Trusso vs Joist
Joist is a good, inexpensive tool for what it does: estimates and invoices for a solo contractor. But that's where it stops. There's no lead capture, no job tracking, no crew scheduling, no clock-in — so the rest of your business still lives in texts and spreadsheets. Trusso costs a little more and replaces the whole stack.
Pricing compared
Joist's Basics plan is $12/month ($8.34/month billed annually), Pro is $17/month, and Elite is $32/month — all built around a single user creating documents, with a 14-day trial and no permanent free plan (verified September 2026). Trusso starts at $29/month with unlimited estimates, invoices, jobs and customers on every plan, and adds automatic lead import, AI estimates, job tracking with photos, crew scheduling, dispatch and clock-in, and a full customer CRM.
| Trusso | Joist | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/mo (owner + 2 crew) | $12/mo ($8.34/mo billed annually) |
| Estimates & invoices | Unlimited on every plan | 5 documents/mo on Basics; unlimited from Pro ($17/mo) |
| Full-featured plan | $59/mo (Pro) | $32/mo (Elite — still documents-focused) |
| Crew logins | 2–unlimited depending on plan | Single user |
| Lead capture & AI estimates | Included on every plan | Not offered |
| Jobs, scheduling & clock-in | Included on every plan | Not offered |
Joist pricing as published or commonly reported in July 2026 and may change — check their site for current rates. Joist is a trademark of its respective owner.
Features compared
| Feature | Trusso | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-import leads from Angi, Thumbtack & Yelp | ||
| AI lead-to-estimate in under 30 seconds | ||
| Unified inbox for marketplace replies | ||
| AI-powered estimates | ||
| AI receptionist for calls & messages | ||
| Job photos, notes & updates | ||
| Crew clock-in from the field | ||
| Bid jobs out to subs (sealed reverse auctions) | ||
| Invoices with instant card payments | ||
| Customer CRM & history | ||
| Google review requests | ||
| Website builder & hosting | ||
| Flat price — no per-tech fees | ||
| Free onboarding & support |
Which one is right for you?
Choose Trusso if…
- You buy leads from Angi, Thumbtack or Yelp and need them captured and answered automatically
- You have (or plan to have) a crew that needs schedules, job details and clock-in
- You want jobs, photos, customer history and follow-ups in one place — not just documents
- You want AI to draft the estimate for you
Choose Joist if…
- You're strictly solo and only need to send estimates and invoices
- The absolute lowest monthly price matters more than saving admin time
- You already manage scheduling and customers elsewhere and want to keep it that way
Common questions
What does Trusso have that Joist doesn't?
Automatic lead import from Angi, Thumbtack, Yelp and Google, AI-drafted estimates, job tracking with photos and notes, crew scheduling and clock-in, and a full customer CRM. Joist focuses on estimates and invoices for a single user.
Is Trusso worth the price difference over Joist?
If you only send documents, Joist is cheaper. If you also chase leads, schedule work, or run a crew, Trusso replaces several tools and the manual work between them for $29–$59/month.
Try the Joist alternative built for small crews
14-day free trial. Flat pricing from $29/month. AI lead capture and estimates included on every plan.
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