ESChat vs VoicePing in 2026

Q: Does OperatorLink work on iPhone?

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

Which of ESChat and VoicePing fits a crane crew: what each does, its published prices, and how to decide.

By 2Dig · 2026-10-14

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

A crane crew member needs voice that reaches the crew while the crane moves, and ESChat and VoicePing each publish different facts about that. ESChat's pages, as cited on this page, describe an annual service for IoT devices such as the Siyata SD7 and Tait AXIOM ^[1] and a Radio over IP service billed per connection per year ^[1]. VoicePing's pages describe a Standard plan priced per user per month and billed annually ^[2] and an Enterprise plan whose price is set by contacting sales ^[2]. Which one fits a crew depends on whether the crew wants device service or per-user plans.

Option	Own fee	Card fee
ESChat	Annual IoT device service $86.40 per year, including the Siyata SD7 and Tait AXIOM ^[1]; LMR Interoperability and Historical Tracking & Mapping add-on $2.00 per user per month ^[1]; Radio over IP $125 per connection per year ^[1]	not published
VoicePing	Standard $2 per user per month billed annually ^[2]; Enterprise priced by contacting sales ^[2]	not published
OperatorLink	Free to use; no paid plan is built yet ^[3]	not published

The short answer

What ESChat, VoicePing is built for

The facts gathered for this page describe a handful of things about ESChat and VoicePing, taken from their own pages. ESChat's sources describe an annual service for IoT devices, naming the Siyata SD7 and Tait AXIOM ^[1]. ESChat also describes a Radio over IP service billed per connection per year ^[1], and an add-on for LMR Interoperability and Historical Tracking & Mapping at an extra fee ^[1]. VoicePing's sources describe a Standard plan billed per user per month billed annually ^[2] and an Enterprise plan whose price is available by contacting sales for a price estimate ^[2]. VoicePing also describes on-premise server deployments for customers with their own data center ^[2]. Those facts do not describe how either tool handles signals or stops on a jobsite, so this page does not say what they do for those jobs. A crew that needs those should check with each provider 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 ^[3]. A STOP releases every held direction on every phone and shows a full-screen alert to everyone else ^[3]. HOLD and SLOW stay on for everyone in the jobsite and are cleared when the last person leaves ^[3]. 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 ^[3]. One-tap messages such as Go Ahead, Copy That and All Clear are sent as chat ^[3]. Anyone who joins can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser ^[3].

Pricing and fees

ESChat's sources describe an annual service for IoT devices, including the Siyata SD7 and Tait AXIOM, at $86.40 per year ^[1]. ESChat also describes add-ons for LMR Interoperability and Historical Tracking & Mapping at $2.00 per user per month ^[1], and a Radio over IP service at $125 per connection per year ^[1]. VoicePing's Standard plan is $2 per user per month billed annually ^[2], and its Enterprise plan's price is available by contacting sales for a price estimate ^[2]. OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet ^[3]. The card fee is not published for any of the three. 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 ^[3]. The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code, and the crew joins from it ^[3]. Phones can add the app to their home screen as a standalone app ^[3]. A jobsite link stops working 12 hours after the first person joins ^[3], and a jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours ^[3]. Button presses, chat and voice pass between phones in the browser ^[3].

For ESChat and VoicePing, the facts gathered here do not describe how a crew is added, how signals pass, or how a jobsite is started. ESChat's sources describe an annual device service and a Radio over IP connection ^[1] ^[1], and VoicePing describes on-premise deployments for customers with their own data center ^[2], so the crew should confirm the rest with each provider directly before a shift.

Things to check before you choose

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 ^[3].

Does a jobsite link that stops working 12 hours after the first person joins suit your shifts ^[3]?

ESChat adds a fee for LMR Interoperability and Historical Tracking & Mapping ^[1]; does the crew need those, and which devices does the annual IoT service cover ^[1]?

What will VoicePing cost at the Enterprise level, since that price is available by contacting sales ^[2]?

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

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 ^[3]. If the crew needs HOLD and SLOW to stay on for everyone until the jobsite empties, OperatorLink's sources describe that as well ^[3]. If the crew needs a free start with no paid plan, OperatorLink is currently free to use ^[3]. If the crew needs device service, ESChat's sources describe an annual service for IoT devices such as the Siyata SD7 and Tait AXIOM ^[1]. If the crew needs per-user billing, VoicePing's Standard plan is $2 per user per month billed annually ^[2]. A crew that needs both signal handling and device or per-user service should check each option against both needs, because no single source here covers both.

Frequently asked questions

Is OperatorLink free to use?

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet ^[3]. The sources cited on this page give no price beyond that. The card fee is not published for any of the three tools, 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.

How is ESChat priced?

How is VoicePing priced?

VoicePing's Standard plan is $2 per user per month billed annually ^[2]. Its Enterprise plan price is available by contacting sales for a price estimate ^[2]. The card fee is not published here. A crew comparing plans should check VoicePing's current pricing directly, since the Enterprise level is available by contacting sales.

Does OperatorLink work on iPhone?

OperatorLink runs in a phone browser with no app install ^[3]. A phone can add it to its home screen as a standalone app ^[3]. On Android browsers, signals such as STOP make the phone buzz, but iPhone Safari ignores the buzz ^[3]. 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 ^[3]. A jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours ^[3]. The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code, and the crew joins from it ^[3].

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet. ^[3]

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