Beam vs. Joist
At Beam, we believe that construction management software should be affordable and streamline your business, rather than slow it down. That's why we designed our software in close partnership with contractors, solving the problems they faced and ensuring it worked well for their teams.
Unfortunately, we've heard from many contractors that other construction software is often too complex and too inflexible, leaving the team overwhelmed and dissatisfied. From project management to financial tracking, our platform is robust yet simple to use, allowing you to focus on what you do best – building and remodeling.
Unfortunately, we've heard from many contractors that other construction software is often too complex and too inflexible, leaving the team overwhelmed and dissatisfied. From project management to financial tracking, our platform is robust yet simple to use, allowing you to focus on what you do best – building and remodeling.
Why builders prefer Beam over Joist
Joist is a simple product for estimating and invoicing, but does not handle job costing and has high payment fees. Below, we highlight some gaps in functionality and affordability. *
Key features
Joist
Manage income and expenses in a single platform
Track profitability by putting income and expenses in one place
No support for subcontractor bills or expenses
Collaborate with your team and manage approvals
You can set up bill and invoice approval workflows with your teammates
Client project portal with estimate, invoices, and change orders
Each document is on a separate page
A free plan with no project or invoicing limitations
Our core plan is $0/mo
Free plan is limited to 5 documents per month
Fast & affordable client payments
1-2 business days, $5 flat ACH
Up to 5-7 business days, 3.49% for ACH
Fast & free subcontractor payments
1-2 business days, no fees
No bill payment available
Supports progress invoicing
Only supports payment schedules and cost-plus
Collaborate with your subcontractors
Subcontractors can invoice, propose change orders, and more
A charge card² with receipt capture and 1% cash back
Your teammates can scan receipts and categorize expenses from their phones.
A high-yield bank account for your operating balance
We give you a vast majority of the yield we earn from our partner bank
Financial management, end-to-end
Many products offer simple solutions to a specific financial workflow, like invoicing or estimating. However, as your business grows, using a handful of different tools for your financials can become a headache for your office manager, bookkeeper, and accountant. That's why many businesses choose a platform that can handle most aspects of financial management for the business.
Beam focuses on financials and client communication, offering an end-to-end platform for estimating, invoicing, budgeting, accounts payable, receipt capture, and more. By choosing a fully-featured financial platform, you can consolidate 4-5 different tools that don't integrate and simplify the management of your business.
Beam focuses on financials and client communication, offering an end-to-end platform for estimating, invoicing, budgeting, accounts payable, receipt capture, and more. By choosing a fully-featured financial platform, you can consolidate 4-5 different tools that don't integrate and simplify the management of your business.
The most powerful free plan in the industry
Many construction management software platforms offer short trial periods and then hit builders with unexpectedly large monthly fees. This can be frustrating and costly for businesses trialing software for a single project or part of their process.
Beam, on the other hand, offers the most powerful free plan in the industry. This plan includes essential features:
Beam, on the other hand, offers the most powerful free plan in the industry. This plan includes essential features:
Estimating
Unlimited projects
Invoicing and online payment
CRM
Online bill payment
Client portal
Expense tracking & receipt capture
Subcontractor management
Change order management
Accounting integration
The best payment experience for your clients and subcontractors
Beam is more than construction accounting software. It excels at client billing and subcontractor payments to keep your construction business running smoothly. With Beam, you can streamline your billing process and collect payments faster, which is critical for maintaining a healthy cash flow.
By using Beam, you can establish clearer billing procedures, which can lead to faster payments from your clients and to your subcontractors. With faster payments, you can easily manage your cash flow, pay your own suppliers and subcontractors on time, and reinvest in your business to fuel its growth. Ultimately, this will help you establish a positive reputation in the industry and attract more clients and subcontractors, leading to the growth and success of your construction business.
By using Beam, you can establish clearer billing procedures, which can lead to faster payments from your clients and to your subcontractors. With faster payments, you can easily manage your cash flow, pay your own suppliers and subcontractors on time, and reinvest in your business to fuel its growth. Ultimately, this will help you establish a positive reputation in the industry and attract more clients and subcontractors, leading to the growth and success of your construction business.
* The pricing, features, and plan descriptions are based on the information publicly provided by the vendor on its website at the time of this publication.
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