Joist removed free features and raised prices. Here's what contractors use instead.
Contractors are leaving Joist in large numbers. Here's what they're switching to — and why Lead Score is the top alternative for contractors who want to qualify leads, track mileage, and manage their pipeline in one app.
| Choose Lead Score if… | Choose Joist if… |
|---|---|
| Lead Score is the only Joist alternative that includes lead qualification before the estimate — so you stop spending weekends writing proposals for leads that were never serious. | Most Joist alternatives do the same thing: fast mobile estimates. None of them tell you whether the lead deserves an estimate before you start writing one. |
| You want to qualify the lead before building the estimate | You need Joist's specific estimate template formats |
| You want transparent pricing that never caps features mid-subscription | Your clients are used to Joist's client-facing documents |
| You want mileage tracking built in alongside estimates | You need e-signature on estimates |
| You want offline-first, no account required | You need Joist's specific QuickBooks export format |
Lead Score vs Joist
Lead Score was built by a contractor who used Joist every week — and realized the estimate workflow starts at the wrong step. Qualification comes first. Every time.
| Feature | Lead Score | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Lead qualification scoring | ✓ 5-factor scoring system | ✗ Not available in Joist |
| Auto GPS mileage tracking | ✓ Built in — per lead | ✗ Not included or separate app |
| PDF estimates & invoices | ✓ Built in | ✗ Varies by platform |
| Works fully offline | ✓ 100% local storage | ✗ Most require cloud/connection |
| No account required | ✓ Your device, your data | ✗ Account required |
| Pipeline analytics | ✓ Close rate, revenue, sources | ✗ Basic or not available |
| Photo attachments per lead | ✓ Photos and documents | ✗ Not available |
| Follow-up notifications | ✓ Follow-up + appointment | ✗ Email only or limited |
| Monthly price | ✓ $9.99/month | ✗ More expensive |
| Free tier | ✓ First 3 leads, no card | ✗ Varies — rarely free |
What Joist users are saying.
The frustrations with Joist are well-documented in contractor forums, app store reviews, and platforms like Trustpilot and G2. The core issue varies by platform but follows a pattern: price increases without added value, features locked behind higher tiers, or core functionality that was never built.
Joist estimates are disconnected from the leads that generated them.
Lead Score was built to solve the problems Joist leaves unsolved. Lead scoring — the one feature every lead tracking app is missing — is Lead Score's core differentiator. At $9.99/month with a free tier, it costs less than most alternatives and does more than any of them.
If you're evaluating Joist alternatives, the most important question isn't which app has the most features — it's which app helps you stop wasting time on bad leads. That's the only metric that directly affects your revenue.
"I'm leaving Joist. I need something that actually helps me qualify leads, not just track them."
Contractor feedback, 2025
The only alternative with lead scoring built in.
Every Joist alternative tracks leads. Lead Score qualifies them. The 5-factor scoring system — Project Fit, Budget Fit, Decision Maker, Motivation, Timeline — runs in 5 minutes on the first call and tells you whether a lead is a Great Fit, Possible Fit, Unclear Fit, or Bad Fit before you invest any time.
Lead Score also covers the apps most contractors run alongside their CRM: mileage tracking, estimates, invoices, and pipeline analytics. At $9.99/month it replaces three or four separate subscriptions.
No account required. Works fully offline. Your data lives on your device and can never be locked out, held hostage, or lost to a server outage.
What your current app stack actually costs.
Most solo contractors run 4–5 separate apps. Here's the monthly total — and what Lead Score costs to replace all of them.
Or go annual at $59.99/year — less than $5/month for the full stack.
Clear pricing. No surprises.
Joist
Varies by plan
see pricing on their website · Annual plans available
- ✗ No lead qualification
- ✗ No pipeline analytics
- ✗ Separate tool — one workflow
Lead Score
$9.99
$59.99/year or $99 lifetime
- ✓ 5-factor lead scoring
- ✓ Auto GPS mileage tracking
- ✓ PDF estimates and invoices
- ✓ No account — local storage
- ✓ Works fully offline
- ✓ First 3 leads free
Who should use what.
Contractors who are leaving Joist and want a simpler, cheaper alternative that actually tells them which leads are worth pursuing — Lead Score is the only alternative with 5-factor lead scoring built in.
Contractors who need specific features that Joist provides — check our detailed Lead Score vs Joist comparison page for a full feature breakdown.
What contractors ask before switching.
Done with Joist? Try Lead Score free.
Score your first 3 leads at no cost. No card, no account.
Free tier · No account required · iOS & Android · Works offline
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