Leaving Joist? Export your records first, then cancel
Full disclosure: We make Pencilslip, a planned Joist alternative; this guide is written by us. Pencilslip is in development and not available yet. The steps below work whatever app you move to, or if you go back to paper.
The order matters: save your records while your plan is still active, then cancel in the same place you subscribed. Every step about Joist below comes from Joist's own help center, and the app store steps come from Apple's and Google's help pages (all checked October 19, 2026). Menus change, so if something looks different, check Joist's help center.
Why export before you cancel
Joist's help center says that after you cancel, you keep access to your plan until it expires. For Joist Basics, it says that at the end of your term "you will lose access to the Joist App and will need to resubscribe to a plan." And on where your data is stored, it says: "You will have full access to your data as long as you are a current paid subscriber. If you do not have a current paid subscription your data may be deleted."
Joist doesn't say whether exports still work once a plan has expired, so don't count on it. Do steps 1 to 3 first.
Step 1. Export your clients and items
Sign in to the Joist web app on a computer (pro.joistapp.com). Open Clients, click the three vertical dots at the top right of the list, and choose Export. Do the same in Items. Each one downloads a CSV file you can open in a spreadsheet app.
Step 2. Export your invoices and estimates
In the web app, open Invoices, click the grey Export button at the top right, and pick a month. Joist exports one month per file, so repeat for every month you want to keep. Then do the same in Estimates.
These files hold the basics only: number, client name, subtotal, tax, total, date issued, date created, and payment received less refunds. Joist's help center says the export "does not include line item information currently." Our Joist export guide has the full details of what each export includes.
Step 3. Keep full copies of the invoices you still need
For anything you'll need in full later (unpaid invoices, warranty jobs, this year's tax records), open the document and print it. On the web app, click More at the top of the document, then Print. On iPhone, tap Print at the top of the screen. On Android, tap the green circle button at the bottom right and choose Print. If your device's print screen offers "Save as PDF", use that to keep a file instead of paper.
Photos aren't in Joist's CSV exports either, so keep a copy of any job photos you still need.
Step 4. Find out where you subscribed
Joist's help center says to cancel on the platform where you bought your plan, and to "use the same device that you originally used to purchase your plan." There are three places it could be:
- Apple App Store, if you subscribed in the Joist app on an iPhone or iPad.
- Google Play, if you subscribed in the Joist app on an Android phone or tablet.
- Joist's website, if you subscribed on a computer.
Not sure which? Apple suggests searching your email for "receipt from Apple" or "invoice from Apple", and checking your bank or card statement to see which company bills you. If you can't get to the device or store account you subscribed with, Joist's help center says to contact Joist support at hello@joist.com or through the messenger in the app.
Step 5. Cancel in that same place
If you subscribed through Apple
Joist's help center says Apple manages App Store subscriptions and the cancellation. Per Apple's help page, on iPhone or iPad: open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, tap the subscription, then tap Cancel Subscription. Apple says that if there's no Cancel button or you see an expiration message in red text, the subscription is already cancelled.
If you subscribed through Google Play
Per Google Play's help page, on your Android device: go to subscriptions in Google Play, select the subscription, tap Cancel subscription, and follow the instructions. Make sure you're signed in to the Google account that has the subscription. Google also notes: "When you uninstall the app, your subscription won't cancel."
If you subscribed on Joist's website
Sign in on a computer at pro.joistapp.com and open the Joist Pro section, where Joist's help center says you'll find the cancel option. (Joist's articles describe the path two ways: the Joist Pro tab in the left-hand column, or Settings > Joist Pro, near the bottom of the page.)
Step 6. Check when your plan ends
Cancelling doesn't end your plan right away. Joist's help center says you keep access to your plan until it expires, and Google says Play subscribers can keep using a cancelled subscription for the time they've already paid. Note the date your current period ends and finish any exports before then. On Google Play, Google says your renewal date shows in Subscriptions or on your email receipt.
About refunds: Joist's help center says that under its Terms, subscription fees are non-refundable. If you bought through the App Store or Google Play, it says refunds and cancellations can only be processed by Apple or Google. If you bought on Joist's website and think you qualify, it says to email hello@joist.com with your account email and a copy of your Joist receipt.
Quick checklist
| Before you cancel | Done? |
|---|---|
| Clients CSV exported | ☐ |
| Items CSV exported | ☐ |
| Invoices CSV exported, one file per month | ☐ |
| Estimates CSV exported, one file per month | ☐ |
| Printed or PDF copies of invoices you still need | ☐ |
| Job photos saved separately | ☐ |
| Cancelled in the same store or site you subscribed through | ☐ |
| End date of your current period noted | ☐ |
This guide isn't legal, tax, or financial advice. If you're unsure how long to keep business records, ask your accountant.
What Pencilslip's preview can import today
Our early app preview (Settings → Import from Joist) can read Joist's Clients CSV, Items CSV, and the invoice and estimate CSVs. The invoice and estimate files carry totals only, so each imported document gets a single "imported total" line. Line items and photos aren't in Joist's CSVs, so they can't come across. The preview is an early test version, not the finished app, and everything you import stays only on your device.
Need to send something while you switch? Use the free estimate template or free invoice template. Still comparing apps? See Joist alternatives, with prices.
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