Grafta vs Joist
Joist is a hugely popular estimating-and-invoicing app for contractors — simple, inexpensive, and used by well over a million contractors, overwhelmingly in North America. Grafta covers the same core loop for the Irish market, with voice-first quoting and Irish VAT and compliance built in. Here's the honest comparison.
Grafta and Joist, side by side
| Grafta | Joist | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Irish tradespeople specifically | Contractors in North America (part of the EverPro group) |
| Quoting | Voice-first — speak the job, get an itemised quote | Fast template-based estimates with photos, contracts and e-signatures |
| Acceptance | Customer accepts, declines with a reason, or asks a question from one link — you're notified in-app and by email | In-app digital signatures and client contracts |
| Irish VAT (13.5%/23%, two-thirds rule) | Handled per line, with Irish guidance built in | General tax fields; built for the North American market, not Irish VAT |
| Deposits | Deposit terms stated on the quote, one-tap deposit invoice after acceptance, balance-only final invoice | Deposit and milestone payments through Joist Payments |
| Getting paid | Invoice link shows opened-status, your IBAN and a Pay-online button from your own payment link (Revolut Pro, SumUp, Stripe…) — Grafta takes no cut | Joist Payments (cards, bank transfer, PayPal) plus US-style homeowner financing and contractor lending |
| Beyond quotes & invoices | Jobs, customer records, overdue chasing, Irish compliance reminders | Client records, expense tracking, reports, QuickBooks sync on paid tiers |
| Pricing model | Flat euro price — Solo one price, Team from a base price for 2 users | Paid tiers in USD — the entry tier caps documents per month, and the old free plan has been discontinued (see joist.com for current rates) |
What Joist does well
- Simplicity — estimate → invoice → paid in a few taps is Joist's whole game, and it does that loop with very little to learn.
- Price — Joist's paid tiers are genuinely inexpensive by trade-software standards, even if the free plan is gone.
- Payments flexibility in its home market — cards, bank transfer, PayPal, deposit and milestone payments, and homeowner financing from a panel of (US) lenders.
Where Grafta is different
- Voice-first: speak the job on site and the itemised quote — labour and materials split — is drafted before you're back in the van. Joist is fast typing; Grafta is not typing.
- Irish VAT is the default, not a workaround: 13.5%, 23% or 0% per line, two-thirds rule guidance, and Revenue-style sequential invoice numbering.
- A yes (or a no) on the record: customers accept, decline with a reason, or ask a question from the quote link — and you're notified either way, so silence stops meaning 'maybe'.
- Paid your way, fee-free: your IBAN with a copy button and a Pay-online button from your own payment link — Grafta never touches the money and takes no cut.
- Built for the Irish trade year: compliance reminders for Safe Electric, RGI, CVRT, insurance and VAT deadlines.
Pick Joist if you want the simplest possible estimate-and-invoice app at a low price, its North American payments and financing world fits your customers, and Irish VAT handling isn't a concern.
Pick Grafta if you're pricing Irish jobs for Irish customers — VAT done right per line, deposits and acceptance on the record, your IBAN on every invoice — and you'd rather speak the quote than type it. Try Grafta free.
Common questions
Isn't Joist free?
It was — Joist's own FAQ now says the free plan is no longer available. As of mid-2026 it's paid tiers in US dollars (the entry tier caps how many documents you can send per month) with a free trial. Grafta is also a paid app after its 14-day free trial — the difference is a flat euro price with everything included, and no document caps.
Does Joist handle Irish VAT?
Joist is built for the North American market, where sales tax works differently — Irish VAT specifics like the 13.5%/23% split and the two-thirds rule aren't its focus. Grafta applies Irish VAT per line on every quote and invoice, with plain-English guidance for the rules that catch people out.
Is Grafta overkill compared to Joist for a one-man band?
No — Grafta was designed sole-trader-first, and the day-to-day loop is the same size as Joist's: quote, invoice, get paid. What you gain is Irish correctness (VAT, RCT guidance, compliance reminders), a recorded accept/decline/question flow, and voice quoting from the van — without taking on anything a one-person business doesn't need.
This comparison reflects publicly available information as of July 2026 and our honest read of both approaches. Joist is a trademark of its owner; Grafta is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Features and pricing change — always check current details, and if you spot something outdated here, tell us and we'll correct it.
The proof is a two-minute try.
Start free, speak one job, and see the quote build itself. No card needed.
No card required. Cancel anytime.