Invoicing & payments - AI tools for contractors
Turning completed work into invoices, chasing payment and reconciling the books.
What Invoicing & payments actually involves
Getting paid is a process, not an event. Most late payment in the trades comes from slow invoicing rather than unwilling customers: the work finishes on Friday and the invoice goes out the following week. Taking card payment on site removes most of the problem, and staged billing protects you on larger jobs.
Invoicing & payments tools compared
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joist | Solo contractors and small crews who mainly need to quote and get paid. | Free tier; paid plans add advanced features | Free tier |
| Knowify | Contractors who need to know whether a job actually made money. | Paid (per user, per month) | Free trial |
| Housecall Pro | Home service businesses that want one app covering booking through to payment. | Paid (tiered by features) | Free trial |
| Jobber | Owner-operators and small crews moving off paper and spreadsheets. | Paid (tiered) | Free trial |
| ServiceTitan | Established businesses with multiple crews and a dedicated office team. | Paid (enterprise, quote-based) | No |
| Workiz | Small teams that live on the phone and want calls tied to jobs. | Paid (tiered) | Free tier |
| FieldEdge | Mid-sized trade businesses outgrowing entry-level apps. | Paid (quote-based) | No |
| QuickBooks | Businesses that need proper books and an accountant who already knows the software. | Paid (tiered) | Free trial |
| FreshBooks | Owner-operators who want invoicing without an accounting degree. | Paid (tiered) | Free trial |
| Xero | Businesses wanting cloud accounting with trade-specific add-ons. | Paid (tiered) | Free trial |
Joist
Estimates, invoices and payment collection built for contractors.
Knowify
Job costing and project management for trade contractors.
Housecall Pro
Scheduling, dispatch, invoicing and payments for home service businesses.
Jobber
Field service management for small home service teams.
ServiceTitan
Enterprise field service platform for larger trade businesses.
Workiz
Field service software with a strong phone and communication layer.
FieldEdge
Field service management aimed at HVAC, plumbing and electrical contractors.
QuickBooks
Accounting software most trade businesses end up on.
FreshBooks
Simple invoicing and accounting for very small businesses.
Xero
Cloud accounting with a large add-on marketplace.
Frequently asked questions
Which invoicing & payments tools are worth trying first?
The three that stand out here are Joist (Solo contractors and small crews who mainly need to quote and get paid), Knowify (Contractors who need to know whether a job actually made money), Housecall Pro (Home service businesses that want one app covering booking through to payment). Start with the one that matches your size and the work you do most, not the one with the longest feature list.
How much does invoicing & payments software cost?
Across the 10 tools on this page, 2 have a free tier and the rest are paid, most of them billed per user per month. Prices move often, so confirm on the vendor site before committing.
Can I try these tools for free?
Yes 鈥?Joist, Workiz all have a free tier, so you can run a few real jobs through them before paying anything.
Should I take card payments on site?
Yes, if your average job is under a few thousand. Getting paid before you leave removes the entire chasing problem, and the processing fee is usually smaller than the cost of one invoice that sits unpaid for a month.