---
{"title": "ESChat vs Orion in 2026: Crane Crew Tools Compared", "description": "Compare ESChat, Orion and OperatorLink for a crane crew: what each does, prices, jobsite setup, and how to choose.", "url": "https://2dig.com/eschat-vs-orion/", "date": "2026-10-13"}
---
Compare ESChat, Orion and OperatorLink for a crane crew: what each does, prices, jobsite setup, and how to choose.

A crane crew needs signals that reach the whole crew while the crane moves. OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a browser [^1]. ESChat's cited pages give an annual price for IoT devices and monthly and annual add-on fees, but the cited ESChat facts say nothing about jobsite signals [^2] [^2] [^2]. No facts for Orion were gathered, so this page says nothing about what Orion does.

| Option | Own fee | Card fee |
|---|---|---|
| ESChat | Cloud Hosted ESChat Service $5.99 per user per month for commercial customers [^2]; service available for under $6.00 per month [^3]; annual service for IoT devices such as the Siyata SD7 and Tait AXIOM $86.40 per year [^2] | not published |
| Orion | not published | not published |
| OperatorLink | Free to use; no paid plan is built yet [^1] | not published |

## The short answer

A crane crew member needs to get signals to the whole crew and stay in touch while the crane moves. OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew, and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a phone browser [^1]. ESChat's pages, as cited on this page, give an annual price for IoT devices, a monthly add-on for mapping and interoperability, and an annual fee for RoIP connections, but no facts gathered here describe how ESChat passes signals on a jobsite [^2] [^2] [^2]. No facts for Orion were gathered for this page, so nothing is said here about what Orion does, and a crew with a signal need should check Orion directly. Which one fits depends on needs that the sources here do not cover for either rival.

## What ESChat, Orion is built for

The facts gathered for this page describe three things about ESChat, all taken from its own pages. ESChat's annual service for IoT devices, including the Siyata SD7 and the Tait AXIOM, costs $86.40 per year [^2]. LMR Interoperability and Historical Tracking & Mapping are available for an additional monthly fee of $2.00 per user per month [^2]. The RoIP Service has an annual fee of $125 per RoIP or SDK Gateway Connection [^2]. Those facts do not describe how ESChat handles signals, stops or voice on a jobsite, so this page does not say what it does for those jobs. No facts for Orion were gathered for this page, so nothing is said about what Orion does. A crew that wants to know what Orion is built for should check it directly.

## 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 phone 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, and 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 messages [^1]. Anyone who joins can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser [^1].

## Pricing and fees

ESChat's annual service for IoT devices, including the Siyata SD7 and the Tait AXIOM, costs $86.40 per year [^2]. LMR Interoperability and Historical Tracking & Mapping are available for an additional monthly fee of $2.00 per user per month [^2]. The RoIP Service has an annual fee of $125 per RoIP or SDK Gateway Connection [^2]. No facts for Orion were gathered for this page, so its prices are not published here. OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet [^1]. The card fee is not published for any option. A crew that expects to be charged a card fee should ask each provider for it before choosing.

## 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 their home screen as a standalone app [^1]. A jobsite link stops working 12 hours after the first person joins [^1], and a jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours [^1]. Button presses, chat and voice pass between phones in the browser [^1]. The facts gathered here say nothing about how ESChat or Orion gets a crew on the tool or passes signals on a jobsite, so a crew should confirm those details with each provider directly before a shift.

## Things to check before you choose

Does the crew need STOP, HOLD and SLOW shown to everyone on the jobsite, and how would you test that each tool passes them before a lift? Which phones does the crew use? On Android browsers a signal such as STOP makes the phone buzz, but iPhone Safari ignores the buzz, so check whether a buzz alert matters for your crew [^1]. What does ESChat cost for the crew's own setup, and which service and add-ons would it need [^2] [^2] [^2]? What does Orion cost, and how does the crew get onto it? Does a jobsite link that stops working 12 hours after the first person joins suit your shifts [^1]?

## How to choose

If the crew needs a stop that reaches every phone, OperatorLink's sources describe a STOP that releases every held direction and shows a full-screen alert to everyone else [^1]. If the crew needs HOLD and SLOW to stay on for everyone until the jobsite empties, OperatorLink's sources describe that as well [^1]. If the crew needs a tool at no cost, OperatorLink is currently free to use [^1]. If the crew uses IoT devices such as the Siyata SD7 or Tait AXIOM, ESChat's page gives $86.40 per year for annual service [^2]. If the crew needs mapping or interoperability add-ons, ESChat's page gives a fee of $2.00 per user per month [^2]. No source here says what Orion does, so a crew that wants to compare Orion against its needs should check Orion directly.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is OperatorLink free to use?

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet [^1]. The sources cited on this page give no price beyond that. The card fee is not published for any option, so a crew that expects to pay one should check before choosing. Prices can change, so confirm the current terms with the product before a shift.

### What does ESChat's annual IoT service cost?

ESChat's annual service for IoT devices, including the Siyata SD7 and the Tait AXIOM, costs $86.40 per year [^2]. Separately, LMR Interoperability and Historical Tracking & Mapping are available for an additional monthly fee of $2.00 per user per month [^2]. Confirm with ESChat which service and add-ons a crew would need before choosing.

### Does OperatorLink work on iPhone?

OperatorLink runs in a phone browser with no app install [^1]. A phone can add it to its home screen as a standalone app [^1]. On Android browsers, signals such as STOP make the phone buzz, but iPhone Safari ignores the buzz [^1]. A crew with iPhones should check whether the on-screen alert is enough for its needs.

### What facts are gathered for Orion on this page?

No facts for Orion were gathered for this page, so nothing is said here about what Orion does, what it costs, or how a crew gets onto it. The table shows its own fee and card fee as not published. A crane crew member who wants to compare Orion should check its pages directly for what it does, its prices, and how the crew joins it on a jobsite.

### How long does an OperatorLink jobsite link last?

A jobsite link stops working 12 hours after the first person joins it [^1]. A jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours [^1]. The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code, and the crew joins from it [^1]. A crew whose shift runs past 12 hours should start a new jobsite with a fresh link.

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet. [^1] - [Visit OperatorLink](/go/start)

## Sources

[^1]: OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)
[^2]: ESChat, eschat.com/pricing, read 2026-10-10 (https://www.eschat.com/pricing)
[^3]: ESChat, eschat.com, read 2026-10-10 (https://www.eschat.com)