Orion alternatives in 2026

Q: Does GroupTalk offer a free trial?

GroupTalk offers a free 14-day trial . A crew should check what the trial covers for its own site before committing.

Compare Orion alternatives for crane crews, from phone apps to dedicated radios and headsets. Find pricing, trial and feature facts for each option.

By 2Dig · 2026-10-12

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

Crane crews can compare Orion alternatives such as Zello, GroupTalk, OperatorLink, Peak PTT and Eartec. Each option lists its own pricing or trial facts and key capabilities.

Option	Own fee	Card payment
Zello	Zello Work $8.00 per user per month, or $6.80 with annual subscription ^[1]	Not published
GroupTalk	Not published	Not published
OperatorLink	Currently free, no paid plan built yet ^[2]	Not published
Peak PTT	PTT‑84G radio $229, 19.95 activation, 24.95 per month unlimited push‑to‑talk ^[3]	Not published
Eartec	Price not published	Not published

Choosing a tool for a crane crew

A crew comparing tools should first ask what each one must do on its own site. A crew matches a tool to the phones already on site, the crew size and the total cost over a season. Crews should verify Orion's coverage, pricing and device support on their own.

Zello: phone and computer push-to-talk

Zello runs on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac ^[4]. Zello Work costs $8.00 per user per month, or $6.80 with an annual subscription ^[1]. The service is offered free for first responders ^[4]. Zello Enterprise Server can be deployed on‑premise ^[4]. A free 14‑day trial is available with no credit card required ^[1]. Zello Work subscriptions can be changed or cancelled at any time without penalty ^[1]. A crew that cannot run a phone or computer app should check the coverage and pricing each option below states before comparing it to Zello.

GroupTalk: deployment options and a free trial

GroupTalk offers private cloud and on‑premises deployment options ^[5]. GroupTalk offers a free 14-day trial ^[5]. A crew should check which features it needs on its own site before choosing.

OperatorLink: phone browser signals of STOP, HOLD and SLOW

OperatorLink is made by the team that publishes this site. It shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew, and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a phone browser ^[2]. STOP releases every held direction on every phone and shows a full‑screen alert to everyone else ^[2]. HOLD and SLOW stay on for everyone in the jobsite and are cleared when the last person leaves ^[2]. A held move keeps going to the other phones and stops when the button is let go ^[2]. One‑tap radio‑style calls such as Go Ahead, Copy That and All Clear are sent as chat messages ^[2]. Anyone who joins can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser ^[2]. The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code, and the crew joins from it ^[2]. A jobsite link stops working 12 hours after the first person joins it ^[2]. A jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours ^[2]. On Android browsers signals such as STOP make the phone buzz; iPhone Safari ignores the buzz ^[2]. The app can be added to a phone’s home screen as a standalone app ^[2]. OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet ^[2]. It runs in a phone browser with no app install ^[2].

Peak PTT: a dedicated push‑to‑talk radio on the cellular network

The PTT‑84G radio costs $229, with a $19.95 activation fee and $24.95 per month for unlimited push‑to‑talk, with no contracts ^[3]. The monthly fee of $24.95 per radio covers unlimited nationwide push-to-talk on the cellular networks of major U.S. carriers ^[6]. The radio uses AT&T’s nationwide cellular network ^[3]. Both include access to the GPS Tracking Portal, which gives 90-day location history, geofencing, and real-time crew visibility ^[3]. A dispatch seat lets a crew run dispatch from any computer instead of a base station, and costs $12 per month per seat ^[6]. A crew should check AT&T coverage at its own site before buying.

Eartec: hands‑free wireless headsets for the lift

Eartec offers two crane and lift headset systems: EPak with Lazer‑Pro, and PRO16 with Monarch ^[7]. The EPak beltpack weighs 2.5 oz ^[7]. Orders ship within 1‑3 business days ^[7]. The company says it has provided customer support for over 60 years ^[7]. Customers can buy a set, try it, and return it for a full refund if they do not like it, following Eartec's return guidelines ^[7]. A crew that wants this kind of headset gear should check the features of each system on Eartec’s own page.

How to pick the right Orion alternative

A crew starts with the phones and gear already on site. If the crew wants push‑to‑talk on phones and computers, Zello runs on iOS, Android, Windows and Mac ^[4] and states a per‑user monthly price ^[1]. If signals like STOP, HOLD and SLOW matter most and a browser app is acceptable, OperatorLink shows those commands and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a browser ^[2] and is currently free ^[2]. If the crew needs a private or on‑site setup, GroupTalk offers private cloud or on‑premises deployment ^[5] and a free 14-day trial ^[5]. If the crew wants a dedicated radio, Peak PTT offers hardware at $229 plus monthly fees ^[3] and unlimited push‑to‑talk ^[6]. If hands‑free headsets are desired, Eartec lists two crane and lift systems, EPak with Lazer‑Pro and PRO16 with Monarch ^[7], and orders ship within 1‑3 business days ^[7]. For any option, the crew should verify its own phones, network coverage and device limits before choosing.

Things to check before you choose

Match the option to the phones and coverage on site. A browser‑based tool depends on the phone browser and the signal each person carries, so a crew checks that before a shift. Confirm the price each option states covers the whole crew, and for any option that lists a trial, check what happens when it ends. If the crew needs a signal that must always be visible, ask how that tool keeps it on the phone. If the crew works in areas with weak coverage, ask how the tool behaves there. A crew should confirm these points on its own before it buys.

Frequently asked questions

What does Zello Work cost?

Zello Work costs $8.00 per user per month, or $6.80 with an annual subscription ^[1]. Zello runs on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac ^[4]. A crew should check how many people need it and which devices they carry before choosing a plan.

Does GroupTalk offer a free trial?

GroupTalk offers a free 14-day trial ^[5]. A crew should check what the trial covers for its own site before committing.

What does OperatorLink cost?

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet ^[2]. It runs in a phone browser with no app install ^[2]. A crew should check its own phone and browser support before relying on the tool.

What are the hardware costs for Peak PTT?

The PTT‑84G radio costs $229, with a $19.95 activation fee and $24.95 per month for unlimited push‑to‑talk, with no contracts ^[3]. A radio's monthly fee of $24.95 covers unlimited nationwide push-to-talk on the cellular networks of major U.S. carriers. A crew should confirm its carrier coverage before purchasing.

Can several crew members use Eartec headsets at the same time?

Eartec’s page names two crane and lift systems, EPak with Lazer‑Pro and PRO16 with Monarch ^[7]. Orders ship within 1‑3 business days ^[7]. A crew should check the headset features on Eartec’s page to ensure they meet site requirements.

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet. ^[2]

Try OperatorLink