Most contractor apps are free only for a 14-day trial. Here's what each one really costs, which ones stay free, and which is worth paying for once you're busy.
The best free estimate options for contractors are QuoteToPaid, Square Invoices, Wave and Zoho Invoice, which stay free, and Joist, which has a 14-day trial and then costs from $10 a month. QuoteToPaid needs no account and has ready-made estimate templates for roofing, concrete, painting, flooring, fencing and other trades, downloaded as PDF, Word or Excel, but it has no online approvals or payments. Square Invoices and Wave include estimates on their free plans and take card payments for a fee. Joist is built for contractors and adds homeowner financing, but Basics allows 5 documents a month and your logo only shows from Pro at $17 a month. Jobber (from $29 a month billed yearly) and Housecall Pro (from $59 a month) suit crews that need scheduling too.
At a glance
Comparison of best free estimate apps for contractors
Tool
Free option
Paid from
Account
Best for
QuoteToPaid
Free, unlimited, no watermark
None (an optional Pro plan is planned)
No account needed
Making a professional invoice, quote or estimate fast, without signing up
Joist
14-day free trial, no credit card
Basics $10/month (up to 5 documents a month)
Account needed
Contractors who want estimates, payments and financing in one app
Square Invoices
Square Free plan: $0/month
Paid Square plans lower some fees
Square account needed
Businesses that already take payments with Square
Wave
Starter plan: $0
Pro $19/month or $190/year
Account needed
Small businesses that also want free bookkeeping
Zoho Invoice
Free plan (Zoho calls it forever free)
None; it is free
Account needed
Freelancers and small teams who want a full invoicing system for free
Jobber
Free trial
Core from $29/month billed yearly ($49 month to month)
Account needed
Growing service businesses that need scheduling, quotes and invoicing together
Housecall Pro
14-day free trial
From $59/month
Account needed
Home service companies with a crew to schedule and dispatch
The options in detail
1. QuoteToPaid: Best free option with trade templates
Start from a roofing, concrete, painting, flooring or fencing estimate with typical lines already filled in, use the job calculators, and download a clean PDF, Word or Excel file. When the customer says yes, turn it into an invoice.
Free option
Free, unlimited, no watermark
Paid
None (an optional Pro plan is planned)
Account
No account needed
Payments
No built-in card payments (add your own payment details)
Good
No account, no trial and no watermark: open it and start typing
Download as PDF, Word or Excel (with working formulas), or copy into Google Docs or Sheets
Ready-made starting lines for 20 trades, plus job calculators
Turn an approved estimate or quote into an invoice in one step
Your documents stay in your own browser
Watch out for
Customers can't pay by card through it; you add your own payment details
No read receipts, payment reminders or e-signatures
Documents are saved in one browser only, with no sync across devices yet
No native mobile app (it works in your phone's browser)
Made for contractors, with estimates that become invoices, online payments and homeowner financing. Budget for Pro at $17 a month if you send more than 5 documents a month or want your logo on them.
Free option
14-day free trial, no credit card
Paid
Basics $10/month (up to 5 documents a month)
Account
Account needed
Payments
Yes, plus homeowner financing
Good
Built specifically for contractors
Estimates turn into invoices; online payments and homeowner financing
Pro ($17/month) adds unlimited documents, your logo, photos and work orders
Elite ($32/month) adds change orders, licence and insurance details and reports
Watch out for
Basics is limited to 5 documents a month
Your logo only appears on documents from the Pro plan
Whatever app you use, a winning estimate shows the scope in plain words, splits labour and materials, says how long the price is valid, and states the deposit and payment terms. Customers trust a clear breakdown more than a single total.
How we compared
Prices and limits come from each vendor's own pricing page, checked on October 22, 2026. We focused on what a solo contractor or small crew actually pays once any trial ends. We make QuoteToPaid, so we have included it where it genuinely fits and listed its limits as plainly as everyone else's.
Questions people ask
Is there a completely free estimate app for contractors?+
Yes. QuoteToPaid, Square Invoices, Wave and Zoho Invoice all let you make estimates for free. QuoteToPaid needs no account; the others need you to sign up.
How much does Joist cost?+
Joist has a 14-day free trial with no credit card. After that, Basics is $10 a month for up to 5 documents a month, Pro is $17 a month for unlimited documents and your logo, and Elite is $32 a month.
Should a solo contractor use Jobber?+
Usually not at first. Jobber starts at $29 a month billed yearly and is built around scheduling and teams. If you mainly need estimates and invoices, a free tool or Joist costs much less.
Can I turn an estimate into an invoice?+
Yes, in most of these tools. In QuoteToPaid you open the accepted estimate and convert it to an invoice in one step, so you don't retype the lines.
Sources
Prices and limits from each vendor's own pricing page, checked October 22, 2026: