2Dig Plain comparisons of crane signalling and jobsite communication tools

Push-to-talk apps for crane crews compared (2026)

Compare Zello, Voxer, GroupTalk, Peak PTT and OperatorLink for crane crew push-to-talk: what each runs on, what it does, and how it charges.

By 2Dig ยท

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

These push-to-talk tools keep a crane crew in touch by letting a person press a button and talk instead of placing a call. OperatorLink, made by the team that publishes this page, runs in a phone browser. In its own unverified description it shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew, and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a phone browser.[1] Each tool needs a different phone or radio; check which device the crew carries and what they will see on its screen.

OptionRuns onPrice or feeCard fee
ZelloiOS, Android, Windows, Mac [2]Zello Work $8.00 per user per month, or $6.80 with annual subscription [3]not published
Voxernot publishedFree for individuals [4]; business price not published; 14-day free trial for business [5]not published
GroupTalkcloud-based push-to-talk service [6]Free 14-day trial [7]not published
Peak PTTdedicated handheld radio [8]PTT-84G radio $229, $19.95 activation fee, $24.95 per month unlimited, no contracts [9]; dispatch seat $12 per month per seat [10]not published
OperatorLinkphone browser, no app install [11]currently free, no paid plan built yet [12]not published

How to read this list

Match the tool to the phone or radio the crew will carry, the size of the group, and what the signals have to do.

Zello: a push-to-talk service for phones and computers

Zello is free for first responders.[13] Zello Enterprise Server can be set up on a company's own premises.[14] Zello Work costs $8.00 per user per month, or $6.80 with an annual subscription.[3] Subscriptions can be changed or cancelled at any time without penalty.[15] Zello offers a free 14-day trial that needs no credit card.[16] Education and non-profit organizations get an additional discount on annual subscriptions, for 25 percent off in total.[17] Besides credit cards, Zello also accepts payment by wire transfer, ACH, or check.[18]

Voxer: a walkie-talkie style messaging app for phones

It is free for individuals.[4] Businesses can start a 14-day free trial.[5] Voxer can pull in a company's Procore contacts, the construction project management service, to build groups from them.[19]

GroupTalk: a cloud push-to-talk service with alarms and location

Its cloud-based system is described as having unlimited range and secure communication.[20] Separate push-to-talk groups can be set up for different roles, functions, areas, or tasks.[21] Group voice channels allow simultaneous communication across multiple teams.[22] Personal alarms report incidents immediately to nearby colleagues and central management,[23] and lone workers can alert nearby colleagues and central resources immediately.[24] GroupTalk combines live location tracking, alarms, and group communication, and its source says construction sites can use the integrated tracking, alarms and group talk for health, safety and environment (HSE) procedures.[25] Supervisors and managers can reach any team or individual instantly.[26] The service can be set up on a company's own equipment.[27] A free 14-day trial is available.[7]

Peak PTT: a dedicated handheld push-to-talk radio on a cellular network

The PTT-84G radio is priced at $229 with a $19.95 activation fee and $24.95 per month for unlimited push-to-talk, with no contracts.[9] The radios are pre-programmed and include a GPS tracking portal with 90-day location history, geofencing that sets location boundaries, and real-time crew visibility.[28] Both radios are backed by a lifetime hardware warranty with an active service plan.[29] A single flat monthly rate covers unlimited nationwide push-to-talk on major U.S. carrier networks, with 60-second GPS tracking included.[30] The platform supports multiple simultaneous talk groups.[31]

OperatorLink: jobsite signaling that runs in a phone browser

OperatorLink is made by the team that publishes this site. Every capability described here is the maker's own unverified self-description. It shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew, and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a phone browser.[1] Every phone in the jobsite shows STOP at once, with a full-screen alert for everyone else.[32] If the phone's asleep the alert won't show. HOLD and SLOW stay on screen for everyone in the jobsite and clear when the last person leaves.[33] Holding a move button keeps that direction on the other phones, and the direction disappears from their screens when the signal stops, after about 2 seconds.[34] Tapping calls such as Go Ahead, Copy That or All Clear sends them as chat messages the crew can read.[35] Anyone who joins can take part in a voice call run from the phone browser.[36] The person who starts a jobsite shares a link or QR code, a square picture a phone camera scans to open the link, and the crew joins from it.[37] A jobsite link stops working 12 hours after the first person joins it, so anyone joining later has to get in before that.[38] A jobsite with nobody in it is wiped after 3 idle hours.[39] On Android browsers signals such as STOP make the phone buzz, while iPhone Safari ignores the buzz.[40] The app can be added to a phone's home screen as a standalone app.[41] It runs in a phone browser with no app install.[11] OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet.[12]

How to choose

Start with the device the crew will carry. Voxer is free for individuals.[4] Peak PTT supplies a dedicated handheld radio the crew carries.[9] OperatorLink runs in a phone browser and needs no app install.[11] Next, decide what the push-to-talk has to do. For a site with several roles or areas, GroupTalk lets separate push-to-talk groups be set up for different roles, functions, areas, or tasks.[21] For a site that also needs alarms and location, GroupTalk combines live location tracking, alarms, and group communication.[25] For jobsite signaling, OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew, and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a phone browser.[1] For a crew that keeps its contacts in Procore, the construction project management service, Voxer can build groups from those contacts.[19] Where the phone is the signal device, check whether the crew carries phones on site. Where fees apply, compare what each charge covers before choosing.

Frequently asked questions

Can these push-to-talk tools be tried before paying?

Yes. Zello offers a free 14-day trial with no credit card required.[16] Voxer offers a 14-day free trial for business.[5] GroupTalk offers a free 14-day trial.[7] OperatorLink is currently free to use with no paid plan built yet.[12] Peak PTT gives no published trial terms, so check the trial and return terms with the seller.

Which of these run on a phone?

Voxer is free for individuals.[4] Peak PTT is built around a dedicated handheld radio.[8] OperatorLink runs in a phone browser and needs no app install.[11]

What does OperatorLink show to the crane crew?

OperatorLink shows STOP, HOLD and SLOW to the jobsite crew and passes button presses, chat and voice between phones in a phone browser.[1] STOP cancels every move being held on every phone and shows a full-screen alert to everyone else.[32] HOLD and SLOW stay on for everyone in the jobsite and are cleared when the last person leaves.[33]

Is a dedicated radio better than a phone app for crane work?

Peak PTT supplies a dedicated handheld radio.[9] A phone-based option depends on the phone, so check how each one behaves where crane signals matter.

Do any of these tools track the crew's location?

Peak PTT radios include a GPS tracking portal with 90-day location history, geofencing that sets location boundaries, and real-time crew visibility.[28] The flat monthly rate includes 60-second GPS tracking.[30] GroupTalk combines live location tracking with alarms and group communication.[25] Check whether the others publish location tracking before relying on it.

OperatorLink is currently free to use, and no paid plan is built yet. [12]

Try OperatorLink

Sources

  1. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  2. Zello, zello.com, read 2026-10-08
  3. Zello, zello.com/pricing, read 2026-10-08
  4. Voxer, voxer.com/plans-and-pricing, read 2026-10-08
  5. Voxer, voxer.com/business, read 2026-10-08
  6. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com/why-grouptalk/we-across-industries/construction, read 2026-10-08
  7. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com, read 2026-10-08
  8. Peak PTT, peakptt.com/pages/construction-companies, read 2026-10-08
  9. Peak PTT, peakptt.com/pages/construction-companies, read 2026-10-08
  10. Peak PTT, peakptt.com/pages/peak-push-to-talk-pricing-matrix, read 2026-10-08
  11. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  12. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  13. Zello, zello.com, read 2026-10-08
  14. Zello, zello.com, read 2026-10-08
  15. Zello, zello.com/pricing, read 2026-10-08
  16. Zello, zello.com/pricing, read 2026-10-08
  17. Zello, zello.com/pricing, read 2026-10-08
  18. Zello, zello.com/pricing, read 2026-10-08
  19. Voxer, voxer.com/construction, read 2026-10-08
  20. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com/why-grouptalk/we-across-industries/construction, read 2026-10-08
  21. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com/why-grouptalk/we-across-industries/construction, read 2026-10-08
  22. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com/why-grouptalk/we-across-industries/construction, read 2026-10-08
  23. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com/why-grouptalk/we-across-industries/construction, read 2026-10-08
  24. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com/why-grouptalk/we-across-industries/construction, read 2026-10-08
  25. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com/why-grouptalk/we-across-industries/construction, read 2026-10-08
  26. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com/why-grouptalk/we-across-industries/construction, read 2026-10-08
  27. GroupTalk, grouptalk.com, read 2026-10-08
  28. Peak PTT, peakptt.com/pages/construction-companies, read 2026-10-08
  29. Peak PTT, peakptt.com/pages/construction-companies, read 2026-10-08
  30. Peak PTT, peakptt.com/pages/peak-push-to-talk-pricing-matrix, read 2026-10-08
  31. Peak PTT, peakptt.com/pages/construction-companies, read 2026-10-08
  32. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  33. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  34. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  35. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  36. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  37. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  38. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  39. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  40. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  41. OperatorLink's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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