWriter Pro. The difference is how the bid gets written and what happens after you send it.
| Feature | BidWriter Pro | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Contractors who write their own bids | Contractors who need estimates and invoices |
| Price | $29 a month, flat. Free 30 days, no card. | Billed monthly: Basics $10 a month (up to 5 documents a month), Pro $17, Elite $32, and Run $70 at an introductory price (listed at $100), which adds job organizing and scheduling. Annual plans get two months free. A call-answering add-on starts at $49 a month. Read from joist.com/pricing on September 20, 2026; check theirs before you decide. |
| Time to first bid | About two minutes | Minutes. It is an app on your phone. |
| Proposals | Your own words, cleaned up. One price, or packages and extras the customer picks, itemized lines, and photos from the walkthrough. | Line-item estimates you build from items, sent by email, with signatures collected. Client activity tracking, your logo, photos, and line items start on the Pro plan; change orders and license details on Elite. |
| Sending and signing | Email, text, or link. Type-to-sign on any phone, no login, legally binding. | Included, usually through a client portal or app |
| Follow-ups | Automatic on day 3 and 7. Customers can request changes or decline from the proposal. | Payment reminders; check their plan comparison for estimate follow-ups |
| Getting paid | Deposit by card at signing, balance by one tap, invoice PDF. Or record cash, check, Venmo, and Zelle yourself. | Cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, deposits on estimates, and third-party homeowner financing. |
| Everything else | Job dates with calendar invites, a quote request page, review requests, private notes. No dispatch, no payroll, no add-ons. | Invoicing, financing, payments, and job scheduling on the top plan |
Joist details are from their public pricing and help pages as of September 2026 and may change. Check their site for current plans.
Pick Joist if
You send fewer than five estimates a month and $10 is the right price.
Your bids are long line-item lists priced from a saved item list.
You want to offer homeowner financing, or take PayPal and Venmo through the app.
Pick BidWriter Pro if
You want to type the job the way you would text it and have the proposal written from that.
You want opened and signed alerts, automatic follow-ups, and a way for the customer to ask for changes.
You want the deposit collected at signing and the balance requested with one tap.
Write your next bid in it and decide for yourself.
Free for 30 days, no card. Or try the writer without signing up.
What Joist really costs, plan by plan
Also compare: Jobber · Housecall Pro