Pencilslip pricing: free version or founding member at $29
Pencilslip, an estimates and invoices app for solo tradespeople, has two options. Free: no cap on the number of estimates or invoices on this device. Founding member: $29, paid once, for your first year, which starts when early access opens by December 15, 2026. Nothing renews automatically; another year bought without a gap is $29. The planned regular price is $49 a year and may change before launch; the founding price doesn't.
Last updated: October 22, 2026.
Free version vs founding member
| Free version | Founding member | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 today | $29 USD, one-time payment, for your first year |
| Estimates and invoices | Free: no cap on the number of estimates or invoices on this device. | No limit on the number of estimates or invoices, with job photos included |
| What it does | Estimates, invoices, job photos, your own payment link, and a PDF you can send. No account needed. | Everything listed under what early access will include |
| Where your data is saved | Only on the device you use. No cloud backup or sync. Download a backup file from Settings. | Where your data is saved will be confirmed before early access opens. Free export anytime, and 12 months of read-only access if you don't renew. |
| When it starts | Works today in your phone's browser | Your year starts the day early access opens, by December 15, 2026 |
| Renewal | No payment or renewal | Not a subscription; nothing renews automatically. Another year bought without a gap: $29 |
| Regular price | Not applicable | Planned at $49 a year (may change before launch; your founding price doesn't) |
| Refunds | Not applicable | Full refund for any reason before your year starts and within 30 days after; automatic full refund if early access isn't open by December 15, 2026 and you haven't agreed to a new date |
| Use the free version | Pre-order for $29 |
One-time payment of $29. Nothing renews automatically. Full refund for any reason before your year starts and within 30 days after it starts. Details are in the pre-order terms. Want to see how it stacks up? Compare with other apps.
The free version
What it does today
The free version already works in your phone's browser: estimates, invoices, job photos, your own payment link, and a PDF you can send. No account needed. Free: no cap on the number of estimates or invoices on this device.
Where your data is saved
Your records are saved only on the device you use. There's no account, cloud backup, or sync in the free version. You can download all your records as a backup file from Settings at any time. The backup file loads back into the app; it isn't a document you'd open on its own, so also keep PDFs of invoices you've sent. Settings can also export your line items as a CSV spreadsheet.
Back up often. Clearing your browser data, losing or replacing your phone, or not opening Pencilslip in Safari for about 7 days of using Safari can erase records saved on the device. On iPhone and iPad, adding Pencilslip to your Home Screen makes that much less likely, but it can still happen if your phone runs low on storage. The Home Screen app may not show records you saved in Safari, so download a backup in Safari first (Settings, Download backup), then use Import backup in the Home Screen app. Records saved in a Private Browsing tab are deleted when you close the tab. Email your backup to yourself or save it to your own cloud storage now and then.
Founding member: $29 for your first year
Pencilslip is still being built. Founding members pay $29 now for their first full year. The full app isn't out yet. Here's what early access will include.
What early access will include (by December 15, 2026)
- No limit on the number of estimates or invoices, with job photos included
- Your own payment link on every invoice, from a payment processor you choose or a Venmo or Cash App business profile; we never hold your money
- Winter pause keeps your account and data untouched while you're not using it; it doesn't extend your paid year. Free export anytime, and 12 months of read-only access if you don't renew
- Joist import for customers and price list (from Joist's own CSV exports; full history, line items, and photos don't transfer). See the Joist export guide.
Features may change during development; if a change makes Pencilslip less useful to you, you can ask for a refund under the pre-order terms.
When your year starts
Your year starts the day early access opens, which will be by December 15, 2026. The founding price is available until early access opens.
Renewing: the founding price
This is not a subscription and nothing renews automatically. When your year ends, you choose whether to continue. If you choose to buy another year when yours ends, you pay $29 for it instead of the regular price (planned at $49 a year), every year you renew without a gap; this founding price isn't affected by any change to the regular price.
The planned regular price
The planned regular price is $49 a year, one plan. It may change before launch. The founding pre-order price doesn't.
Refunds
You can get a full refund for any reason anytime before your year starts, and within 30 days after it starts. If we expect to miss the December 15, 2026 date, we'll email you before it with the new expected date and your choice to cancel for a full refund. If early access isn't open by December 15, 2026 and you haven't agreed to a new date, we refund you in full automatically. Refunds go to your original payment method within 7 business days of your request. To ask, email hello@pencilslip.com from the address you used at checkout. The pre-order terms have the full details.
How payments work
The $29 pre-order payment is handled by Stripe; we never see your full card number. On your own invoices, Pencilslip puts your own payment link and never handles your customers' money. More in the privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Pencilslip cost?
There's a free version, and a founding pre-order of $29, paid once, for your first year. The planned regular price is $49 a year; it may change before launch, but the founding price doesn't.
Is Pencilslip free?
There's a free version that works today. Free: no cap on the number of estimates or invoices on this device. It works in your phone's browser with no account, and it saves only on the device you use.
Does the $29 founding pre-order renew automatically?
No. It's not a subscription and nothing renews automatically. When your year ends, you choose whether to continue, and another year bought without a gap is $29.
When does my founding year start?
The day early access opens, which will be by December 15, 2026.
What if early access doesn't open by December 15, 2026?
If early access isn't open by then and you haven't agreed to a new date, you get a full refund automatically.
Can I get a refund for another reason?
Yes. You can get a full refund for any reason anytime before your year starts, and within 30 days after it starts. See the pre-order terms for details.
Does the free version back up or sync my data?
No. It saves only on the device you use. Download a backup from Settings regularly and keep it in your email or your own cloud storage.
Questions before you buy?
Pencilslip is a small independent business in Orange Park, Florida. Email hello@pencilslip.com or call or text (904) 590-7971 (an automated assistant takes the message). More on the contact page.
Not ready for an app? Try the free estimate template or free invoice template, or read template or app?