--- {"title": "Orion vs Relay in 2026: Crane Crew Tools Compared", "description": "Compare Orion and Relay with OperatorLink for a crane crew: what each does, prices, and setup on a jobsite.", "url": "https://2dig.com/orion-vs-relay/", "date": "2026-10-15"} --- Compare Orion and Relay with OperatorLink for a crane crew: what each does, prices, and setup on a jobsite. A crane crew member needs to get signals to the whole crew while the crane moves. OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew, and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a phone browser [^1]. Relay's page says it is the system of action for physical operations, with 7k+ customers and nearly 10,000 sites running Relay [^2] [^2] [^2]. No facts about Orion were gathered for this page, so nothing here says what Orion does. If the crew needs signal handling that reaches every phone, OperatorLink's claims describe it. | Option | Own fee | Card fee | |---|---|---| | Relay | not published | not published | | Orion | not published | not published | | OperatorLink | Free to use; no paid plan is built yet [^1] | not published | ## What Orion, Relay is built for Relay's page says Relay is the system of action for physical operations [^2]. Its page says it has 7k+ customers [^2]. Its page says nearly 10,000 sites run Relay [^2]. Those are the only Relay facts cited on this page outside the fee table. They do not describe how Relay handles signals, stops or voice on a jobsite, so this page does not say what it does for those jobs. No facts about Orion were gathered for this page, so nothing here describes what Orion does. A crew should ask each provider, including Orion, what its tool does on a jobsite before choosing. ## 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 phone 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 radio-style calls such as Go Ahead, Copy That and All Clear are sent as chat messages [^1]. Anyone who joins can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser [^1]. ## Pricing and fees OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet [^1]. The facts gathered for this page give no price for Relay, so a Relay price is not published here. No Orion facts were gathered, so an Orion price is not published here either. The card fee is not published for any option on this page. A crew that expects to pay fees should ask each provider for them 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 the 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 and Orion, the facts gathered here do not describe how a crew is added or how a jobsite is started, so the crew should confirm the setup steps 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 [^1]. Does a jobsite link that stops working 12 hours after the first person joins suit your shifts? What fees, if any, will Relay and Orion charge, and where are those prices stated? What does each tool, including Orion, say it does on a jobsite before a lift? How will the crew test that each tool passes the signals it needs before relying on it? ## 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 too [^1]. If the crew needs a free start with no paid plan, OperatorLink is currently free to use [^1]. If the crew wants a push-to-talk-style tool built for physical operations, Relay's page claims that scope [^2]. A crew comparing Orion should get its facts from Orion directly, because none are published here. A crew should match each tool against its own needs before a shift. ## 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 other price for OperatorLink. The card fee is not published for any option here, 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. ### Does Relay have a published price? The facts gathered for this page give no price for Relay, so a Relay price is not published here. No Orion facts were gathered either, so an Orion price is not published here. The card fee is not published for any option. A crew that expects to pay fees should ask Relay and Orion for their current terms before choosing. ### 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. ### What does Relay's page say it does? Relay's page says Relay is the system of action for physical operations [^2], and that it has 7k+ customers [^2] and nearly 10,000 sites running Relay [^2]. Those cited facts do not describe how Relay handles signals, stops or voice on a jobsite. A crew should ask Relay directly what it does on a jobsite. ### 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]. 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. [^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)