2Dig Plain comparisons of crane signalling and jobsite communication tools

ESChat vs TASSTA in 2026

Compare ESChat and TASSTA for a crane crew: what each does, its published prices, setup on a jobsite, and how to choose.

By 2Dig ยท

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

ESChat's own pages describe a push-to-talk service for smartphone and IoT devices [1], with live location tracking and mapping and secure group multimedia messaging [2] [2]. TASSTA's own page describes instant, secure, real-time coordination as its core capabilities, working over any network and location, offered on premise or in the cloud [3] [3] [3]. OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a browser [4]. The page compares the three for a crane crew, with prices and jobsite setup.

OptionOwn feeCard fee
ESChatFrom under $6.00 per month [1]; $5.99 per user per month for commercial customers [2]not published
TASSTAnot publishednot published
OperatorLinkFree to use; no paid plan is built yet [4]not published

The short answer

ESChat's own pages describe a push-to-talk service for smartphone and IoT devices [1], with live location tracking and mapping and secure group multimedia messaging [2] [2], and that service is available for under $6.00 per month [1]. TASSTA's own page describes instant, secure, real-time coordination, over any network and location, on one platform offered on premise or in the cloud [3] [3] [3]. OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a browser [4]. Which one suits a crew depends on whether it needs signal handling or location and group messaging.

What ESChat, TASSTA is built for

The facts gathered for this page describe both tools from their own pages. ESChat's page describes a push-to-talk service for smartphone and IoT devices [1]. ESChat's page describes live location tracking and mapping [2]. ESChat's page describes secure group multimedia messaging [2], and ESChat says its service is available for under $6.00 per month [1]. TASSTA's page describes one unified platform offered on premise or in the cloud [3], and names instant, secure, real-time coordination as its core capabilities [3]. Its page says real-time communication works over any network and location [3]. The cited TASSTA pages say nothing about a task manager, GPS or map tools, so a crew that needs those should check with TASSTA directly. TASSTA says its applications run on AWS, MS Azure, Alibaba Cloud and Google Cloud [3]. Neither cited page describes STOP, HOLD or SLOW signals on a jobsite, so this page does not say what either tool does for those jobs. A crew that needs those signals should check each tool 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 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 the move stops arriving for 2 seconds, the other phones drop it [4]. One-tap radio-style 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 page says its service is available for under $6.00 per month [1]. The facts gathered for this page give no more of ESChat's price scale, so the rest of its pricing is not published here. The facts gathered for this page give no price for TASSTA, so its price 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 of the three options. A crew that expects to pay 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 [4]. The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code, and the crew joins from it [4]. Phones can add the app to their 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 TASSTA, the facts gathered here do not describe how a crew is added, how signals pass, or how a jobsite is started, so the crew should confirm that with each provider directly before a shift.

Things to check before you choose

Does the crew need STOP, HOLD and SLOW signals on a jobsite, and which tool will you test to pass them before a lift? Does the crew need live location, mapping or group messaging that ESChat's page describes [2] [2]? Does the crew need a task manager, GPS or map tools? The TASSTA pages cited here do not describe those, so ask TASSTA what it includes before relying on them. 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 [4]. Does a jobsite link that stops working 12 hours after the first person joins suit your shifts [4]?

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 [4]. If the crew needs live location and mapping or group messaging, ESChat's page describes those features [2] [2]. If the crew needs real-time coordination over any network and location, TASSTA's page describes that [3] [3]. If the crew needs a free start with no paid plan, OperatorLink is currently free to use [4]. A crew whose sources cover more than one of these needs should check each option against every need, because no single source here covers all of them.

Frequently asked questions

Is OperatorLink free to use?

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet [4]. The facts gathered for this page give no price beyond that. The card fee is not published for any of the options, so a crew that expects to pay one should check before choosing. Prices can change, so confirm current terms with the product before a shift.

What does ESChat cost?

ESChat's page says its service is available for under $6.00 per month [1]. For commercial customers, the cloud hosted service costs $5.99 per user per month [2]. The card fee is not published. The facts gathered for this page give no further ESChat pricing, so check ESChat directly before choosing a plan for a crew.

What does TASSTA cost?

The facts gathered for this page give no price for TASSTA, so its price is not published here. TASSTA's page describes one unified platform, on premise or in the cloud [3], but it names no price. The card fee is not published either. A crew should ask TASSTA for a price before choosing it.

Does OperatorLink work on iPhone?

OperatorLink runs in a phone browser with no app install [4]. A phone can add it to its home screen as a standalone app [4]. On Android browsers, signals such as STOP make the phone buzz, but iPhone Safari ignores the buzz [4]. A crew with iPhones should check whether the on-screen alert is enough for its needs.

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]

Try OperatorLink

Sources

  1. ESChat, eschat.com, read 2026-10-10
  2. ESChat, eschat.com/pricing, read 2026-10-10
  3. TASSTA, tassta.com, read 2026-10-10
  4. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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