The best quoting app for tradespeople <em>who price jobs on site</em>
The first clean quote often wins the job. That means building it on your phone, in front of the customer, and getting it signed before you leave.
You are a plumber, electrician, painter, HVAC tech or handyman. You do your own estimates, often at night on a spreadsheet. Meanwhile the homeowner has called three other pros. The right app is judged on three things: can you quote from your phone on site, can the customer sign and leave a deposit, and what does it cost over a year when you work alone.
The short answer. Solo and quoting on site? Joist Pro, about $170 a year billed annually. Your quotes turn into scheduled visits? Jobber, from $49 a month. You bill big jobs in stages and take deposits? Tradify, priced per user. Just starting and broke? Wave costs $0.
All prices are in US dollars, taken from each vendor's own pricing page in 2026, sales tax not included.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The right quoting app for your trade
The 5 quoting apps for tradespeople, side by side
The right-hand column answers the question a one-person business asks first: what does this cost me over twelve months on the plan that actually does the job? The two-person math comes further down.
| Best for | Yearly cost, one person | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joist | Phone quoting on a budget | $170 (Pro, billed annually) | 3.8/5 | $8.34/mo billed annually | — | Solo tradesperson | Visit → |
| 2 | Jobber | Quote to scheduled job | $588 (Core, billed monthly) | 4.1/5 | $49/mo billed monthly | — | Service trade with a van | Visit → |
| 3 | Tradify | Deposits and stage billing | $612 (Pro, one user) | 4.0/5 | $47 per user per month | — | Contractor with a small crew | Visit → |
| 4 | Wave | Free simple estimates | $0, or $190 for Pro | 4.2/5 | Free | ✓ | New business | Visit → |
| 5 | QuickBooks Online | Estimates in the books | $0 free plan, $456 Simple Start | 4.2/5 | Free plan, then $38/mo | ✓ | Bookkeeper on QuickBooks | Visit → |
Prices in US dollars, read on official pricing pages in 2026, before sales tax. Jobber and QuickBooks often show promotional prices: these figures use the regular rate.
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How we compared these apps
Search for the best estimating app for contractors and you get vendor blogs ranking themselves first, and lists that throw heavy takeoff software for commercial estimators in with phone apps for a plumber. Few of them tell you what a one-person business pays in a year.
So we started from the solo tradesperson. We read each vendor's official pricing page, converted every plan into a twelve-month cost for one person and for two, and read user reviews starting with the bad ones: no offline access, document caps, per-user bills that grow with every hire.
Contractor+, QuoteIQ, Fergus, FieldPulse and ServiceTitan are left off: no official page we opened showed a full price, and a figure lifted from a review site does not go on this page. The score shown is the app's score across all our pages; the rank follows our five criteria for the trades, which is why a higher-scored app can sit lower here.
- Quoting on the jobA real phone app, customer sign-off on the screen, photos, and what reviews say about working with weak signal. It is the top complaint in reviews, so it weighs the most.30%
- Yearly cost for one personTwelve months on the plan that actually quotes, for one person, and what a second person adds.25%
- Deposits and sign-offDeposits, customer approval online, license and insurance details on the estimate.20%
- From quote to invoiceApproved quote turned into a job or an invoice without retyping, and stage billing.15%
- Setup and supportTrial terms, ease of setup and what customers say about support.10%
App prices change every year. Get the changes before your renewal
Joist
Joist is built around one moment: you are standing in the customer's kitchen and they want a number. You add the line items on your phone, the estimate goes out with your logo, and the customer can sign it. For a one-person trade business, that speed wins jobs that a quote sent two days later loses.
Watch the cap on the entry plan. Basics, $8.34 a month on a yearly bill, stops at five documents a month, and an invoice uses one just like an estimate does. Quote and bill two jobs and you have almost hit it. The plan most working pros need is Pro: unlimited documents for $14.17 a month on a yearly bill (roughly $170 for twelve months), or $17 if you pay month to month.
Elite, at $26.67 a month billed annually ($32 monthly), adds the detail that makes an estimate look like it came from a licensed pro: your license and insurance printed on the estimate, plus change orders when the customer adds work halfway through. Digital signatures and deposits appear on the pricing page, without a clear tier attached, so check them during the trial.
The limit: Joist is an estimate and invoice app, not a business system. No crew scheduling, no dispatch. Once you hire two techs, you will want more.
- Pro at $14.17/mo billed annually, unlimited documents
- License and insurance on the estimate with Elite
- 14-day trial with no card
- ✓Cheapest unlimited plan in this ranking
- ✓Fast estimates from the phone
- ✓Change orders on Elite
- ✗Basics caps you at 5 documents a month
- ✗No scheduling or dispatch
- ✗Signature and deposit tiers unclear on the pricing page
Our pick for the solo tradesperson who quotes on site: Pro covers the essentials for about $170 a year. If you want the quote to turn into a scheduled visit, Jobber does more for more money.
Jobber
In Jobber, a quote is not a stand-alone PDF. Once the customer says yes, it turns into a visit on your calendar, and after the visit into an invoice, with nothing typed twice. Trades that book repeat work (lawn care, HVAC tune-ups, cleaning rounds) get the most out of that.
Every plan can send quotes. On Grow, you can add optional lines, so the homeowner chooses between the standard and the premium faucet on the quote itself and you skip the second trip.
The bill is the sore point for a solo business. Core runs $49 a month paid monthly, which is $588 over a year and more than three times Joist Pro. A second person adds $29 a month: you and one helper on Core pay $78 a month, $936 a year. Yearly billing brings that down; read the pricing page line by line before you sign.
The limit: if all you do is estimate and invoice, you pay for scheduling you never open. Jobber pays off when quotes fill a calendar, not when you send one a week.
- Approved quote becomes a visit, then an invoice
- Optional line items on Grow
- 14-day trial, no card
- ✓The full chain from quote to payment
- ✓Upsell options right on the quote
- ✓Built for field service trades
- ✗$588 a year on Core, billed monthly
- ✗$29 a month per extra user
- ✗Overkill if you only quote
The best choice once your quotes feed a calendar. For a solo tradesperson who only quotes and invoices, Joist covers that at a fraction of the price.
Tradify
Tradify is job management for trades: quotes, jobs, timesheets and invoices. It earns its place here for one reason. From Pro, it handles deposits, progress invoicing and retentions, the way a remodeler bills a bathroom over three weeks instead of in one go. Quote options with online acceptance and automatic follow-ups also start on Pro.
Pricing is per user. Lite costs $47 a month, Pro $51 and Plus $61, per user. For one person on Pro, that is $612 a year; for two, $1,224. Joist charges a flat price no matter who uses the phone, so a crew of two pays far less there.
The limit shows up in user reviews: no offline access, and screens that are slow to load. If you quote in basements or rural areas with weak signal, try it on site during the 14-day trial.
- Deposits, progress invoicing and retentions from Pro
- Quote options with online acceptance
- 14-day trial
- ✓Best deposit and stage billing in this ranking
- ✓Quote follow-ups built in
- ✓Made for trades crews
- ✗Per-user pricing adds up fast
- ✗No offline access, according to users
- ✗Slow to load, according to users
The pick if you bill jobs in stages and take deposits on every quote. Solo and on a budget, the per-user price makes it hard to justify against Joist.
Wave
Wave asks nothing to get started. On Starter you pay $0 and can send as many estimates and invoices as you like, and an approved estimate converts to an invoice in a click. When you are still landing your first ten customers, that is one bill fewer.
The catch is on card payments, which is how Wave earns. Each card payment on Starter costs 2.9% plus $0.60: a $1,000 deposit paid by card leaves you $29.60 short. For big deposits, ask for a bank transfer. Pro, at $19 a month or $190 a year, adds automation.
The limit: Wave does invoicing and light bookkeeping, nothing more. No job price list, no calendar, no change orders, and little support on the free plan.
- Unlimited estimates and invoices for $0
- Estimate turns into an invoice
- Basic bookkeeping included
- ✓Free with no estimate cap
- ✓Simple to start
- ✓Bookkeeping in the same place
- ✗Card fees on deposits add up
- ✗Nothing built for trades
- ✗Thin support on the free plan
Start here if money is tight and your jobs are simple. Once you quote on site every day, a trade app like Joist pays for itself.
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online is bookkeeping software first, and that is exactly why some tradespeople quote from it. Every estimate becomes an invoice inside your books, the customer's payment matches it, and come tax season your bookkeeper has the whole job trail.
One user can start on the free plan. Simple Start runs $38 a month, $456 a year. Essentials, $85 a month, lets three people in; Plus, $140, five people, with project tracking that shows after the job whether your price left a margin. Intuit regularly advertises a lower rate for the first months, so plan on the regular one.
The limit: nothing here helps you build the price, and the estimate reads like an accounting form. It is not the document you hand a homeowner on your phone to sign in the driveway.
- Estimate, invoice and books in one place
- Free plan for one user
- Project tracking on Plus
- ✓Your bookkeeper probably knows it
- ✓Free plan to start
- ✓Clean path from estimate to taxes
- ✗Not built for quoting on site
- ✗Plain estimate design
- ✗Promotions hide the regular price
A good home for estimates if the books matter most. For quoting at the customer's door, pair it with a trade app or pick Joist.
What your estimate should say, and what the app costs in a year
An app won't write your terms for you. It makes them stick, once you set up your template. Here is what a trade estimate should carry, then the real yearly cost of each app.
Fixed price or estimate: say which
Homeowners read "estimate" and "quote" differently. Whatever the app calls the document, write in plain words whether the price is fixed or approximate, what is included, and how long the price holds. That one line prevents most arguments when the job runs long.
License, insurance and deposit
A license number and proof of insurance on the estimate tell the customer you are not the cheapest guy on a classifieds site. Joist Elite prints both on the estimate. Then state the deposit amount and when it is due, and let the customer approve the estimate online so the deposit follows the signature. For staged jobs, Tradify Pro handles progress invoicing; the details live on our invoicing page for contractors.
Per-user or flat pricing
Joist and Wave charge the same whoever uses the app. Jobber adds $29 a month per extra user, Tradify charges every user $47 to $61. For one person the gap is small; for two it is not. Jobber Core with a helper costs $936 a year billed monthly; Tradify Pro for two, $1,224; Joist Pro stays at about $170.
The real yearly cost, solo
Wave Starter $0, Joist Pro about $170 billed annually, QuickBooks Simple Start $456, Jobber Core $588 billed monthly, Tradify Pro $612. Add card fees if customers pay deposits by card: on Wave Starter, 2.9% + $0.60 a payment.
- Write whether the price is fixed or an estimate.
- Put your license and insurance on the template.
- State the deposit amount and due date on the quote.
- Count your documents per month before picking Joist Basics.
- Quote one real job from your phone during the trial.
- Price a second user before you hire.
More names you will see, and what keeps them off the list
These names come up in every search. Some may suit you, but we could not read a full price on an official page, or they answer a different question.
Contractor+: free plan, per-user pricing
No official price readContractor+ shows up in lists of mobile estimating apps, often with a free plan. We only saw its paid prices on third-party sites, so it stays out of the ranking. Ask for the per-user price in writing.
- Status
- Not ranked
QuoteIQ: price only on review sites
No official price readQuoteIQ comes up in searches for quoting apps for service businesses. Its price appears on review sites, not on a pricing page we could read. Check it during a demo.
- Status
- Not ranked
Fergus and FieldPulse: no public price read
Other needBoth come up in lists of field service apps for trades. Neither showed a price we could read on an official page.
- Status
- Not ranked
ServiceTitan: price on request
Quote-basedServiceTitan prices on request, with no public plan to compare. For a one-person business looking for a phone quoting app, start with the five above.
- Price
- On request
STACK, PlanSwift, ProEst: takeoff, not quoting
Other needThese tools measure quantities from blueprints for commercial estimators. If that is your job, see our construction estimating software ranking.
- Best for
- Commercial bids
FreshBooks: invoicing for service pros
Other needFreshBooks starts at $23 a month for 5 billable clients, which a busy tradesperson outgrows in a week. Plus, at $43, covers 50 clients. Good invoicing, nothing built for site quoting.
- Price
- From $23/mo
Six tips for faster, safer quotes
The app won't do it all. These six habits come from user reviews and pricing pages.
Count documents before choosing Joist Basics
JoistBasics allows 5 documents a month, estimates and invoices combined. Two jobs quoted and invoiced use four. If you quote more than twice a month, start on Pro.
- Basics cap
- 5 documents a month
Ask for the deposit by bank transfer
WaveOn Wave Starter, a $1,000 deposit by card costs $29.60 in fees. Offer bank transfer for big deposits and keep cards for small tickets.
- Card fee
- 2.9% + $0.60
Quote a real job during the trial
Before you buyJoist, Jobber and Tradify each give 14 days. Use them on a real site visit, with photos and the customer's signature. Reviews complain most about apps that work at the desk and stall in the field.
- Trials
- 14 days
Try it where the signal is weak
TradifyTradify users report no offline access. Before you pay, try a quote in a basement or a rural driveway. If it stalls, you know.
- Check
- Basement, crawl space, rural site
Budget on the regular price
QuickBooks, JobberPromotional prices for the first months are common. Plan your yearly budget on the regular rate shown on the pricing page.
- Rule
- Budget on the regular rate
Price the second user before you hire
Per-user pricingA helper adds $29 a month on Jobber and a full seat on Tradify. On Joist the price stays flat. Run the math before your first hire, not after.
- Jobber
- $29/mo per extra user
Your case is a bit different? Go here
This page judges the quote a tradesperson sends alone, from the job. These pages answer the questions next door.
Takeoff, cost books and crew pricing.
You bill in stages and chase paymentsBest invoicing software for contractorsDeposits, progress billing and payments.
You are not in the tradesBest quoting softwareFree and cheap quoting for any business.
Several people send quotesBest quoting software for small businessCost for 5 and 10 users, approvals.
You want a signature on every jobBest e-signature for constructionWhen your quoting app can't sign.
You take the deposit by card on siteBest card reader for contractorsGet paid before you leave the driveway.
Quoting app for tradespeople · FAQ
What is the best estimating app for a one-person trade business?
Joist, for most solo tradespeople: unlimited estimates and invoices on Pro for $14.17 a month billed annually, about $170 a year. If your quotes turn into scheduled visits, Jobber is worth its $49 a month. If you are just starting with simple jobs, Wave is free.Is Joist free?
No. Joist has a 14-day trial with no card, then paid plans. The cheapest, Basics at $8.34 a month billed annually, caps you at 5 documents a month, estimates and invoices combined. Pro removes the cap for $14.17 a month billed annually.What is the difference between an estimate and a quote?
In everyday trade use, an estimate is an approximate price and a quote is a firm one. The app label matters less than the wording: write on the document whether the price is fixed, what it includes and how long it holds.Can customers sign and pay a deposit on the estimate?
Yes, in most of these apps. Joist lists digital signatures and deposits, Tradify handles deposits from Pro with online acceptance, and Jobber turns the approved quote into a job. Check which plan includes it during the trial, since pricing pages are not always clear.Should I pick per-user or flat pricing?
Flat pricing if you work alone or plan to stay small. Joist and Wave cost the same whoever uses them. Jobber adds $29 a month per user and Tradify charges $47 to $61 for each one, so a two-person crew pays $936 to $1,224 a year there.Can I quote without cell signal?
Check before you pay. None of the five pricing pages we read promises offline quoting, and Tradify users report no offline access. Try a full quote in airplane mode during the trial.Do I need accounting software to send estimates?
No. Joist, Jobber and Tradify send estimates and invoices on their own. QuickBooks Online makes sense when your bookkeeper already uses it, since every estimate then lands in the books.