Comparison · prices checked October 2026
Numulo vs Joist
Both are built for contractors who quote, invoice and get paid. Joist offers more in the field; Numulo puts change orders, a crew and the paperwork after the signature on a cheaper plan.
Which is better, Numulo or Joist?
Joist is the closest thing Numulo has to a direct competitor. It is an established estimating and invoicing app for contractors, with native phone apps, online and in-person payments, homeowner financing and QuickBooks sync, and a big following among contractors. So this comparison is about which plan buys what, not about gotchas. The short version: Joist puts change orders on its $32 Elite plan and jobs and scheduling on its Run plan, and an account is for one person. Numulo puts change orders on every plan, Pro is $9, and five people share one business for $15. Joist is ahead on the phone and in the field; Numulo is ahead on the proposal, the crew and what happens after the customer signs.
Side by side
| Numulo | Joist | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free generator: unlimited invoices and PDFs, no signup, no watermark. A free account sends 3 proposals a month that customers accept online, plus 3 invoices a month and the invoices from accepted proposals | No free plan (Joist says it is no longer available); a 14-day trial of every feature, no card |
| Cheapest paid plan | Pro: $9/mo or $90/yr, 1 login, unlimited invoices, estimates and proposals | Basics: $10/mo billed monthly (about $8.34/mo billed annually), up to 5 documents a month, no logo |
| Unlimited documents | Included on Pro at $9/mo | Pro: $17/mo billed monthly (about $14.17/mo billed annually) |
| Change orders | Signed by the customer online with a permanent approval record; the unpaid balance invoice updates itself. Every plan, free included | On Elite: $32/mo billed monthly (about $26.67/mo billed annually), which also adds sales and business reports |
| Jobs and scheduling | None: no calendar, visits or dispatch | On Run: $70/mo introductory price, 30% off the $100 list price (about $58.33/mo billed annually); jobs, visit scheduling with conflict detection, documents linked to the job |
| Team of 2 to 5 | Team: $15/mo or $150/yr, up to 5 logins on one business, flat price; each seat is full access or view only | Joist's help center says an account is for a single user with one login; no team plan on the pricing page |
| Proposals and options | Optional add-ons the customer ticks on their phone, with the total following their choice; typed-name signature with an acceptance record (name, time, IP, content hash) that cannot be edited | Estimates the customer views and signs online, with signed approvals stored; optional items the customer chooses are not listed on Joist's pages |
| After the customer accepts | The deposit invoice goes out at once and the balance invoice is drafted from exactly what was accepted | Turn an approved estimate into an invoice in one tap; deposits and milestone payment schedules |
| Card payments | On Pro, connect your own Stripe account and customers pay by card, or by bank transfer when you have it on, from the invoice; it marks itself paid. Stripe's fees only, no percentage to Numulo. Or put your own pay link and QR code on every invoice | Joist Payments through Stripe or PayPal: US cards up to 3.49% + $0.49, PayPal and Venmo 3.49% + $0.49, ACH bank transfer 1% capped at $15; an option adds the fee to the client's invoice |
| In person and financing | No Tap to Pay and no customer financing | Tap to Pay on your phone at 2.79% + $0.49, Pay Later at 4.99% + $0.49, homeowner financing through Acorn Finance (loans up to $100,000), mobile check deposit |
| Part payments and reminders | Every payment recorded with the balance due on every document; reminders before and after the due date; the customer can tell you they have paid | Installments and payment schedules; automatic reminders for upcoming and overdue invoices; payment notifications |
| Customer page | One link per customer: open balance, every invoice and quote, what is waiting on them, and receipts. No customer login. Included on Pro | Each estimate and invoice has its own link or QR code to view, sign and pay; a page across all of a customer's documents is not listed on Joist's pages |
| Saved jobs and price list | Saved job templates on every plan, plus a ready-made job for your trade; price list items broken into sub-items (the heater and the labor under one price) | Project templates and saved items from Pro; line items grouped into sections, with markups |
| Workmanship warranty tracking | Coverage dates, exposure estimate, and callbacks tracked from paid invoices; warranty terms on every document | Not listed on Joist's pages (Elite adds your license and insurance details to documents) |
| Books and tax | Expenses with AI receipt reading, reports, bank statement matching from a CSV, a quarterly and year-end tax package, QuickBooks and Xero CSV exports; no live accounting sync | QuickBooks Online sync of invoices and estimates, daily or on demand, and expense tracking, from Pro; bank statement matching and a tax package are not listed |
| AI | Drafts line items and whole proposals from a plain-English job description, tuned per trade; reads receipt photos into expenses | Drafts estimates and invoices from typed or spoken job details; polishes notes |
| Work orders | No separate work order document | Generate work orders |
| Mobile | Android app on Google Play, plus the web app on any phone; no iPhone app yet | Native iPhone and Android apps, plus the web |
Competitor details from Joist's pricing page and its estimates, invoices, payments, jobs and scheduling, QuickBooks sync and homeowner financing pages, plus the help center articles on transaction fees and multiple users, all checked October 2026. "Not listed" means we could not find it on those pages, not that Joist cannot do it. Prices and plans change; verify current numbers before deciding.
Where Joist is the better choice
If you run your business from your phone, Joist's iPhone and Android apps are mature and well liked. Numulo has an Android app on Google Play and works in the browser on any phone, but has no iPhone app yet. Joist also does several things Numulo does not: Tap to Pay for taking a card on the spot, homeowner financing so a customer can say yes to a bigger job, live QuickBooks Online sync, separate work orders, and, on the Run plan, jobs with visit scheduling and a calendar. If one of those is the reason you are shopping, Joist is the better fit and the higher price buys it.
Where Numulo is the better choice
- Change orders without the upgrade. On Joist they start on Elite at $32 a month. On Numulo every plan has them, free included: the customer signs the change on their phone, the approval is kept for good, and the unpaid balance invoice updates itself. See change orders.
- Proposals with choices. Mark the gate, the stain or the extended warranty optional; the customer ticks what they want, signs with a typed name, and the deposit and balance invoices are written from exactly that. See proposals.
- A crew on one account. Team is $15 a month for up to five logins on one business, with the same numbering and client list. Joist's help center describes an account as one user with one login.
- The money after the job. Part payments with a running balance, reminders, a page per customer, bank statement matching from a CSV and a tax package for your accountant, all on Pro at $9. Card payments run through your own Stripe account at Stripe's own fees. See getting paid.
- Warranty work you can see. Mark an invoice paid and Numulo attaches your workmanship warranty, estimates the labor and parts still under cover, prints the terms on the customer's documents, and keeps callbacks filed against the original job. See warranty tracking.
The honest verdict
Choose Joist if you want an iPhone app, Tap to Pay, homeowner financing, QuickBooks sync or scheduling, and you work alone or each person has their own account. Choose Numulo if you want signed proposals with options, change orders, a crew of up to five and the follow-through on payments and warranties, for $9 or $15 a month. A solo contractor who needs change orders pays $32 a month on Joist and $9 on Numulo; that gap, and the team plan, are the real dividing lines.
See Numulo pricing → or try the live demo (no signup).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Numulo cheaper than Joist?
Yes, plan for plan: Numulo Pro is $9/month with unlimited documents, against Joist Pro at $17/month billed monthly; Joist Basics is $10/month but caps you at 5 documents a month (October 2026 prices). Change orders cost nothing extra on Numulo and need Joist Elite at $32/month. Numulo Team is $15/month for up to 5 logins.
Does Joist have change orders?
Yes, on its Elite plan ($32/month billed monthly) and Run plan. Numulo includes change orders on every plan, free included: the customer approves the change on their phone with a typed name, the approval is a permanent record, and the unpaid balance invoice updates itself.
Can more than one person use a Joist account?
Joist's help center says an account is set up for a single user with one login email and password, and its pricing page lists no team plan (checked October 2026). Numulo Team is $15/month for up to 5 logins on one business, each with full access or view only.
Is there a free version of Joist?
No. Joist says its free plan is no longer available and offers a 14-day trial instead. Numulo's invoice generator is free with no signup and no limit, and a free Numulo account sends 3 proposals a month that customers accept online.
What does Joist do that Numulo does not?
An iPhone app, Tap to Pay for in-person card payments, homeowner financing through Acorn Finance, live QuickBooks Online sync, work orders, and jobs with visit scheduling on its Run plan. If you need those, Joist is the better fit. Numulo exports to QuickBooks and Xero as CSV, runs in the browser, and has an Android app (no iPhone app yet).
Which is better for a small contracting crew?
For a crew of 2 to 5 that quotes, changes and bills jobs together, Numulo Team at $15/month covers proposals with options, change orders, deposits, part payments and warranty tracking on one shared account. For one person who lives in a phone app and wants scheduling, financing or Tap to Pay, Joist fits better.