Joist sends estimates. Lead Score tells you which leads deserve one.
Joist starts after you've already decided to quote. Lead Score works before that — scoring every lead so you only send estimates to jobs worth winning. Version 1.1.0 also generates professional PDF estimates and invoices, so you may not need Joist at all.
Lead Score vs Joist
| Feature | Lead Score | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Lead scoring | ✓ 5-factor scoring | ✗ Not available |
| PDF estimate generation | ✓ Built in v1.1.0 | ✓ Core feature |
| Estimate to invoice | ✓ One tap | ✓ Available |
| Lead pipeline tracking | ✓ Full CRM pipeline | ✗ Not available |
| Mileage tracking | ✓ Auto GPS | ✗ Not available |
| No account required | ✓ Local storage | ✗ Account required |
| QuickBooks integration | ✗ Not available | ✓ QuickBooks sync |
| Pricing stability | ✓ No paywall changes since launch | ✗ Features moved to higher tiers |
| Monthly price | ✓ $9.99/month | ✗ $8-32/month |
| Free tier | ✓ First 3 leads, no card | ✓ Limited free tier |
Joist assumes every lead is worth estimating. Most of them aren't.
Joist is the most popular mobile estimating tool for solo contractors — and for sending professional estimates and invoices, it does the job well. But Joist starts at the wrong point in the workflow. By the time you're opening Joist, you've already decided this lead is worth your time. That decision is where most contractors lose money.
In 2025, Joist removed features that existing users had relied on and put them behind a higher paywall — described by contractors as a bait and switch. Users who had paid for a tool got less of it unless they paid more.
Joist also has no lead tracking, no scoring system, no pipeline visibility, no mileage tracking, and no expense logging. It does one part of the workflow — the estimate — and leaves everything else to other apps.
"If you want us to pay for Joist then add features that make it worth paying for. Placing features behind a paywall is just laziness."
— Contractor Talk forum, 2025
Qualify the lead. Then send the estimate. In one app.
Lead Score's 5-factor scoring system tells you whether a lead is worth quoting before you invest a minute in estimating. Great Fit, Possible Fit, Unclear Fit, Bad Fit — in under 5 minutes, before you open your calculator.
Once you've decided a lead is worth pursuing, Lead Score v1.1.0 generates professional PDF estimates directly from the lead card and converts them to invoices with one tap. The full workflow — qualify, estimate, invoice — in a single app.
Your pipeline dashboard shows close rate, won revenue, open pipeline value, and which lead sources convert best. Joist shows you a list of estimates. Lead Score shows you why your business is winning or losing.
Clear pricing. No surprises.
Joist
$8–32
depending on plan · $96–384/year
- ✗ No lead qualification
- ✗ No pipeline analytics
- ✗ Separate tool — one workflow
Lead Score
$9.99
$59.99/year (~$5/mo)
- ✓ 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.
If you're using Joist just for estimates and invoices, Lead Score v1.1.0 replaces that workflow entirely — and adds lead scoring, pipeline tracking, mileage logging, and expense tracking. For most solo contractors, there's no longer a reason to pay for Joist separately.
If you have a complex estimate workflow with detailed line-item pricing libraries you've built up over years, Joist may still be worth keeping. But start scoring your leads before you send those estimates — the time you save on bad-fit proposals will pay for Lead Score in the first week.
What contractors ask before switching.
Stop building estimates for leads that were never serious.
Score every lead before you open your calculator. First 3 leads free — no card, no account.
Free tier · No account required · iOS & Android · Works offline