2Dig Plain comparisons of crane signalling and jobsite communication tools

Clear-Com vs Crewplex Comparison in 2026

Compare Clear-Com and Crewplex for crane crews: features, pricing, setup steps, and guidance on choosing the right communication tool.

By 2Dig ·

2Dig is published by the makers of OperatorLink, which is compared here alongside other tools.

OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the crew and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a phone browser [1]. Clear-Com offers wired and wireless intercom systems for real-time professional communication [2]. CrewPlex provides full-duplex, hands-free communications that can be integrated with mobile two‑way communications [3].

OptionOwn feeCard fee
Clear-Comnot publishednot published
Crewplexnot published; products backed by a two-year warranty [3]not published
OperatorLinkFree to use; no paid plan is built yet [1]not published

The short answer

A crane crew member needs a way to send stop, hold or slow signals to everyone on the lift site. OperatorLink delivers those signals in a phone browser and also passes chat and voice [1]. Clear-Com’s hardware intercoms give real‑time professional communication over wired or wireless links [2]. CrewPlex’s system gives hands‑free, full‑duplex talk that can work with two‑way radios [3]. The sources say OperatorLink meets the need for digital stop/hold/slow signals, Clear-Com meets the need for wired or wireless intercom, and CrewPlex meets the need for hands‑free talk integrated with radios [1] [2] [3].

What Clear-Com, Crewplex is built for

Clear-Com provides wired and wireless intercom systems for real‑time professional communication [2]. Its range includes compact partyline systems and large‑scale networked platforms [2]. The company serves broadcast production markets such as theatres, cruise ships and festivals [2]. It also serves military, aerospace and government customers for command and control, training and simulation [2]. Industrial and critical communications customers include marine, offshore, medical, power, utilities, oil and gas, public safety, transportation and retail [2]. CrewPlex provides full‑duplex, hands‑free communications that can be integrated with mobile two‑way communications [3]. Its products can scale from small crews to large crews and offer optional integration with two‑way radios for multi‑site communication [3].

What OperatorLink is built for

OperatorLink is made by the team that publishes this site. For a crane crew member, it shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew, and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a browser [1]. A STOP releases every held direction on every phone and shows a full‑screen alert to everyone else [1]. HOLD and SLOW stay on for everyone in the jobsite and are cleared when the last person leaves [1]. Holding a move button keeps sending that move to the other phones; if it stops arriving for 2 seconds, the other phones drop it [1]. One‑tap radio‑style calls such as Go Ahead, Copy That and All Clear are sent as chat [1]. Anyone who joins can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser [1].

Pricing and fees

Clear-Com’s cited pages do not publish prices for any of its intercom systems. CrewPlex’s cited pages do not publish prices for its small or large systems. OperatorLink is currently free to use and no paid plan is built yet [1]. The card fee is not published for any of the three options.

Setting it up on a jobsite

OperatorLink runs in a phone browser with no app install [1]. The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code and the crew joins from it [1]. Phones can add the app to the home screen as a standalone app [1]. A jobsite link stops working 12 hours after the first person joins [1] and a jobsite with no participants is wiped after 3 idle hours [1]. Button presses, chat and voice pass between phones in the browser [1]. Clear-Com’s hardware products such as the Arcadia Central Station, DX Series Wireless, FreeSpeak Wireless and HelixNet Digital Partyline are described in the source material but the sources do not detail jobsite setup steps [4] [4] [4] [4]. CrewPlex’s systems can be scaled and can integrate with two‑way radios, but the sources do not describe how a crew is added or a jobsite is started [3].

Things to check before you choose

Does the crew need wired or wireless hardware intercom coverage, or can it work with phone‑based digital signals? How many crew members must communicate at once? CrewPlex describes a large system meant for large crews; check the crew sizes it covers with CrewPlex [3]. Which phones are used and does Android buzz alert matter? On Android browsers a STOP makes the phone buzz, while iPhone Safari does not [1]. Does a jobsite link that expires after 12 hours fit the shift schedule? Which signal types (STOP, HOLD, SLOW) are required on the lift?

How to choose

If the crew needs a digital STOP that reaches every phone, OperatorLink’s sources describe that capability [1]. If HOLD and SLOW signals that stay on for the whole crew are needed, OperatorLink also provides that [1]. For hands‑free talk using dedicated hardware, CrewPlex offers full‑duplex communication that can integrate with two‑way radios [3] [3]. For a wide range of professional intercom needs across broadcast, military, industrial and critical markets, Clear-Com supplies wired and wireless systems [2] [2] [2]. If a free start with no paid plan is required, OperatorLink is currently free [1]. Matching the crew’s size, phone platform, and signal requirements to these source‑based capabilities will guide the choice.

Frequently asked questions

Is OperatorLink free to use?

OperatorLink is currently free to use and no paid plan is built yet [1]. The card fee is not published for any option.

Does Clear-Com serve industrial markets?

Clear-Com serves the industrial and critical communications market, covering marine, offshore, medical, power, utilities, oil and gas, public safety, transportation and retail [2].

How many users can a CrewPlex large system support?

CrewPlex describes a large system meant for large crews [3]. The page does not state a crew size here, so check the numbers with CrewPlex before a shift.

Does OperatorLink work on iPhone?

OperatorLink runs in a phone browser with no app install [1]. On iPhone Safari the buzz alert does not fire, so crews should verify the on‑screen alert meets their needs [1].

Can CrewPlex integrate with two‑way radios?

CrewPlex offers optional integration with two‑way radios for multi‑site communication [3].

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet. [1]

Try OperatorLink

Sources

  1. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  2. Clear-Com, clearcom.com, read 2026-10-09
  3. Crewplex, crewplex.com/applications/cranes, read 2026-10-08
  4. Clear-Com, clearcom.com/products/wireless, read 2026-10-09

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