Dave is built with trade business owners to save time, cut stress, and keep every job on track.
View All FeaturesStart with the job you need the software to do. Compare six options for quoting projects, running service visits, managing construction, and keeping the books.
Written by the Dave team. We sell one of these products. Product sources checked November 1, 2026. These are fit recommendations based on published features, not hands-on ratings.
For a small crew quoting projects, start with Dave or Joist. Compare Jobber for service visits, Buildertrend or JobTread for deeper construction management, and QuickBooks for accounting. These tools overlap, so test your own job before choosing.
| Software | Start here if you need | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Dave | Owner-operators and small crews running quoted projects | Best suited to project work. Use accounting software for your books and a specialist tool if you need plan takeoff or route optimization. |
| Joist | Contractors starting with estimates and invoices | Compare the plan you would actually use: Basics limits document volume; job organization and scheduling require Run. |
| Jobber | Service businesses coordinating visits and repeat customers | Price for your team size, billing commitment, and required automations. Promotions and feature availability vary by plan. |
| Buildertrend | Builders and remodelers managing complex, multi-phase projects | Request a quote and test your actual project process. Its public pricing is customized to the business. |
| JobTread | Contractors who need detailed estimating and job costing | Try one job from budget through actual costs. Check which team members need paid access and how accounting will connect. |
| QuickBooks Online | Businesses whose main need is bookkeeping and financial reporting | Check the plan for the accounting reports you need. Separately test how you will manage field notes, crew visits, and scope changes. |
Only sending occasional quotes? A free estimate template may be enough. Move to software when approvals, follow-ups, and retyping start costing you time.
Pick the example closest to your work. Ask each vendor to show the entire job in the plan you would buy, using your own rates and team size.
| Your work | Start with | Test before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Two-person fence crew | Dave or Joist | Quote 120 ft with a gate option, record the customer's choice, request a deposit, and invoice the balance. Check scheduling on the selected plan. |
| Electrician running several daily visits | Jobber | Assign visits, reschedule one call, notify the customer, and collect payment. If you mostly quote installations, compare Dave's project workflow too. |
| Remodeler coordinating subcontractors | Buildertrend or JobTread | Build a phased budget, request a supplier or sub price, track a selection change, and compare actual costs with the estimate. |
Compare the full monthly cost: subscription + required seats + add-ons + payment fees at your expected volume. Check onboarding, data exports, and the price after any promotion. Keep QuickBooks in the comparison when bookkeeping is the main problem.
AI estimate drafts, client options, progress invoices, scheduling, and a project logbook.
Best suited to project work. Use accounting software for your books and a specialist tool if you need plan takeoff or route optimization.
Source: Dave product reference.
See Dave pricingMobile quotes, invoices, and payments. The Run plan adds job organization and scheduled visits.
Compare the plan you would actually use: Basics limits document volume; job organization and scheduling require Run.
Source: Joist plans and features.
Compare Dave and JoistQuotes, scheduling, invoicing, customer communication, and field-service tools. It also supports quoted installation work.
Price for your team size, billing commitment, and required automations. Promotions and feature availability vary by plan.
Source: Jobber plans and features.
Compare Dave and JobberConstruction schedules, selections, change orders, budgets, and client and subcontractor coordination.
Request a quote and test your actual project process. Its public pricing is customized to the business.
Source: Buildertrend pricing and scope.
Compare Dave and BuildertrendConstruction estimates, budgets, purchasing, customer documents, and project management.
Try one job from budget through actual costs. Check which team members need paid access and how accounting will connect.
Source: JobTread product features.
Compare Dave and JobTreadAccounting, expenses, invoicing, and reports. It can sit alongside a contractor app for day-to-day project work.
Check the plan for the accounting reports you need. Separately test how you will manage field notes, crew visits, and scope changes.
Source: QuickBooks accounting features.
See Dave's QuickBooks connectionUse a recently finished job with known quantities and costs. A polished demo won't show whether the software fits your day.
Compare the subscription with the admin time you actually save. For example, a $100 monthly subscription needs to save four hours valued at $25 each to cover that cost alone. That's an illustration, not a promised return. Track the time during the trial.
If the contractor app doesn't include a general ledger, keep your bookkeeping system. Dave connects with QuickBooks Online for clients, invoices, payments, and pricebook items. Confirm the sync direction and exceptions in the integration guide.
Build a draft, review the customer view, and turn approved work into an invoice. The trial lasts 14 days, and nothing is charged until it ends.
