Invoice Ninja vs Joist

Invoice Ninja and Joist both want to make invoicing easier for freelancers but they are made for different types of users. The comparison shows off their features, prices and overall worth.

Invoice Ninja has more features than Joist such as the ability to create estimates, send out automated reminders, handle taxes and bill for projects. It also has time tracking, user permissions and file uploads which are all important for billing by the hour and allowing multiple users to access the system. Joist is simpler but doesn’t have time tracking or multi-user role management so it’s not as good for complicated billing setups.

Invoice Ninja has great pricing options for users on a budget. They offer a free plan for up to five clients and paid plans that cost between $12 and $16 a month. Joist has plans that start at $8 and go up to $32 per month. It doesn’t have a permanent free tier and doesn’t say how many clients it can have. Overall, Invoice Ninja is a better choice for freelancers who are just starting out.

Invoice Ninja has more payment gateway integrations than other services such as Stripe, PayPal, Square and Authorize.Net. It also has access to APIs and automation tools like Zapier, Make and Pabbly. Joist only supports a few payment methods and has limited accounting integration with QuickBooks Online for its higher-tier plans. It also doesn’t say what its API capabilities are. Because of this, Invoice Ninja’s many integrations may be helpful for businesses that need automation and a variety of tools. Joist may be enough for smaller contractors who only need to collect payments and do basic bookkeeping.

Joist is popular with people who aren’t tech-savvy because it is simple to use and has a user-friendly interface. Invoice Ninja’s user interface is thought to be moderate to complex. It gives you more power but takes longer to learn. Both services have mobile apps for iOS and Android but Invoice Ninja’s app has all of its features, like project management and time tracking.

Invoice Ninja is a good choice for freelancers and small businesses that need to keep track of time, allow multiple users to access the system and connect to a wide range of APIs. It can grow from a single user to a medium-sized business with international support. Joist is great for contractors such as plumbers and electricians who need a way to get estimates and make payments on the go especially if they are in the US and use QuickBooks.