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How RafterBooks stacks up
RafterBooks is a one-time purchase for solo new-construction contractors who want estimates → jobs → invoices on their own computer. QuickBooks Online, Joist, and Jobber are cloud subscriptions with teams, mobile apps, and card payments. Pick based on what you actually need — not marketing slogans.
Prices as of Oct 2026, from each company's website. Competitors change promos often; check their pages before you buy.
RafterBooks
- Price model
- One-time — founding $59 for the first 20 buyers (list $79)
- Where data lives
- On your device (browser storage or Windows data file). No cloud account.
- Built for
- Solo / new construction job books — estimates, jobs, invoices, costs, time
- Card / online payments
- No — prints payment instructions + optional link/QR; you take money your way
- Mobile app
- No dedicated app — browser works on a phone screen; on a Mac use Chrome (Safari support being tested)
- Teams / multi-user
- No — one business, local workspace
- Estimates → jobs → invoices
- Yes
- Overdue invoices
- List in the app — does not send reminders
- Free try
- Browser demo — up to 5 invoices, PDF watermark, no signup
QuickBooks Online
Simple Start
- Price model
- Subscription — $38/mo list; often 50% off for 3 months ($19/mo)
- Where data lives
- In Intuit’s cloud
- Built for
- General small-business bookkeeping (income, expenses, invoices, bank feeds)
- Card / online payments
- Yes — QuickBooks Payments (cards & bank transfers)
- Mobile app
- Yes — iOS / Android
- Teams / multi-user
- Simple Start: 1 user (+ accountant access on paid plans)
- Estimates → jobs → invoices
- Estimates & invoices (broader accounting focus)
- Overdue invoices
- Reminders / payment status via QuickBooks Payments
- Free try
- Free plan + paid trials / promos (see their pricing)
Joist
- Price model
- Subscription — Basics $10/mo; Pro $17/mo; Elite $32/mo; Run promo $70/mo (list $100). Annual plans include 2 months free.
- Where data lives
- In Joist’s cloud (mobile & web)
- Built for
- Home-service contractors — estimates, invoices, on-site payments
- Card / online payments
- Yes — online payments, Tap to Pay, deposits / milestones
- Mobile app
- Yes — iOS / Android (mobile-first)
- Teams / multi-user
- Aimed at solo / small crews; cloud login
- Estimates → jobs → invoices
- Yes — estimate to invoice; jobs/scheduling on Run
- Overdue invoices
- Payment tracking in-app
- Free try
- 14-day free trial (full Run features); no credit card
Jobber
- Price model
- Subscription — Core from $21/mo, Connect from $70/mo, Grow from $105/mo, Plus from $280/mo (annual prepaid starting prices; monthly costs more)
- Where data lives
- In Jobber’s cloud (desktop & mobile)
- Built for
- Field service teams — scheduling, quotes, invoices, crew tools
- Card / online payments
- Yes — Jobber Payments (cards, ACH, Tap to Pay)
- Mobile app
- Yes — iOS / Android
- Teams / multi-user
- Yes — plans scale by user count; add users for extra fee
- Estimates → jobs → invoices
- Yes — quotes, jobs, scheduling, invoices
- Overdue invoices
- Automated invoice follow-ups on higher plans
- Free try
- 14-day free trial (Grow features); no credit card
Sources (opened Oct 2026): QuickBooks Online pricing · Simple Start · Joist pricing · Jobber pricing. QuickBooks, Joist, and Jobber names are trademarks of their respective owners. RafterBooks is not affiliated with Intuit, Joist/EverCommerce, or Jobber.
Where the others are stronger
QuickBooks Online is full cloud bookkeeping: bank feeds, automated categorization, accountant collaboration, mobile app, and card payments. If you need payroll-adjacent workflows, multi-user books, or your CPA already lives in QuickBooks, Simple Start (and higher tiers) fit that world. RafterBooks does not replace a full accounting suite.
Joist is built for contractors who want estimates and invoices on a phone and to take payments on-site. Mobile apps, Tap to Pay, financing options, and QuickBooks sync are real advantages when you close jobs in the field. RafterBooks does not process cards and has no mobile app.
Jobber is built for crews: scheduling, automated client reminders, SMS, time tracking for teams, and plans that scale with headcount. If you dispatch people and need follow-ups sent for you, Jobber is in a different category. RafterBooks has no team sync and does not send reminders.
Where RafterBooks wins
One price, then you stop paying for the core offline app — founding $59 for the first 20 buyers (then $79), not $10–$280 every month. Browser edition and Windows desktop are included; use the browser edition on a Mac.
At launch, code FOUNDING will be applied automatically at checkout for the $59 founding price (first 20 buyers). If it isn’t, enter FOUNDING to save $20.
Your data stays local. No cloud account to create, no subscription to cancel, no vendor holding your invoices. Export JSON backups and an accountant CSV when you need them.
Simple for beginners. Clients → estimate → accept → job → invoice → Save as PDF, with sales tax, payment instructions, overdue list, expenses, time, and bank CSV import for review. Honest limits are listed on purpose: no card processing, no reminder emails, no payroll.
Try it before you compare further.
Open the free browser demo — up to 5 invoices, no signup. PDFs show a RafterBooks Demo watermark. Buy at launch; download a backup from the demo and import it into the full version to keep everything.Buy when you’re ready; download a backup from the demo and open it in the full version to keep everything.
At launch, code FOUNDING will be applied automatically at checkout for the $59 founding price (first 20 buyers). If it isn’t, enter FOUNDING to save $20.
