BiPTT vs StaySafe: lone worker protection with or without team voice?
If you manage security guards, engineers or field staff who work alone in the UK, you have probably looked at StaySafe — one of the best-known dedicated lone worker apps, now sold by EcoOnline as “Lone Worker, powered by StaySafe”. This comparison looks at what StaySafe does well, where it stops, and when a combined communication + safety platform like BiPTT is the better fit. Comparison verified in July 2026; vendors change plans — check current details before deciding.
The legal backdrop (why you’re reading this)
UK employers must manage the risks of lone working before people work alone: the HSE’s guidance for employers requires risk assessment, training, supervision and a way of monitoring lone workers and responding to incidents. A phone-based system is the most common way to meet the monitoring part — the question is which kind.
What StaySafe does well
Based on the vendor’s own documentation and its UK G-Cloud listing, StaySafe is a focused lone worker alarm platform:
- Timed sessions and automated check-ins — missed responses trigger an alert
- Panic button — works even if the app isn’t active — plus discreet/duress alarms
- Fall and non-movement (man-down) detection
- Real-time location on a cloud hub, with reporting
- Low-signal SMS fallback and optional satellite/wearable devices
- Optional 24/7 monitoring via accredited Alarm Receiving Centres, with BS 8484:2022 compliance available — note the vendor’s own footnote: full compliance applies on Android, via partner ARCs (worth checking if your team is on iPhone)
That last point matters: if your policy or your insurer specifically requires BS 8484-accredited ARC response, StaySafe is built for exactly that, and it’s an honest reason to choose it.
One more thing worth knowing before a procurement decision: StaySafe’s public B2B review footprint is remarkably thin — a single G2 review and zero Capterra UK reviews at the time of writing — so ask the vendor for referenceable customers in your sector.
What StaySafe doesn’t do: voice
Here is the structural difference. StaySafe protects the worker, but it does not connect the team: there is no Push-to-Talk, no voice channels, no messaging between workers and supervisors, no dispatch console. In the vendor’s own materials, communication means alert escalation — not conversation.
In practice, operations that adopt a dedicated alarm app end up running two systems: the alarm app (StaySafe) plus a radio or a messaging app for actual work coordination. Two apps to train, two vendors to pay, two places to check when something happens.
Where BiPTT takes a different approach
BiPTT is a Push-to-Talk over Cellular platform for frontline teams that builds lone worker protection into the communication tool:
- Safety events: SOS, man-down (fall/immobility detection) and check-in — the same categories a dedicated alarm covers
- Push-to-Talk voice: press the button and talk to a channel or a supervisor, with sub-200 ms latency
- Real-time location of the whole team on the dispatch map — not only when an alarm fires
- Recording and history: conversations and events are logged, useful for incident review and compliance evidence
- One console for supervisors: alarms, location and live voice in the same screen
The philosophical difference: with a dedicated alarm, help starts when an alert escalates. With voice built in, the worker can also just talk — “I’m at the north gate, something feels wrong” — long before anything becomes an alarm.
Honest comparison table
| StaySafe (EcoOnline) | BiPTT | |
|---|---|---|
| Check-in / timed sessions | ✅ | ✅ |
| Panic / SOS | ✅ (incl. discreet duress) | ✅ |
| Fall / man-down detection | ✅ | ✅ |
| Real-time location | ✅ (session/alert focused) | ✅ (whole team, always-on map) |
| BS 8484 ARC monitoring | ✅ optional (Android + partner ARC) | ❌ (in-house monitoring model) |
| Satellite / wearable devices | ✅ optional | ❌ |
| Push-to-Talk voice | ❌ | ✅ |
| Team messaging (text, photo, video) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Dispatch console with live voice | ❌ | ✅ |
| Conversation recording | n/a | ✅ |
| Pricing model | Quote-based (G-Cloud: £3.30/user/mo; monitoring extra) | Per user/month, published plans |
Which one should you choose?
- Choose StaySafe if your requirement is strictly lone worker alarm coverage with accredited external (ARC) monitoring — for example, where BS 8484 response is contractually mandated and your team’s communication is already solved.
- Choose BiPTT if your lone workers are part of an operating team that also needs to talk — security patrols, logistics, maintenance crews. You get the safety events and replace the radio/messaging stack with one app, one price per user, deployed in hours on the phones your team already carries.
Try it with your own team: BiPTT has a free plan to start, and a pilot takes hours, not weeks. See the lone worker app guide for what to evaluate, or the Push-to-Talk overview for the communication side.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BiPTT and StaySafe?
StaySafe (now sold by EcoOnline) is a dedicated lone worker alarm platform: check-in timers, panic button, fall detection and optional 24/7 monitoring. BiPTT covers those safety events too — SOS, man-down, check-in, location — but adds what StaySafe doesn't have: Push-to-Talk voice, messaging and a dispatch console, so the same app protects the worker and coordinates the team.
Does StaySafe have Push-to-Talk or voice communication?
No. Based on the vendor's own product documentation, StaySafe focuses on alert escalation (check-ins, alarms, monitoring). It does not offer voice communication between workers and supervisors. If your teams also need to talk, you would run StaySafe alongside a separate communication tool — or use one platform that does both.
How much does StaySafe cost?
StaySafe does not publish prices on its website (quote-based sales). The official UK G-Cloud public-sector listing shows £3.30 per user/month for the app; third-party listings mention higher starting figures, and 24/7 ARC monitoring is an additional service. Always confirm a current quote — and compare it against the total you'd pay for a separate communication tool on top.
Does a lone worker app satisfy HSE requirements?
The HSE requires employers to assess risks, train, supervise and monitor lone workers and be able to respond to incidents. A properly deployed app — check-ins, alarms, location, and a monitored response procedure — is a recognised way to implement the monitoring layer. The app alone isn't compliance: pair it with your risk assessment and response plan.
Does BiPTT work on rugged devices and with gloves?
Yes — BiPTT runs on standard and rugged Android devices, supports physical PTT buttons and works glove-friendly (press one button and talk). Field teams that don't consider themselves "tech people" typically train in minutes: it's operationally simpler than a messaging app.