Housecall Pro vs Joist
Head-to-head comparison of pricing, features, integrations, and use-case fit.
Housecall Pro
All-in-one platform for home service pros
- Starting price
- From $59/mo
- Best team size
- 2-20
- Free trial
- 14 days
Joist
Estimating and invoicing app for solo contractors
- Starting price
- From $8.34/mo
- Best team size
- 1-3
- Free trial
- 14 days
What actually separates them
Only the points where our data on Housecall Pro and Joist differs. A feature or integration missing from one tool's list means our entry does not record it, not that the tool lacks it. Everything they share is further down.
- → Entry price: Joist starts at $8.34 a month for the company; Housecall Pro starts at $59 a month base, more as users are added.
- → Trades served: Housecall Pro serves Cleaning Services, Pest Control, Pool Service, Locksmith, Garage Door, Appliance Repair, Restoration, Flooring, Waste & Junk Removal, Pressure Washing & Window Cleaning. The other tool's entry does not list them.
- → Integrations listed for one tool only: Housecall Pro: quickbooks desktop, zapier, google local services, mailchimp.
- → Fit for shared trades: Housecall Pro scores higher for HVAC (9/10 vs 4/10), Plumbing (9/10 vs 4/10), Electrical (9/10 vs 4/10).
- → Features listed for one tool only: Housecall Pro: scheduling, dispatching, credit card processing; Joist: credit card payments, client signatures, photo attachments.
Quick verdict
Housecall Pro: Home service businesses that want payments, consumer financing, online booking and review requests built into one platform.
Joist: Solo contractors and small 1-2 person operations needing only estimates and invoicing.
Vertical fit favors Housecall Pro in 5 of 8 shared trades.
Joist has the lower starting price (From $8.34/mo).
Housecall Pro lists more integrations in our data (8 vs 1).
Decision matrix: which one is right for you?
Pick Housecall Pro if…
- → Your situation matches Housecall Pro's target profile: Home service businesses that want payments, consumer financing, online booking and review requests built into one platform
- → You work in HVAC, Plumbing or Electrical: Housecall Pro has the higher vertical-fit score there (HVAC: 9/10 vs 4/10)
- → You serve several trades: Housecall Pro serves 18 trades in our data, against 8 for Joist
- → Integrations matter: Housecall Pro lists 8 integrations in our data, against 1 for Joist
- → Google Local Services Ads bring in your calls: Housecall Pro lists a Google Local Services Ads integration; our entry for Joist does not
Pick Joist if…
- → Your situation matches Joist's target profile: Solo contractors and small 1-2 person operations needing only estimates and invoicing
- → Entry price matters most: Joist starts at $8.34 a month for the company; Housecall Pro starts at $59 a month base, more as users are added
Pricing side-by-side
| Tier | Housecall Pro | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Basic: $59/mo | Basics: $8.34/mo |
| Tier 2 | Essentials: $149/mo | Pro: $14.17/mo |
| Tier 3 | MAX: $299/mo | Elite: $26.67/mo |
| Tier 4 | - | Run: $58.33/mo |
Housecall Pro starts on Basic, at $59 a month base, more as users are added; its top published tier, MAX, is $299 a month. Joist starts at $8.34 a month for the company on Basics; its top published tier, Run, is $58.33 a month. Joist's entry price is $50.66 a month lower.
Pros & cons
Housecall Pro
- + 14-day free trial
- + Higher vertical-fit score for HVAC, Plumbing or Electrical
- + QuickBooks integration listed (QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop)
- + Google Local Services Ads integration listed
- + Serves 18 trades in our data
- − QuickBooks sync starts on Essentials and QuickBooks Desktop sync is one way
- − User limits per plan push growing teams to higher tiers
- − Residential-first
Joist
- + Lower entry price: From $8.34/mo
- + 14-day free trial
- + QuickBooks integration listed (QuickBooks Online)
- + Serves 8 trades in our data
- + Founded in 2011
- − Scheduling and jobs only on the new Run plan ($100/mo list, offered at an introductory $58.33/mo billed annually or $70/mo billed monthly)
- − Below that it is quote-and-invoice only with no dispatching
- − Outgrown quickly past 3 techs
Feature comparison
Features as listed in our entries. The lists use different words for similar features, so check a feature you need on both vendors' sites.
Listed for Housecall Pro only
- + scheduling
- + dispatching
- + credit card processing
- + consumer financing
- + marketing automation
- + instapay
Listed for both
- ✓ invoicing
- ✓ estimates
Listed for Joist only
- + credit card payments
- + client signatures
- + photo attachments
Integrations
Listed for Housecall Pro only
- + quickbooks desktop
- + zapier
- + google local services
- + mailchimp
- + callrail
- + companycam
- + thumbtack
Listed for both
- ✓ quickbooks online
Listed for Joist only
None
Which fits better in each trade
| Trade | Housecall Pro fit | Joist fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 9 / 10 | 4 / 10 | Housecall Pro |
| Plumbing | 9 / 10 | 4 / 10 | Housecall Pro |
| Electrical | 9 / 10 | 4 / 10 | Housecall Pro |
| Roofing | 7 / 10 | 6 / 10 | Housecall Pro |
| General Contractors | 7 / 10 | 6 / 10 | Housecall Pro |
| Landscaping & Lawn Care | 7 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Tie |
| Handyman Services | 8 / 10 | 8 / 10 | Tie |
| Painting | 7 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Tie |
Vertical-fit scores (1-10) rate how well each tool is built for the trade, checked against the trades the vendor's own pages say it serves. See methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Housecall Pro or Joist?
It depends on your trade, team size and budget. Housecall Pro is best for home service businesses that want payments, consumer financing, online booking and review requests built into one platform. Joist is best for solo contractors and small 1-2 person operations needing only estimates and invoicing. See the decision matrix above, and the trade-by-trade fit table if you work in one trade.
Is Housecall Pro cheaper than Joist?
Joist has the lower entry price: $8.34 a month for the company, against $59 a month base, more as users are added for Housecall Pro. Total cost depends on your team size, the plan you need and any add-ons; see the pricing table above.
Can Housecall Pro and Joist integrate with QuickBooks?
Housecall Pro lists QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. Joist lists QuickBooks Online. Check which way each sync runs, and on which plans, in each tool's full review before you buy.
Do Housecall Pro or Joist offer a free trial?
Housecall Pro: a 14-day free trial. Joist: a 14-day free trial.
Can I move from Housecall Pro to Joist (or the other way)?
Our data does not record migration support for either tool. Ask both vendors which records they import and export (customers, jobs, invoices, recurring agreements, price books), in which file format, and whether they help with the import.
Housecall Pro vs Joist: which has better customer support?
Our data does not record support channels or response times for either tool. Ask each vendor which support comes with the plan you would buy. Each full review links to G2 and Capterra, where you can read current user reviews.
Which suits a solo contractor, and which a growing team?
Our data puts Housecall Pro's best team size at 2-20 and Joist's at 1-3. Housecall Pro's entry price is $59 a month base, more as users are added; Joist's is $8.34 a month for the company. Price both at the team size you expect to have, not only today's.
Need a deeper look?
See our full reviews with each tool's pricing tiers, integrations and weaknesses.
Should your product be in this comparison?
We check Housecall Pro and Joist against their own websites and list the cons next to the pros. If you build a competing product that is not listed here, you can submit it for editorial review. An evaluation can end with or without a listing.
Listings are free. We do not accept payment for inclusion, for placement, for a score, or to remove a documented con. Read this page first and decide whether you want that.