--- {"title": "ESChat vs Relay in 2026: Crane Crew Tools Compared", "description": "Crane crews weighing ESChat against Relay start with published prices and setup, then match each tool's cited claims to the crew's needs.", "url": "https://2dig.com/eschat-vs-relay/", "date": "2026-10-14"} --- Crane crews weighing ESChat against Relay start with published prices and setup, then match each tool's cited claims to the crew's needs. 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] - [Visit OperatorLink](/go/start) ## Sources [^1]: ESChat, eschat.com, read 2026-10-10 (https://www.eschat.com) [^2]: Relay, relaypro.com, read 2026-10-10 (https://relaypro.com) [^3]: ESChat, eschat.com/pricing, read 2026-10-10 (https://www.eschat.com/pricing) [^4]: OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)