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QuoteIQ vs Joist: A Full CRM vs. an Invoicing App

Joist added job scheduling and a paid AI receptionist add-on in 2026, but it’s still built for solo invoicing, not running a team. QuoteIQ includes AI Autopilot, scheduling, and full team management on every plan starting at $29.99/mo.

30+ Features Joist Still Lacks
$49/mo Joist’s AI Add-On Cost
No Team Dispatch Confirmed by Joist’s Own Comparison Page

Quick answer: Joist is a lightweight estimate-and-invoice app for solo contractors, priced from $10–$70/mo, that added job scheduling on its Run plan and a $49/mo AI Receptionist add-on in 2026. QuoteIQ is a full field service CRM starting at $29.99/mo with AI Autopilot (55 tools across 13 categories), scheduling, a dedicated business phone, and support for up to unlimited users — all included, not stacked as add-ons.

TL;DR: Joist (owned by EverCommerce, NASDAQ: EVCM) covers estimates, invoices, and — since August 2026 — basic job scheduling on its $70/mo Run plan, plus an AI Receptionist add-on at $49/mo. It still has no AI Autopilot-style CRM control, no job costing, no inventory management, and by its own comparison page, no team dispatching. QuoteIQ includes AI on every plan (500–8,000 IQ Credits/mo), full scheduling, ClientHub business texting and calling from Pro, and EmployeeHub team management from Elite — starting at $29.99/mo. See the full pricing breakdown and how QuoteIQ compares to other CRMs.

40,000+Contractors on QuoteIQ
4.7★Average Rating
4,103Verified Reviews
$29.99/moStarting Price, AI Included
The Bottom Line

Joist is where solo contractors start. QuoteIQ is what they grow into.

Joist is an estimate-and-invoice app owned by EverCommerce (NASDAQ: EVCM), a software holding company. In August 2026 Joist added basic job scheduling on a new $70/mo Run plan and a $49/mo AI Receptionist add-on — real improvements, but Joist’s own comparison content says it’s still “not designed for dispatching large teams” and “doesn’t dispatch or route work across a team.” QuoteIQ includes scheduling, AI Autopilot, route optimization, and team dispatching from Pro and Elite — no add-ons required — starting at $29.99/mo.

No Team Dispatch Per Joist’s own comparison page
AI Costs Extra $49/mo AI Receptionist add-on
Scheduling = Top Tier Only on the $70/mo Run plan
August 2026

The month Joist shipped its first scheduling feature — nearly four years after Joist’s 2020 Elite plan launch and years behind QuoteIQ, which has included drag-and-drop scheduling on every plan since day one.

Joist Is Still Cheaper on Paper — Until You Add the Pieces Back

Joist’s entry plans are inexpensive, but scheduling and AI now live behind a $70/mo tier and a $49/mo add-on. Here’s what each platform actually costs once you need more than basic invoicing.

What You Need QuoteIQ Joist The Difference
Basic InvoicingEstimates + invoices, plus scheduling, calendar, and AI on QuoteIQ $29.99/moEssentials — includes AI, scheduling, calendar, 4 estimate types $17/moPro — unlimited documents, no scheduling, no AI +$12.99/moQuoteIQ costs more, includes scheduling and AI from day one
Scheduling + AIJob scheduling, AI assistance, change orders $29.99/moEssentials — both included, no add-on needed $119/moRun plan ($70) + AI Receptionist add-on ($49) ~75% cheaperStill missing job costing, team management, inventory
Run a Small Team4 users, business phone, job costing, QuickBooks, automation $149.99/moPro — all-in-one CRM, 4 users, 3,000 IQ Credits/mo Not availableJoist has no native multi-user team management on any plan No Joist equivalentWould require a separate team-scheduling app entirely
Scale Operations10 users, route optimization, GPS, inventory, self-quoting $299/moElite — up to 10 users, everything included, 5,000 IQ Credits/mo Not availableNo route optimization, GPS, inventory, or self-quoting at any price No Joist equivalentThese features don’t exist in Joist regardless of spend

QuoteIQ pricing verified live against myquoteiq.com/pricing, September 2026. Joist pricing verified live against joist.com/pricing, September 2026: Basics $10/mo, Pro $17/mo, Elite $32/mo, Run $70/mo introductory (annual billing saves roughly 2 months on each tier). Joist’s per-transaction processing fee is not published on its site as of this update, so no fee figure is quoted here — check Joist’s own pricing page for current fees. See QuoteIQ’s Essentials, Pro, and Elite plan pages for full details.

What It Actually Costs to Match QuoteIQ Using Joist

Joist still has no native job costing, inventory management, or team dispatching. Here’s what it costs to approximate a QuoteIQ Pro or Elite setup by stacking Joist with the AI add-on and third-party tools.

Approximate QuoteIQ Pro

Scheduling, AI, business texting, job costing

Joist Run plan (scheduling) $70/mo
AI Receptionist add-on $49/mo
Business phone/texting (e.g. OpenPhone) ~$19/mo
Still missing: job costing, MapMeasure Pro, AI Estimator, team dispatch, Options estimates $0 (gaps)
Joist “True Cost” ~$138/mo
QuoteIQ Pro $149.99/mo
What QuoteIQ Pro adds for about the same spend Job costing, 4 users, QuickBooks

What Elite Adds That Joist Can’t Match

Route optimization, GPS, inventory, self-quoting

Joist Run + AI Receptionist (from above) ~$119/mo
Route optimization (e.g. Routific) ~$40/mo
GPS tracking (per employee, e.g. FleetSharp) ~$20–$30/mo/user
Still missing: inventory management, InstaQuote, Pipelines, native team dispatch at any price $0 (gaps)
Joist “True Cost” (partial match only) ~$180+/mo
QuoteIQ Elite $299/mo
What Elite adds that Joist has no equivalent for Inventory, InstaQuote, up to 10 users

Third-party tool costs use typical published market pricing as of September 2026 and are estimates, not quotes. Even fully stacked, Joist has no native equivalent to QuoteIQ’s job costing, inventory management, or team dispatching — Joist’s own comparison page confirms it “doesn’t dispatch or route work across a team.”

Every Feature, Compared Honestly

Joist added scheduling and an AI add-on in 2026, but the gap on team management, job costing, and CRM-wide AI is still wide. Data verified live from Joist’s pricing and features pages, September 2026.

10 categories

The feature comparison below spans quoting, scheduling, team management, job costing, inventory, and AI across 10 functional categories — QuoteIQ leads or matches Joist in every one, and leads outright in 7.

Feature QuoteIQ Joist
Quoting & Estimates
Standard Estimates✓All Plans✓5/mo cap on Basics; unlimited on Pro+
Options Estimates (Good/Better/Best)✓All Plans✗ Not Available
Package Estimates✓All Plans✗ Not Available
AI Estimate Generator (Photo-Based)✓All Plans, uses IQ Credits✗ Not Available
Before/After AI Image Generation✓All Plans, uses IQ Credits✗ Not Available
Change Orders✗Not currently offered✓Elite ($32/mo) and above
Invoicing & Payments
Invoicing + Online Payments✓All Plans (cards, ACH, Apple/Google Pay)✓All Plans (cards, bank transfer, PayPal)
Recurring Billing / Subscriptions✓All Plans✗ Not Available
Mass Invoicing✓Beginner+✗ Not Available
E-Signatures✓Essentials and above✓Digital signatures in-app
Homeowner Financing✓Consumer Financing: Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay, all plans✓Homeowner financing via third-party provider
Scheduling
Calendar / Job Scheduling✓All Plans, since launch✓Run plan only ($70/mo), added August 2026
Drag-and-Drop Rescheduling✓All Plans⚠ LimitedCalendar view with conflict alerts on Run
Google Calendar Sync✓Beginner and above✗ Not Available
Automated Appointment Reminders✓All Plans✗ Not Available
Customer Self-Scheduling (InstaSchedule)✓Elite and above✗ Not Available
Team Dispatching / Routing Across Crew✓Person-assign Pro+, crew-assign Max✗ Not designed for thisPer Joist’s own comparison page
AI Features
AI Autopilot (55-Tool CRM Control)✓All Plans, uses IQ Credits✗ Not Available
AI Photo-Based Estimator✓All Plans✗ Not Available
AI Note/Description Assistance✓AI Text Generator, all plans✓AI Note Improvement (included with AI Receptionist)
AI Phone Answering✓Virtual Call Team, all plans via IQ Credits✓AI Receptionist, $49/mo add-on
Communication
Dedicated Business Phone Number✓ClientHub, Pro and above✗ Not Available
Two-Way SMS/Texting In-App✓Pro and above✗ Not Available
Email & Text Automation✓Pro and above✗ Not Available
Mass SMS/Email Campaigns✓Elite and above✗ Not Available
Property & Job Documentation
Satellite Property Measurement✓Beginner and above✗ Not Available
Property Street View & Zillow Access✓Beginner and above✗ Not Available
Photo Documentation (4K, Inspections, Archive)✓Beginner and above⚠ PartialDocument photo attachments, no dedicated tool
Operations
Job Costing (Real-Time P&L)✓Pro and above✗ Not Available
Expense Tracking✓Beginner and above✓Elite and above
QuickBooks Integration✓Pro and above (QuickBooks Online only)✓Two-way sync, included
Route Optimization✓Elite and above✗ Not Available
Inventory Management✓Elite and above✗ Not Available
Team Management
Multi-User Support✓1 to unlimited users, by plan✗ No native team accountsJoist markets to solo contractors and small crews
Employee Management (EmployeeHub)✓Elite and above✗ Not Available
GPS Location Tracking✓Elite and above✗ Not Available
Time Tracking (Clock In/Out)✓Elite and above✗ Not Available
Team Communication / Messaging✓Elite and above✗ Not Available
Marketing & CRM
Automated Review Requests✓Dashboard all plans; automation Elite+✓Joist Reviews, Elite ($32/mo) and above
Customer Self-Quoting (InstaQuote)✓Elite and above✗ Not Available
Pipelines / Deals (Visual CRM)✓Pipelines & Deals, Elite and above✗ Not Available
Other
Business Calculators (Paint, Mulch, etc.)✓All Plans✗ Not Available
Unlimited Users✓Max Plan ($699/mo)✗ No multi-user accounts, any plan

What You Get with QuoteIQ That Joist Still Can’t Match

Joist closed a couple of gaps in 2026, but most of the platform gap is still wide open. Here’s what QuoteIQ includes that Joist doesn’t offer at any price.

55 tools

The number of actions AI Autopilot can take across the CRM by voice or text — from creating estimates to rescheduling jobs. Joist’s AI Receptionist handles exactly one: answering the phone.

🤖
AI Autopilot (55-Tool CRM Control)
Control your entire business with voice or text commands — create estimates, send invoices, reschedule jobs, text customers, pull analytics. Joist’s AI Receptionist only answers calls; it doesn’t run the CRM.
Joist: Call Answering Only
👥
Multi-User & Team Dispatching
Add employees, assign jobs, track time, see GPS locations, and dispatch a crew. Joist’s own comparison content says it’s “not designed for dispatching large teams.”
Joist: No Team Dispatch
📸
AI Photo Estimator & Before/After
Upload a photo, get a market-accurate AI estimate. Generate realistic before/after previews for customers. Joist has no photo-based estimating.
Joist: No AI Estimating
🛰
MapMeasure Pro
Measure driveways, roofs, and lawns from satellite imagery, built into estimate creation. Quote without leaving the office.
Joist: No Measurement
📡
ClientHub (Business Phone + Texting)
Dedicated business phone number with two-way calling and texting inside QuoteIQ, keeping personal and business communication separate. Joist has no in-app calling or texting.
Joist: No Phone/Text
🚗
Route Optimization
Minimize drive time between jobs and sequence a day’s stops automatically. Joist’s new scheduling tool has no routing logic.
Joist: No Routing
📦
Inventory Management
Track products, locations, suppliers, orders, and transactions across trucks and warehouses. Joist doesn’t track materials or stock.
Joist: No Inventory
💰
InstaQuote (Customer Self-Quoting)
Customers build their own quotes by selecting services on your website, 24/7, with real-time pricing. Joist has no self-quoting flow.
Joist: No Self-Quoting
📈
Job Costing
See real-time profit per job: price minus labor minus expenses. Joist has no way to calculate job-level profitability.
Joist: No Job Costing

Why Contractors Still Switch from Joist to QuoteIQ

Joist’s new Run plan and AI add-on help, but for most growing service businesses the core gaps — team management, job costing, and true CRM-wide AI — are still there.

0

The number of job costing tools Joist offers at any price. QuoteIQ’s Job Costing (Pro and above) breaks down Price minus Labor minus Expenses into profit automatically for every job.

👥

“I hired my first employee and Joist can’t dispatch a team.”

Joist’s own comparison content says it’s built for “the contractor who needs job admin handled without adding a full operational layer” and “doesn’t dispatch or route work across a team.” QuoteIQ supports up to unlimited users with EmployeeHub, GPS tracking, and job assignment built in from Elite.

📊

“I don’t know which jobs actually make money.”

Joist has no job costing at any price — no way to see labor, expenses, and profit against a job’s total. QuoteIQ’s Job Costing tool (Pro and above) breaks down Price − Labor − Expenses = Profit automatically, pulled from time tracking.

📱

“AI shouldn’t cost extra on top of my subscription.”

Joist’s AI Receptionist is a $49/mo add-on stacked on top of the $70/mo Run plan — $119/mo before you’ve added a single team member. QuoteIQ bundles AI Autopilot, the AI Estimator, and the Virtual Call Team into every plan, starting at $29.99/mo.

🛡

“I wanted a platform still shipping features, not just add-ons.”

Joist is owned by EverCommerce (NASDAQ: EVCM), a public software holding company managing dozens of brands. Joist’s 2026 additions (scheduling, AI Receptionist) are real, but arrived years after QuoteIQ shipped the same categories. QuoteIQ ships new features monthly — built by contractors who run service businesses.

$119/mo

What it costs to get scheduling and AI on Joist today (Run plan $70 + AI Receptionist $49) — compared to $29.99/mo for QuoteIQ Essentials, which includes both plus a full estimate and invoice suite.

Switching from Joist to QuoteIQ in 4 Steps

Most contractors move their client list and price book over in under a day. Here’s the process.

1

Start your free trial

Sign up for a 14-day trial with full access to whichever plan you choose. A credit or debit card is required to start.

2

Import your customer list

Use AI Smart Import to bring in contacts and services from a CSV export, or import directly from your phone’s contacts.

3

Set up your price book

Add your services and pricing once using Business Calculators as a reference, or use the optional Done-For-You setup service.

4

Send your first estimate

Build an estimate with AI Estimator or from scratch, then schedule the job straight from the accepted estimate.

Who’s Behind QuoteIQ

QuoteIQ was founded by two home service business owners who built the platform they wished existed.

Mike Vidan

Co-Founder, QuoteIQ

A 20+ year pressure washing business owner and YouTube creator who built one of the largest online communities of home service professionals. Read Mike’s insights →

Justin Rogers

Co-Founder, QuoteIQ

A serial entrepreneur and pressure washing business owner who co-founded QuoteIQ to solve the software gaps he saw firsthand running a service business. Read Justin’s insights →

Verified QuoteIQ Reviews

Real reviews from the App Store and Google Play, part of QuoteIQ’s 4.7-star rating across 4,103 verified reviews.

★★★★★

“I have a lawncare business, was unorganized, but QuoteIQ changed everything. Estimates, scheduling, billing and invoicing are seamless. Tax prep easier. Best CRM by functionality and price.”

— Elke Staton, App Store

★★★★★

“I’m on my second year of business and have been using QuoteIQ for 4 months. It has been great for me. It reduces the time required by me to manage customer information, quoting, scheduling, and invoicing. It streamlined a lot of my processes to help grow my business.”

— Terry Hinson, Google Play

★★★★★

“A very good all-in-one tool to use for any small business and definitely for the service industry. Being able to make quick estimates for customers that look professional and clearly list out the services and fees while also being able to attach files/images to the invoice makes it easy to protect both the property owner and the service provider. This tool has definitely helped my business grow.”

— Michael Roberts, Google Play

QuoteIQ vs Joist: The Short Version

  • • Joist added job scheduling in August 2026, but only on its $70/mo Run plan — QuoteIQ has included scheduling on every plan since launch.
  • • Joist’s AI Receptionist costs $49/mo extra; QuoteIQ bundles AI Autopilot, the AI Estimator, and the Virtual Call Team into every plan starting at $29.99/mo.
  • • By Joist’s own comparison content, it’s still “not designed for dispatching large teams” — QuoteIQ supports up to unlimited users with full employee management.
  • • Joist has no job costing, inventory management, route optimization, or customer self-quoting at any price.
  • • Joist is owned by EverCommerce (NASDAQ: EVCM); QuoteIQ is independently founded by Mike Vidan and Justin Rogers, both former home service business owners.

QuoteIQ vs Joist — Common Questions

Everything you need to know when deciding between the two, updated for Joist’s 2026 changes.

What is the best CRM for solo contractors switching off invoicing apps in 2026?▼
QuoteIQ is built for exactly that jump, starting at $29.99/mo for the Essentials plan. Where a basic invoicing app like Joist covers estimates and invoices, QuoteIQ adds full scheduling and a calendar, four estimate types (Standard, Quick, Options, and Package), an AI Estimator that turns a property photo into a market-accurate quote, and built-in business calculators — all on the entry plan, with no add-ons required. As the business grows, the same account scales up through Pro for a dedicated business phone and job costing, and Elite for team management, route optimization, and inventory. QuoteIQ carries a 4.7-star rating across 4,103 verified reviews and is trusted by 40,000+ contractors. For a broader look at how QuoteIQ stacks up against other platforms, see the full comparison hub. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, consolidating operational software is one of the most common efficiency gains small service businesses report as they scale past a single operator.
Is Joist cheaper than QuoteIQ in 2026?▼
On paper, yes, for the base tiers: Joist’s Basics and Pro plans run $10–$17/mo compared to QuoteIQ’s $29.99/mo Essentials plan. But that comparison only holds for basic invoicing. The moment you need job scheduling or AI assistance, Joist requires its $70/mo Run plan plus a $49/mo AI Receptionist add-on — $119/mo before a single team member is added. QuoteIQ includes AI Autopilot, scheduling, and the AI Estimator on every plan starting at $29.99/mo, and adds job costing, a business phone via ClientHub, and QuickBooks sync on the $149.99/mo Pro plan — features Joist doesn’t offer at any price. Once a business needs more than one user, the gap widens further: Elite adds route optimization and inventory management, neither of which Joist offers at any tier. See QuoteIQ’s full pricing breakdown for every tier. Joist’s own pricing page has current figures if you want to verify directly, and the IRS Small Business resource center is a useful reference when comparing which software costs are typically deductible as ordinary business expenses.
Can Joist support a team or multiple employees?▼
Not really. Joist markets itself to solo contractors and small crews, and its own comparison content states it’s “not designed for dispatching large teams” and “doesn’t dispatch or route work across a team,” even after the 2026 scheduling update. There’s no dedicated employee management, no GPS tracking, and no way to assign and route jobs across a crew from a shared account. QuoteIQ supports 1 to unlimited users depending on plan, with EmployeeHub (Elite and above) handling GPS location tracking, time tracking, and team messaging in one place. Job assignment to an individual starts on Pro, and full crew scheduling is available on Max. For businesses that expect to hire, this is one of the clearest reasons contractors move off Joist. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks employment growth across construction and home-service trades, where adding even one employee typically forces a switch away from single-user tools.
Does Joist have scheduling or a calendar in 2026?▼
Yes, as of August 2026 — but only on Joist’s top-tier Run plan at $70/mo. The feature lets you organize jobs, schedule visits, see them on a calendar, and get conflict alerts if you try to double-book. It does not include drag-and-drop rescheduling across a team, Google Calendar sync, automated appointment reminders, or customer self-scheduling. QuoteIQ has included drag-and-drop scheduling across day, week, and month views on every plan since launch, plus two-way Google Calendar sync (Beginner and above), automated reminders, and customer self-scheduling via InstaSchedule (Elite and above). Route-aware scheduling and crew assignment are also part of QuoteIQ’s Route Optimization feature, something Joist’s new scheduling tool doesn’t include. Compare the full plan lineup for exact tier requirements, and see QuoteIQ’s comparison with Jobber for how other CRMs handle scheduling. The U.S. Census Bureau tracks the construction and services sectors where reliable job scheduling directly affects how many jobs a small crew can complete per week.
Does Joist have AI features, and how much do they cost?▼
Joist added an AI Receptionist and AI Note Improvement tool in 2026. The AI Receptionist answers missed calls, captures customer and job details, and is priced as a paid add-on starting at $49/mo — it is not included in any base plan. It answers calls; it doesn’t create estimates, manage a schedule, or run the rest of the CRM. QuoteIQ includes a full AI suite on every plan through monthly IQ Credits (500 on Essentials up to 8,000 on Max): AI Autopilot controls the entire CRM by voice or text across 55 tools, the AI Estimator builds pricing from property photos, Before & After AI generates preview images, and the Virtual Call Team answers and qualifies calls 24/7 — all without a separate subscription. See the pricing page for the IQ Credit allocation on each plan, and AI Text Generator for how AI-assisted writing works inside QuoteIQ. The Federal Trade Commission has published guidance for small businesses evaluating AI-powered tools and vendor claims, worth a read before comparing any two platforms’ AI marketing closely.
Can I switch my data from Joist to QuoteIQ?▼
Yes. QuoteIQ’s AI-powered import tool accepts a CSV export from any other CRM, including Joist, and automatically maps columns to the right fields for contacts and services — no manual reformatting needed. You can also import contacts directly from your phone’s address book. The 14-day free trial gives full access to the plan you select, with a credit or debit card required to start, so you can test scheduling, the AI Estimator, and ClientHub before committing. Most contractors moving off a basic invoicing app report the transition taking well under a day since there’s no complex data structure to migrate. If you’re setting up a team account, EmployeeHub lets you invite employees and assign roles once the core data is in, and data export is always available if you ever need your records back out. For businesses that want white-glove help, QuoteIQ also offers an optional Done-For-You setup service covering contact import and price book setup. The FTC’s small business guidance recommends confirming data-export options before committing to any software switch.
What does Joist have that QuoteIQ doesn’t?▼
Joist offers Change Orders on its Elite plan and above, letting a contractor formally track pricing adjustments mid-project — a feature QuoteIQ does not currently offer as a standalone tool. Joist also accepts PayPal directly at checkout alongside cards and bank transfer. These are legitimate, narrow capabilities. Outside of them, the comparison tilts heavily the other way: QuoteIQ includes job costing, inventory management, route optimization, customer self-quoting, and full team management — none of which exist in Joist at any price. QuoteIQ also bundles consumer financing (Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay) on every plan including the trial, comparable to Joist’s homeowner financing option, and adds built-in e-signatures and a visual sales pipeline that Joist doesn’t have at any tier. See the full comparison hub for how QuoteIQ stacks up against other invoicing-first tools. The U.S. Small Business Administration notes that flexible payment options like financing and e-signatures increasingly factor into which software small contractors choose.
Who owns Joist, and how often does it release new features?▼
Joist is owned by EverCommerce (NASDAQ: EVCM), a publicly traded software holding company that owns dozens of SaaS products across multiple industries. Joist’s Elite plan structure has been largely stable since 2020, with scheduling and an AI Receptionist arriving as its first major functional additions in 2026. QuoteIQ is independently founded and operated by Mike Vidan and Justin Rogers, two former home service business owners, and ships new features on a regular monthly cadence — recent additions include MapMeasure Pro’s historical aerial imagery, an AI Autopilot registry that’s grown to 55 tools, and expanded ClientHub messaging. Read more about the founders on the Mike Vidan and Justin Rogers insight pages, or see how QuoteIQ compares to other platforms on the comparison hub. The SEC’s EDGAR database carries EverCommerce’s public filings for contractors who want to research the parent company behind Joist directly.

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