EternalEngine vs Joist
Joist is a mobile-first estimating and invoicing app built for solo contractors and small crews, priced per login with no published team-management tier.
The price story
Joist: From $12/mo (Basics, 5 documents/mo); Pro $17/mo (unlimited documents); Elite $32/mo; Run $100/mo (adds visit scheduling). EternalEngine: from $9.95/mo (Basic), Team at $49/mo for 3 users, every paid plan with a 30-day free trial —full plan ladder.
Joist's pricing page lists no per-user or team pricing — it reads as one login per subscription. A 3-person crew would need three separate Joist subscriptions (3 × $17–32/mo = roughly $51–96/mo) to each estimate and invoice, with no shared CRM tying their work together. EternalEngine Team is one $49/mo subscription for 3 real seats sharing one CRM.
Verified against joist.com/pricing on 2026-09-15. Competitor prices change — check their site for current figures.
| Feature | EternalEngine | Joist |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $9.95/mo (Basic) | $12/mo (Basics, 5 docs/mo) |
| Multi-user / team pricing | Seat blocks included per tier | Not published — appears single-login |
| CRM + pipelines | ✓ | — |
| Online booking pages | ✓ | — |
| Estimates + invoicing + payments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Field dispatch / visit scheduling | CrewGrid, Pro and up | Run tier ($100/mo) adds visit scheduling only |
| AI assistant included | Every plan | — |
| Free tier | ✓ | — |
EternalEngine rows describe the 17 launch apps — see thefeatures overview for what each one does and which plan carries it.
Choose Joist if…
- You are a true solo contractor who only needs quick mobile estimates and invoices, and $12–17/mo is genuinely simpler than switching platforms.
- License and insurance display on estimates (their Elite tier) is a specific feature you rely on today.
Choose EternalEngine if…
- You have, or plan to add, teammates — Joist has no published multi-seat pricing.
- You want a CRM pipeline, booking page and email marketing alongside estimates and invoices.
- You want dispatch and inventory tracking as your crew grows (CrewGrid and StockShelf on Pro).
What the other column looks like
The business overview every EternalEngine plan opens on — revenue, pipeline, invoices, tasks and appointments from the same data, no exports between tools.
Built for your trade
See how EternalEngine fits the businesses Joist is most often compared against.
Other comparisons
See it for yourself
Set up in under 5 minutes. Import your customers, send your first invoice today.
Start freeFree has no card and no time limit · every paid plan starts with a 30-day trial · or start Basic at $9.95
EternalEngine vs Joist questions
Is Joist good enough for a solo contractor?
For quick mobile estimates and invoices with 5 documents a month, Basics at $12/mo is a reasonable fit. It has no CRM pipeline, booking page, or team pricing, so it stays a fit only as long as you stay solo.
Can my whole crew use one Joist subscription?
Joist's pricing page does not publish team or multi-seat pricing — as far as we could verify, each person needs their own login. EternalEngine Team is one $49/mo subscription covering 3 real seats sharing the same CRM and calendar.
Can I bring my Joist estimates and clients over?
Export your client list as CSV from Joist and import it into ClientForge; new estimates and invoices go out from BidForge and TitanLedger going forward.
Does Joist do dispatch or scheduling?
Only on their Run tier ($100/mo), which adds visit scheduling on top of Elite. CrewGrid (EternalEngine Pro and up, $99/mo for 5 users) gives you a full dispatch board, GPS-verified check-ins and photo proof — closer to field-dispatch software than a scheduling add-on.