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DeftBid vs. Joist.

Joist is a broad estimate-to-invoice-to-payment app used by a lot of contractors. DeftBid is narrower and goes deeper on one thing: the job itself, from the jobsite to a signed contract and the invoice that follows. Here is where each one is stronger, so you can pick the one that fits how you work.

The short version

Two different jobs

Choose Joist if…

You want estimates, invoices and payments in one app

You want to take card or online payments inside the same app you estimate in.
You want to offer homeowner financing on the estimate.
You sync to QuickBooks.
You want the lowest monthly price and can live with the document and feature limits on the cheaper plans.

Choose DeftBid if…

You want the sharpest possible bid, signed from one link

Your customer should be able to read, choose options and sign from a link on their phone, with no app and no account.
The signature should be confirmed by a code to the customer's email and the signed proposal should lock, with change orders signed separately.
You want change orders, a price book, voice entry and a live pipeline in one plan, with nothing gated behind a higher tier.
You want the deposit invoice out the moment the contract is signed and the final bill drawn from what was signed, with your customer paying you directly.

Side by side

Feature by feature

Joist's column uses Joist's own descriptions from joist.com. Where a feature depends on the plan, the plan is named.

Feature	DeftBid	Joist
Estimates	Line items from your price book or a job template, markup, tax and totals live. Voice entry on your phone.	Professional estimates with pre-built templates; sections for labor, materials, stage or room.
Sending to the customer	One link, by text or email. Opens in any browser; no app or account for the customer.	Sent by email.
Customer acceptance	Accept & sign from the link: a one-time code to the customer's email confirms who is signing, then an electronic signature. Signed copy emailed to both parties; the proposal locks.	Digital signatures in-app.
Customer options on the estimate	Yes. Offer choices (good / better / best, add-ons) the customer picks from before signing; the contract reflects what they chose.	Not described.
Change orders	Included. Priced on the same bid, approved with a separate signature on the same link.	Elite plan and above.
Bid tracking	Draft → Sent → Viewed → Changes requested → Accepted / Declined, updated from what the customer does. Open-pipeline total, won this month, needs-attention list, follow-ups by text or email.	Job organization, scheduling visits and linking jobs across documents on the Run plan.
Invoicing	Yes. The deposit invoice goes out with the signed contract; progress and final invoices are drawn from the signed total plus approved change orders, with your pay methods printed.	Yes. Turn estimates into invoices in a few taps.
Online payments	No. Your customer pays you directly by check, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, PayPal or your own payment link, printed on the invoice; you record it and they get a receipt.	Yes. Card, bank transfer, PayPal; deposits and reminders.
Homeowner financing	No.	Yes, on the estimate.
QuickBooks sync	No.	Yes.
Your branding	Logo, license number and expiry, bonded / insured, tagline and accent color on every proposal, every plan.	Logo branding on Pro and above.
Devices	Any browser on phone, tablet or computer, with a full desktop layout. Native iPhone, iPad and Android apps in beta.	iOS and Android apps, plus web.
Plans	One plan, everything included. No document limits.	Basics (up to 5 documents a month), Pro, Elite, Run. Features unlock by tier.
Price	$39 a month or $390 a year.	From $10 a month (Basics) to $70 a month (Run); Pro $17, Elite $32. Annual billing takes two months off.
Free trial	14 days, no card required.	14 days of Elite, no card required.

Joist features, plan gates and prices are as published on joist.com on September 2, 2026 and may have changed since. Joist is a trademark of its owner; DeftBid is not affiliated with or endorsed by Joist.

The difference in practice

Where DeftBid goes deeper

DeftBid spends its effort on the moment between "here is the price" and "signed". That is where jobs are won or lost, and where most estimating apps do the least.

And where Joist does more: if you need card payments, financing offers or a QuickBooks sync inside the same app, Joist has them and DeftBid does not.

A signature that stands up

The customer proves it's them with a code sent to their email before they sign. The signed proposal locks at that price and scope. Both of you get the signed copy.

Options the customer chooses on the proposal

Put the tile upgrade or the second coat on the proposal as a choice. They pick, you confirm, the contract carries what they chose. No second estimate.

Change orders in every plan

Extra work gets priced on the same bid and approved with its own signature on the link the customer already has. Not a tier, just how it works.

A board that tells you what to do next

Viewed, changes requested, about to expire, gone quiet: the needs-attention list surfaces it, and you send the follow-up from right there.

Questions

Switching from Joist

Is DeftBid cheaper than Joist?

No. Joist's Basics and Pro plans cost less per month. DeftBid is one plan at $39 a month with everything included, which lands between Joist's Elite and Run tiers. What you are paying for is the depth on the bid itself: email-confirmed e-signature, customer options, change orders and pipeline tracking without a tier to unlock.

Can DeftBid invoice and take payments like Joist?

Invoice, yes: the deposit invoice goes out with the signed contract, and progress and final invoices are drawn from the signed total plus approved change orders. Take payments, no: DeftBid never processes the money. Your customer pays you directly using the pay methods printed on the invoice, and you record the payment in DeftBid.

Can I bring my Joist estimates or price list over?

There is no import from Joist. DeftBid ships with a large catalog of common labor and material items with reference prices, and your own price book fills in from the bids you build, so most contractors are quoting from their own numbers within a few jobs.

Can I use both?

Some contractors will: DeftBid for the bid, the signature and the invoice, and their existing tools for card payments and books. DeftBid stays simple on purpose, so it sits alongside whatever you use to get paid.

See the difference on your next job.

Free for 14 days, no card required. Build a bid, send the link, and watch it come back signed.

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