Joist in Quebec: overview and what it does well
💡 Transparency: this article is written by the SubmitX team, so we are both judge and party. The facts about Joist come from its public pages and its App Store listing viewed on October 26, 2026 (list of sources at the bottom of the page). See a mistake? Write to support@submitx.ca and we will correct it.
According to its official information page, Joist is headquartered in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) and owned by EverCommerce, a company headquartered in the United States. Joist says it is mainly aimed at residential contractors working in the United States and Canada. On the App Store, the publisher is Joist Software Inc.
What Joist does well
- Simplicity: Joist itself says it does not weigh its users down with enterprise features such as dispatching or employee tracking.
- Fast quotes and invoices: estimates, invoices, payments, tracking of amounts owed, client records.
- Tools around the invoice: visit scheduling, expense tracking, reports (revenue, invoices, sales taxes), QuickBooks sync, financing for homeowners.
- A low entry price and a 14-day trial with no credit card, according to its pricing page.
- A company of Canadian origin, headquartered in Toronto.
How much does Joist cost?
According to Joist's Pricing page, viewed on October 26, 2026, there are four plans. The page shows the "$" symbol without specifying the currency (USD or CAD). With annual billing, two months are free.
| Plan | Monthly (as shown) | Annual, per month (as shown) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basics | $10/month | $8.34/month | Up to 5 documents per month |
| Pro | $17/month | $14.17/month | Unlimited documents and clients |
| Elite | $32/month | $26.67/month | Launch price advertised at 30% off |
| Run | $70/month ($100 also shown) | $58.33/month | Offer with 30% off on annual billing |
The page also shows higher amounts that appear to be struck-through prices: check the exact price when you subscribe. The AI call reception agent is an add-on starting at $49/month. The page states that the free plan is no longer offered.
On the Canadian App Store (apps.apple.com/ca), subscriptions bought in the iPhone app have different prices, for example Joist Pro monthly at $22.99 and Joist Run monthly at $129.99. The price therefore depends on where you subscribe.
At SubmitX, prices are provided on request (Pricing page), depending on the plan: Free (unlimited quotes, 1 user), Starter (3 users), Pro (25 users), Ultra (25 users and more). For a self-employed contractor who only does quotes and invoices, Joist remains cheaper than our paid plans; our Free plan is the option to compare.
Joist in French? Language, Quebec and data
On Joist's Canadian App Store listing (viewed on October 26, 2026), the "Languages" field shows English only. Joist's website is in English, and we found no mention of a French version of the app or of client documents in French.
For a Quebec contractor, check whether you can translate the labels of your quotes and invoices yourself before sending them to French-speaking clients.
Data hosting: the official information page does not say where data is hosted, and we did not find the information on the pages we viewed.
SubmitX is designed French first (English available), with a database hosted in Canada (AWS, ca-central-1 region, Montreal). Technical subprocessors located in the United States are listed on the Security page.
CCQ payroll, GST/QST and SEAO
- Payroll: we found no mention of payroll at Joist. Its information page says it specifically avoids features such as employee tracking.
- CCQ (Commission de la construction du Québec): no mention found (checked on October 26, 2026).
- Taxes: Joist mentions sales tax reports; we did not find an explicit mention of GST or QST.
- SEAO: no mention of monitoring Quebec public calls for tenders.
This is consistent with Joist's positioning: a simple quoting and invoicing tool, not business management software. SubmitX also covers CCQ payroll, GST (5%) and QST (9.975%) calculated automatically, progress billing with holdbacks, and SEAO monitoring. For your labour costs, see the 2026 CCQ rate calculator.
Joist vs SubmitX comparison table
| Criterion | Joist | SubmitX |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Headquartered in Toronto, owned by EverCommerce (United States) | Montreal, Quebec |
| Entry price | $10/month as shown (currency not specified) | Permanent free plan |
| Free plan | No longer offered, according to its page | Yes |
| Trial | 14 days, no card | 7 days, no card |
| App language | English (App Store listing) | French first, English available |
| Quotes and invoices | Yes, a strength | Yes, with AI assistance to review |
| Payroll | No mention found | CCQ payroll included |
| GST/QST | Sales tax reports; QST not mentioned | Automatic calculation |
| SEAO monitoring | No mention found | Yes |
| Projects (Gantt, change orders, site reports) | No, deliberately simple tool | Yes |
| QuickBooks | Sync | QuickBooks Online sync, Acomba and Sage 50 exports |
All in one
Fix your quoting problems, and every other headache, in one software
Quotes, projects, job sites, CCQ payroll, invoicing: SubmitX brings it all together in one place. Leave your details and a team member will show you how it works with your own cases.
- Quotes
- Projects and job sites
- CCQ payroll
- Invoicing
A team member will get in touch. Something urgent? Call 514-835-8734.
Meanwhile, you can try SubmitX free for 7 days.
Joist or SubmitX: who is each one for?
Joist is a better fit if…
- You work alone or nearly alone, and you only want to send quotes and invoices from your phone.
- An app in English is not a problem for you or your clients.
- You want the smallest possible monthly budget for a paid tool.
- You have no CCQ employees and no projects to schedule.
SubmitX is a fit if…
- You want a tool in French for you and your clients.
- You have a team, CCQ employees or subcontractors.
- You want to manage the project after the quote: Gantt, tasks, change orders, site reports, progress billing.
- You want to start for free and grow in the same software.
SubmitX's honest limitation: a young company (public launch in June 2026), still few independent reviews, and many modules for a very small business (you can ignore them). The AI (Titan 3.5) can make mistakes: every AI-generated quote must be reviewed by you. See our pros and cons.
How to test SubmitX and switch from Joist
Start with the Free plan
Create a free account: unlimited quotes, 1 user, no card.
Import your clients and your prices
Export your lists from Joist, then import them as Excel or CSV (free import).
Redo 5 to 10 real quotes
Compare the time spent, the French output and the GST/QST calculation.
Try a paid plan for 7 days, no card
Test CCQ payroll, projects and progress billing if you need them.
Decide with the right numbers
See our Comparisons page, the features and our guide to quoting software.
Frequently asked questions
Is Joist a Canadian company?
According to its official information page (October 26, 2026), Joist is headquartered in Toronto (Ontario) and owned by EverCommerce, which is headquartered in the United States.
Is Joist available in French?
Its Canadian App Store listing shows English as the only language (October 26, 2026), and we found no mention of a French version.
How much does Joist cost?
According to joist.com/pricing (October 26, 2026), with no currency specified: Basics $10/month, Pro $17/month, Elite $32/month, Run $70/month on offer, with two months free on annual billing. Prices in the iPhone app are different (e.g. Pro monthly at $22.99 on the Canadian App Store).
Does Joist still have a free plan?
No, its pricing page states that the free plan is no longer offered. It offers a 14-day trial with no card. SubmitX has a permanent Free plan.
Does Joist handle payroll or QST?
We found no mention of payroll, CCQ or QST at Joist. SubmitX includes CCQ payroll and calculates GST and QST.
Sources consulted
Public vendor pages viewed on October 26, 2026. Prices and features change often: check on the vendor's website before deciding. A mistake? Write to support@submitx.ca, and we will correct it.
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