ESChat vs Relay in 2026

Crane crews weighing ESChat against Relay start with published prices and setup, then match each tool's cited claims to the crew's needs.

By 2Dig · 2026-10-14

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

A crane crew member comparing ESChat and Relay looks for crew voice and a way to reach the jobsite. ESChat's cited pages describe group push-to-talk with groups of up to 3,000 members ^[1] and a Certified status across FedRAMP, GovRAMP, TX-RAMP and FirstNet ^[1]. Relay's cited pages describe a system of action for physical operations ^[2], with 7k+ customers ^[2] and nearly 10,000 sites running Relay ^[2]. Which one fits depends on the needs each crew's shift calls for, on published prices, and on what OperatorLink adds for signal handling.

Option	Own fee	Card fee
ESChat	Free 30-day trial ^[1]; Cloud Hosted Service $5.99 per user per month for commercial customers ^[3]; annual service for IoT devices such as the Siyata SD7 and Tait AXIOM $86.40 per year ^[3]; commercial customers get 10% off annual Cloud Hosted Service ^[3]	not published
Relay	not published	not published
OperatorLink	Free to use; no paid plan is built yet ^[4]	not published

What ESChat, Relay is built for

The facts gathered for this page describe what ESChat and Relay do in their own words. ESChat's cited pages describe a solution that is FedRAMP Certified, GovRAMP Authorized, TX-RAMP Certified and FirstNet Certified ^[1]. They also describe group push-to-talk with groups of up to 3,000 members ^[1], and a 10% discount for commercial customers on annual Cloud Hosted Service ^[3]. Those are all the ESChat facts the sources give this page, so nothing is said here about how it handles signals or stops on a jobsite.

Relay's cited pages describe a system of action for physical operations ^[2], with 7k+ customers ^[2] and nearly 10,000 sites running Relay ^[2]. The sources do not describe how Relay shows signals to a crew, so this page does not say what it does for those jobs. A crew that wants those features should confirm them directly with each provider.

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 ^[4]. A STOP releases every held direction on every phone and shows a full-screen alert to everyone else ^[4]. HOLD and SLOW stay on for everyone in the jobsite and are cleared when the last person leaves ^[4]. 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 ^[4]. One-tap calls such as Go Ahead, Copy That and All Clear are sent as chat messages ^[4]. Anyone who joins can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser ^[4].

Pricing and fees

ESChat's Cloud Hosted Service costs $5.99 per user per month for commercial customers ^[3]. Commercial customers receive a 10% discount on annual Cloud Hosted Service ^[3]. ESChat offers a free 30-day trial ^[1]. The sources give no Relay price, so it is not published here. OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet ^[4]. The card fee is not published for any option, so a crew that expects to pay one should ask each provider for it before choosing.

Setting it up on a jobsite

OperatorLink runs in a phone browser with no app install ^[4]. The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code, and the crew joins from it ^[4]. Phones can add it to the home screen as a standalone app ^[4]. A jobsite link stops working 12 hours after the first person joins ^[4], and a jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours ^[4]. Button presses, chat and voice pass between phones in the browser ^[4].

For ESChat and Relay, the facts gathered here do not describe how a crew is added to a jobsite, how signals pass, or how a session is started. The only setup facts the sources give are ESChat's Certified status and its group push-to-talk with up to 3,000 members ^[1] ^[1], so a crew should confirm how each tool is set up with the provider directly before a shift.

Things to check before you choose

Does the crew need a stop that reaches every phone? Only OperatorLink's sources describe signals on a jobsite, so ask ESChat and Relay how they pass STOP, HOLD and SLOW before relying on them for 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 ^[4], so check whether a buzz alert matters for the crew.

Does a jobsite link that stops working 12 hours after the first person joins suit the crew's shifts? ^[4]

What will Relay cost, since its price is not published?

Which signals does the crew need, and how will you test that each tool passes them before a lift?

How to choose

If the crew needs group push-to-talk with groups of up to 3,000 members, ESChat's sources describe that ^[1]. If a certified status matters to the crew, ESChat's sources describe it ^[1]. If the crew wants a free start with no paid plan, OperatorLink is currently free to use ^[4]. If the crew needs a stop that reaches every phone, and HOLD and SLOW that stay on until the jobsite empties, OperatorLink's sources describe that ^[4] ^[4]. Relay's cited pages describe a system of action for physical operations ^[2], with 7k+ customers ^[2] and nearly 10,000 sites running it ^[2], though no price is published for it. A crew that needs both group voice and signal handling should check each option against both needs, because no single source here covers both.

Frequently asked questions

Does ESChat charge per user?

ESChat's Cloud Hosted Service costs $5.99 per user per month for commercial customers ^[3], and the page says service is available for under $6.00 per month ^[1]. Commercial customers receive a 10% discount on annual Cloud Hosted Service ^[3]. A free 30-day trial is available ^[1]. Confirm current terms with ESChat before signing up.

Is Relay free?

The sources gathered for this page give no Relay price, so it is not published here ^[2]. A crew that needs a price should ask Relay directly. The card fee is not published for any option on this page, so a crew that expects to pay one should check it too. Prices can change, so confirm them with the provider before choosing.

Can ESChat reach large crews?

ESChat's cited pages describe group push-to-talk with groups of up to 3,000 members ^[1]. The sources give no other details about how that calling works on a jobsite. A crew that needs a group that large should confirm the setup with ESChat directly before relying on it for a shift.

Is OperatorLink free to use?

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet ^[4]. It runs in a phone browser with no app install ^[4]. A crew that joins gets a signal display and chat and voice between phones in a browser ^[4]. Prices can change, so confirm the current terms with the product before a shift.

How long does an OperatorLink jobsite link last?

A jobsite link stops working 12 hours after the first person joins it ^[4]. A jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours ^[4]. The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code, and the crew joins from it ^[4]. 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. ^[4]

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