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BCTM vs. Joist: Which Estimating and Invoicing Tool Wins?

Joist is an estimating-and-invoicing app aimed at trades, priced from $10/mo (Basics, capped at 5 documents/month) to $32/mo (Elite, with business reports and dashboards), all with a 14-day free trial (joist.com/pricing). BCTM covers similar estimate-to-invoice ground without a document-volume cap and adds SMS delivery and offline PWA drafting. The better fit depends on document volume and whether you value Joist's business-reporting features on its top tier.

Pricing verified 2026-08-01; vendor pricing changes frequently — verify before relying on it.

Side by side

Entry price

BCTM
$0/mo — no subscription and no per-user seats
Joist
$10/mo (Basics, 5 documents/month cap)

Document volume cap

BCTM
No cap
Joist
Capped at 5/mo on Basics; unlimited on Pro ($17/mo) and Elite ($32/mo)

Estimates/quotes

BCTM
Yes, with estimate-to-invoice conversion
Joist
Yes — core to Joist's document workflow

Business reports/dashboards

BCTM
Standard reports
Joist
Advanced business reports & sales dashboards on Elite tier

A genuine Joist Elite-tier strength.

Card/ACH processing rate

BCTM
Card 3.9% + $0.30; ACH 1.8% with the Stripe portion capped at $5.00 (both include the 1% BCTM platform fee)
Joist
not listed on their pricing page (verified 2026-08-01)

Joist does not publish rates on its pricing page.

SMS

BCTM
Yes, with consent capture
Joist
not listed on their pricing page (verified 2026-08-01)

Not confirmed on Joist's own page.

Offline mode

BCTM
Offline invoice drafting in the PWA — drafting only; collecting a payment needs a connection
Joist
not listed on their pricing page (verified 2026-08-01)

Not confirmed on Joist's own page.

Free tier

BCTM
$0/mo permanently — you pay a per-transaction fee only when a customer pays you
Joist
No — 14-day free trial with full Elite access

The verdict

Joist is a solid low-cost choice for contractors sending a small number of quotes and invoices per month, and its Elite tier's business reports and sales dashboards are a genuine feature BCTM does not describe having in the same form. BCTM is the better fit for contractors who exceed Joist's Basics-tier 5-document cap without wanting to jump to the unlimited Pro tier, and for those who want SMS invoice delivery or offline drafting — neither confirmed on Joist's own pricing page. Contractors focused on processing rates should note that Joist does not publish card or ACH rates on its pricing page, so those need direct confirmation before committing.

Questions people ask

How much does Joist cost?

Joist has three plans: Basics at $10/mo, Pro at $17/mo, and Elite at $32/mo, all cheaper with annual billing.

Joist's pricing page lists Basics at $10/mo ($100/yr), Pro at $17/mo ($170/yr), and Elite at $32/mo ($320/yr) (Joist pricing). Every tier includes a 14-day free trial with full Elite-plan access and no credit card required.

How many documents can I create per month on Joist's cheapest plan?

Joist's Basics plan caps documents at 5 per month; Pro and Elite are unlimited.

Per Joist's own pricing page, the $10/mo Basics plan allows up to 5 documents/month, while Pro ($17/mo) and Elite ($32/mo) both offer unlimited documents and clients (Joist pricing). BCTM does not cap invoice or estimate volume, which may be relevant for busier contractors.

Does Joist offer business reports and dashboards?

Yes — but only on the top Elite plan ($32/mo).

Joist's pricing page lists business reports, sales dashboards, and change order management as Elite-tier features, on top of everything in the lower Basics and Pro plans (Joist pricing). This is a genuine Joist strength for contractors who want built-in business analytics without a separate tool.

Does Joist have a free plan?

No — Joist currently offers a 14-day free trial with full Elite access but no permanent free tier.

Joist's pricing page confirms a 14-day trial with no credit card required, but does not list an ongoing free plan (Joist pricing).

Where these numbers came from

Pricing verified 2026-08-01; vendor pricing changes frequently — verify before relying on it.

Try it on your next job

No subscription. You pay a per-transaction fee only when a customer pays you.

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