If you're a contractor weighing Joist against EZcontractPRO, the right pick depends on what you actually do for a living. Both handle estimates and invoices. They diverge sharply on price, AI, payment processing, and how much the software grows with your business. Here's the honest side-by-side.
Joist is best for solo trades and handymen who mostly need quick invoices on mobile and don't deal with crews, change orders, or complex jobs. Starts at $10/mo (with a 5-doc/month cap).
EZcontractPRO is best for contractors who write real estimates, handle change orders, want AI to speed up paperwork, and want to keep their own Stripe or Square merchant relationship. Starts at $29.99/mo, full Pro features in the free trial.
| Tier | EZcontractPRO | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Starter $29.99/mo — unlimited estimates, invoices, customers | Basics $10/mo — capped at 5 documents per month |
| Mid | Essentials $54.99/mo — adds e-signatures, PDF tools | Pro $16/mo — unlimited docs + logo, photos, QuickBooks sync |
| Top | Pro $79.99/mo — adds AI, files, payments | Elite $32/mo — adds reporting, change orders |
| Premium | Pro Plus $99.99/mo — adds purchase orders, priority support | — |
| Free trial | 30 days of full Pro access, no credit card | 14 days of Pro or Elite |
Cheapest doesn't equal best fit. Joist Basics looks attractive at $10/mo, but the 5-document-per-month cap means any active contractor hits the wall in the first week and has to upgrade. The fair head-to-head is Joist Elite ($32/mo) versus EZcontractPRO Starter ($29.99/mo).
| Feature | EZcontractPRO | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited estimates & invoices | ✓ from $29.99/mo | From $16/mo (capped at $10 tier) |
| E-signatures on estimates | ✓ Essentials+ | Not built in |
| AI estimate writing | ✓ Pro tier | Not available |
| Receipt scanning (AI) | ✓ Pro tier | Not available |
| Change orders | ✓ all paid tiers | Elite tier only ($32/mo) |
| Job costing & analysis | ✓ | Basic reporting (Elite) |
| Recurring billing | ✓ Pro tier | Not built in |
| Online payments | ✓ Pro — uses your own Stripe or Square | Captive processor (can't bring your own) |
| Purchase orders | ✓ Pro Plus | Not built in |
| Mobile app | ✓ Field app (iOS + Android) | ✓ Native iOS + Android |
| QuickBooks sync | On roadmap | ✓ Pro tier |
| Built by contractors | ✓ 30+ years in trades | Built by a software company |
Joist uses its own captive payment processor. Every card payment goes through them, at their rates, on their merchant relationship. If you ever leave Joist, that payment history goes with them.
EZcontractPRO works the opposite way: you connect your own Stripe or Square account in settings, and card payments hit your existing merchant relationship at your existing rates. If you already process payments somewhere, nothing changes. If you ever leave EZcontractPRO, your customer payment data stays with your Stripe.
For a contractor who treats their business as an asset they own, this is a non-trivial difference.
Joist doesn't currently offer AI features. EZcontractPRO has two practical ones built in:
These aren't impressive in a marketing list. They quietly save an hour a week.
If you ever do a job that gets a "while you're here" addition — virtually every renovation or remodel — change orders aren't optional. Joist puts them at the Elite tier ($32/mo). EZcontractPRO includes them in every paid tier including Starter ($29.99/mo).
Same story with job costing. Knowing whether you actually made money on a job (not just how much you invoiced) is the difference between a profitable contractor and a busy-but-broke one. EZcontractPRO has dedicated job-cost analysis. Joist's reporting is lighter.
Joist has a longer-standing mobile-first reputation and strong app-store ratings. If you're a solo trade who literally never sits at a computer, Joist's mobile experience is genuinely good.
EZcontractPRO has a Field mobile app on the App Store and Google Play, and the full web app is mobile-responsive. For contractors who split time between desk and field — most of you — the web + field combo covers more workflows (do complex estimates on a laptop, quick check-ins from the field).
Full Pro access — AI, e-signatures, your own payments. No credit card required.
Start free trialJoist's Basics tier ($10/mo) is the lowest sticker price, but it caps you at 5 documents per month. For any active contractor, the fair comparison is Joist Elite ($32/mo) vs EZcontractPRO Starter ($29.99/mo) — and EZcontractPRO Starter is cheaper while including change orders and unlimited documents.
No. EZcontractPRO has AI-assisted estimate descriptions and receipt scanning at the Pro tier. Joist doesn't currently offer AI features.
Yes. EZcontractPRO connects to your existing Stripe or Square account in settings — you keep your existing merchant relationship and processing rates. Joist uses its own captive payment processor.
Joist offers a 14-day free trial of Pro or Elite. After that, the cheapest paid tier is Basics at $10/month (with a 5-document cap).
30 days of full Pro-tier access — AI, e-signatures, online payments, the works. No credit card required to start.
You can import customer lists from CSV. For active estimates or invoices that need to migrate, email support@ezcontractpro.com and we'll help bring them over.
EZcontractPRO was built by Michael Fallis after 30+ years in the trades. The product reflects what a working contractor actually needs to run a paperwork-light business: real estimates, real change orders, real job costing.
Yes — the EZcontractPRO Field app is on the Apple App Store and Google Play, and the full web app is mobile-responsive for everything else.