--- {"title": "OperatorLink vs Relay in 2026: Crane Crew Tools Compared", "description": "Compare OperatorLink and Relay for a crane crew: what each does, its prices, setup on a jobsite, and how to choose.", "url": "https://2dig.com/operatorlink-vs-relay/", "date": "2026-10-15"} --- Compare OperatorLink and Relay for a crane crew: what each does, its prices, setup on a jobsite, and how to choose. For a crane crew, the choice comes down to signals on phones or a radio on the floor. Compare OperatorLink and Relay for what each does, its published prices, and setup on a jobsite. OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the crew and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a browser [^1]. Relay's pages, as cited here, describe a smart radio purpose-built for the frontline [^2] and a platform that includes the Relay Dashboard and Mobile App [^3]. Which one fits depends on whether the crew needs signals on phones or a rugged radio on the floor. | Option | Own fee | Card fee | |---|---|---| | Relay | 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 while the crane moves. OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the crew and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a browser [^1]. Relay's pages, as cited on this page, describe a smart radio purpose-built for the frontline, rugged enough for the floor [^2], and a platform that includes the Relay Dashboard and Mobile App for visibility and control over communication and devices [^3]. Its cited sources say nothing about signals on a jobsite, so a crew with that need should check it directly with Relay. ## What Relay is built for The facts gathered for this page describe three things about Relay, all taken from its own pages. Relay hardware is a smart radio purpose-built for the frontline, rugged enough for the floor [^2]. The Relay platform includes access to the Relay Dashboard and Mobile App, giving full visibility and control over a team's communication and devices [^3]. Relay software includes a dashboard and an app [^2]. Those facts do not describe how Relay handles signals or stops for a crane crew, so this page does not say what it does for those jobs. A crew that wants the dashboard and app should check how they work before relying on them. ## 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 [^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 the move stops arriving for 2 seconds, the other phones drop it [^1]. One-tap messages such as Go Ahead, Copy That and All Clear are sent as chat [^1]. Anyone who joins can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser [^1]. ## Pricing and fees The facts gathered for this page give no Relay price, so its price is not published here. OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet [^1]. The card fee is not published for either option. 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 [^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]. For Relay, the facts gathered here do not describe how a crew is added, how signals pass, or how a jobsite is started. The only setup fact is that the Relay platform includes access to the Relay Dashboard and Mobile App [^3], so the crew should confirm the rest with Relay directly before a shift. ## Things to check before you choose 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]. Does a jobsite link that stops working 12 hours after the first person joins suit your shifts? How will each tool pass a stop to the whole crew, and which signals does the crew need on a jobsite? What does Relay cost, and which devices or plan would the crew need? A crew that starts with phones is not described by Relay's cited facts, so confirm how the crew joins or is added before a shift. ## 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 free start with no paid plan, OperatorLink is currently free to use [^1]. If the crew needs a rugged radio for frontline use, Relay's pages describe a smart radio purpose-built for the frontline [^2]. If the crew wants a dashboard and app for visibility and control, Relay's platform page describes the Relay Dashboard and Mobile App [^3]. A crew that needs both phone-based signals and a radio device 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 [^1]. The sources cited on this page give no price beyond that. The card fee is not published for either 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 Relay cost? The facts gathered for this page give no Relay price, so a price is not published here. Relay's pages, as cited on this page, describe a smart radio purpose-built for the frontline [^2] and a platform that includes the Relay Dashboard and Mobile App [^3]. A crew that wants Relay should ask it directly what the devices and any plan cost before committing. ### 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. ### Is Relay a radio, an app, or both? Relay's pages describe a smart radio purpose-built for the frontline, rugged enough for the floor [^2]. The Relay platform includes access to the Relay Dashboard and Mobile App [^3], and Relay software includes a dashboard and an app [^2]. The cited facts say nothing about how Relay passes signals for a crane crew, so a crew should check that before relying on it. ### 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]. 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]: Relay, relaypro.com, read 2026-10-10 (https://relaypro.com) [^3]: Relay, relaypro.com/pricing, read 2026-10-10 (https://relaypro.com/pricing)