A Joist Alternative for When You're Not Solo Anymore
By Jeff Burt, founder of Invoice Goat.
Has your Joist account turned into the whole crew's schedule? Invoice Goat is one account your crew works from. Everyone signs in, sees the same calendar and can put it on their own phone. Every feature is on one plan, and adding a helper doesn't change your bill.
Joist is an estimate and invoice app built for contractors, and plenty of tradespeople start on it alone. Then a second truck shows up, or a helper who needs to know where they're going tomorrow, or a sub who bills through you. Still on your own? Invoice Goat works just as well for one person.
Joist Was Built Around One Person
Joist says so itself. Its help center answers “Can I have multiple users on the same account?” with “No. Currently Joist accounts are setup to be used by a single user with a single login email and password.” Another article adds that Joist “was initially designed with the individual contractor in mind.” Both articles are from April 2024, and we found nothing newer as of October 2026.
Joist's calendar is limited the same way. Scheduling visits and organizing jobs come only with Run, Joist's top plan, and Joist describes Run as “designed for solo contractors who manage multiple jobs at once.” A construction company CEO said it in one line in a Capterra review of Joist on April 2, 2026:
“Growing into a bigger company we needed more, like: calendar, more accounts (so installers will see their schedule)” Konstantin P., Capterra
How a Crew Works From One Invoice Goat Account
Many of our customers are past a one-person shop and run multiple technicians on Invoice Goat, all on one shared login. Here's one job, start to finish:
- The quote. You build it on site from your phone. The customer signs by drawing on their own phone, and the quote PDF shows the signature with the date, time and IP address.
- Onto the calendar. Tap Schedule on the quote and it becomes a calendar event, with the title and description written from the quote.
- On everyone's phone. The calendar opens in day, week and month views in any phone browser. Each person can also add it to the calendar app they already use: Google, Apple, Outlook, Exchange, Android or Yahoo.
- The customer knows you're coming. Turn on Customer Reminders and Invoice Goat reminds customers about upcoming visits.
- The invoice, with proof. Photos, video and documents from the job go on the quote and the invoice, and the customer sees them on their online copy. A quote's attachments carry over when it becomes the invoice.
- Paid. The customer pays online by card or bank transfer, and you can still log cash, check or Zelle.
One Calendar, on Every Phone
Subs fit in too. Angela D. runs a commercial cleaning business:
“I can bill for each of my subs right inside Invoice Goat and attach time sheets right to the invoice. Keeps everything organized and professional.”
Want to see what your customer gets first? Make a quote with the free quote maker, or a job sheet for the crew with the free work order maker. No account needed.
Joist Run and Invoice Goat, Side by Side
Run is the Joist plan with the calendar, so it's the fair one to put next to Invoice Goat. Joist's prices below are from October 20, 2026.
| Feature | Invoice Goat | Joist Run |
|---|---|---|
| Who signs in | ||
| Who signs in | Invoice GoatYour team signs in to one account with the same login, at no extra cost | Joist RunSet up for one user with one login, per Joist's help center |
| Calendar | ||
| Calendar | Invoice GoatIncluded: day, week and month views | Joist RunIncluded, but only on Run |
| From quote to visit | ||
| From quote to visit | Invoice GoatSchedule on a quote makes a calendar event from it | Joist RunOn Run, jobs link to estimates, invoices and clients |
| Customer signs the quote | ||
| Customer signs the quote | Invoice GoatDraws a signature on their phone; the PDF shows the date, time and IP address | Joist RunTypes their name from the emailed link, on every plan |
| Photos and files | ||
| Photos and files | Invoice GoatPhotos, video and documents on every quote and invoice | Joist RunPro plan and up: up to 20 photos and 10 files of 25 MB each, no video |
| Price | ||
| Price | Invoice Goat$79 a month, or $69 a month billed yearly | Joist Run$100 a month list price, $70 as an introductory offer, or $58.33 a month billed yearly |
| Bank transfer fee | ||
| Bank transfer fee | Invoice GoatTypically 1%, capped at $10 | Joist Run1%, capped at $15 |
| Free plan or trial | ||
| Free plan or trial | Invoice GoatFirst quote and first invoice free, no card, no time limit | Joist RunNo free plan; a 14-day trial with Run's features, no card |
| Cancelling | ||
| Cancelling | Invoice GoatFrom your billing page | Joist RunOn the device or store you bought on: Apple, Google Play or the web |
| Apps | ||
| Apps | Invoice GoatRuns in any phone or computer browser, nothing to install | Joist RuniOS and Android apps, plus a browser version |
See Invoice Goat pricing, how Invoice Goat compares with Jobber and QuickBooks, or our guide to invoicing as a contractor.
Taking Your Records Out of Joist
Joist's export is a monthly CSV of estimates or invoices, made from a computer, and Joist says it “does not include line item information currently.” So do this in order:
- On a computer, export each month you need from Joist, and save PDFs of any open estimates and unpaid invoices.
- Start your Invoice Goat trial, which includes a free quote and a free invoice, or book the $199 onboarding hour with me and I'll get you set up.
- Send your next quote from Invoice Goat, and let open Joist invoices get paid where they are.
- Cancel Joist on the same device or store you bought it on: Apple, Google Play or the web. Your plan runs until it expires.
Joist Questions, Answered
Is Joist free?
No. Joist's pricing page says its free plan is no longer available. You can try it for 14 days with Run's features and no card. Invoice Goat has no free plan either, but your first quote and first invoice are free, with no card and no time limit.
How much is Joist per month?
As of October 20, 2026: Basics is $10 for up to 5 estimates and invoices a month, Pro is $17, Elite is $32, and Run is $100 at list price, with a $70 introductory offer. Billed yearly, those come to $8.34, $14.17, $26.67 and $58.33 a month, in the same order.
How hard is it to switch from Joist?
Get your records out of Joist before you cancel. That's the only real work. Joist exports one month of estimates or invoices at a time, from a computer, and the file leaves out line items, so save each month you need and keep PDFs of open jobs. Then start quoting in Invoice Goat, or book the $199 onboarding hour with Jeff to get set up.
Do I need to download an app to use Invoice Goat?
No. Invoice Goat runs in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, so there's nothing to install for you or your crew. That also means you cancel from your billing page, not through the App Store or Google Play.
If your Joist account has become the crew's schedule, try Invoice Goat on your next job and see how the crew takes to it.