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Translation · head to head

Crowdin vs Smartcat

Crowdin logo

Crowdin

Translation

Simple, transparent pricing. Start free and scale as you grow.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smartcat logo

Smartcat

Translation

Translation platform and freelancer marketplace billed in Smartwords, where every added target language multiplies consumption

From
$1200/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Crowdin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Crowdin pricing based on hosted words (words × target languages) makes per-unit costs variable; Smartcat smartwords are consumed as source words multiplied by target languages, so a product going from five to ten locales doubles consumption on identical source content and the plan you sized last year no longer fits.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crowdin and Smartcat actually diverge.

Attributes where Crowdin and Smartcat differ
AttributeCrowdinSmartcat
Starting priceFree$1200/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer year by Smartword volume
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, API

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Translation).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Crowdin

Nothing recorded that Smartcat does not also cover.

Only in Smartcat

  • Smartword allowance
  • Freelancer marketplace
  • Payer of record
  • Unlimited users
  • Browser CAT editor
  • AI agents

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Crowdin

  • Software localization and translation managementnot Smartcat
  • Multi-language content distribution via CDNnot Smartcat
  • Open source project localizationnot Smartcat
  • Professional translation service integrationnot Smartcat
  • Machine translation and AI content generationnot Smartcat

Smartcat

  • A company that wants to hire and pay many freelance linguists without opening a supplier account and payment channel for each onenot Crowdin
  • Translation programmes with high volume in a small number of target languages, where the multiplier does the least damagenot Crowdin
  • Teams that need unlimited internal users on the platform without paying per seat for occasional reviewersnot Crowdin
  • Consolidating an existing freelancer roster onto one contract, one invoice and one payment railnot Crowdin

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Crowdin

  • Pricing based on hosted words (words × target languages) makes per-unit costs variable
  • Individual plan pricing not published; requires contacting sales
  • 14-day trial limited to Team plan only; enterprise trial is 30 days
  • Annual billing only available for enterprise plans

Smartcat

  • Smartwords are consumed as source words multiplied by target languages, so a product going from five to ten locales doubles consumption on identical source content and the plan you sized last year no longer fits.
  • The gap between the entry tier at 1,200 USD a year and the next at 24,000 is twentyfold with nothing between them, so a team that outgrows Adapt faces a step change rather than an increase.
  • Subscription Smartwords expire at renewal and monthly plan credits expire each cycle, so unused allowance is lost rather than banked and overbuying is a straight write-off.
  • Marketplace access, the reason many buyers choose Smartcat at all, does not exist on the entry plan, and API access with single sign-on only appears two tiers up at 60,000 USD a year.
  • The published commission table in the help centre still names retired plan tiers, so the rates a buyer would use to model marketplace cost cannot be reliably mapped onto the plans actually on sale.

Pricing, plan by plan

Crowdin

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • CDN: up to 1M requests and 10GB data transfer
    • 14-day free trial of Team plan available
    • Open source program: free license for non-profits

Smartcat

$1200/year
  • Adapt$1200/year
    • Starting price, billed annually
    • 100,000 Smartwords
    • 1 workspace
  • Accelerate$24000/year
    • Starting price, billed annually
    • 1 million Smartwords
    • 1 workspace
  • Anticipate$60000/year
    • Starting price, billed annually
    • 2 million Smartwords
    • 2 workspaces
  • Autonomous$undefined/year
    • Price not published, tailored to requirements
    • 6 million Smartwords
    • 7 workspaces

Which should you pick?

Choose Crowdin if

  • You want to start without paying.
Crowdin review

Choose Smartcat if

  • You need smartword allowance.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want freelancer marketplace.
Smartcat review

Questions people ask

Is Crowdin or Smartcat better?
Neither clearly leads. Crowdin starts at Free and Smartcat at $1200/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crowdin or Smartcat?
Crowdin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Crowdin and $1200/year for Smartcat.
Does Crowdin or Smartcat run on more platforms?
Crowdin runs on Web. Smartcat runs on Web, API.
Can I use Crowdin for free?
Yes. Crowdin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Smartcat starts at $1200/year.
What is Crowdin best used for?
Crowdin is most often used for software localization and translation management, multi-language content distribution via cdn, open source project localization, professional translation service integration. Of those, software localization and translation management and multi-language content distribution via cdn are not what Smartcat is typically brought in for.
What can Crowdin do that Smartcat cannot?
Smartcat covers Smartword allowance, Freelancer marketplace, Payer of record, Unlimited users.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Crowdin: Does Crowdin offer a free version?

Yes, Crowdin provides a free tier with up to 1M CDN requests and 10GB data transfer per month. 14-day free trial available for Team plan after registration.

Source
Smartcat: What is a Smartword?

A credit. One Smartword is consumed per source word per target language, so 1,000 words into five languages costs 5,000 Smartwords. AI dubbing costs ten Smartwords per dubbed word.

Crowdin: How is Crowdin pricing calculated?

Crowdin pricing is based on hosted words, calculated as number of words times number of target languages. Example: 500 words in 10 languages equals 5,000 hosted words.

Source
Smartcat: Does Smartcat take a cut from freelancers?

No. The vendor states it does not deduct a platform commission from supplier earnings; the marketplace commission is charged to the client. Freelancers pay withdrawal fees, a fixed one to ten dollars plus half a percent, and a two and a half percent currency conversion markup.

Crowdin: What trial options does Crowdin offer?

Crowdin provides a 14-day free trial of the Team plan and a 30-day free trial for enterprise plans. Open source and academic licenses are also available.

Source
Smartcat: Is there a free plan?

No. There is a fifteen day trial of the full platform. A legacy free tier still appears in help articles but is not on the current pricing page.

Crowdin: Does Crowdin offer a money-back guarantee?

Yes, Crowdin offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if canceling within 30 days of signup. Unlimited translators and proofreaders are included on all paid plans.

Source
Smartcat: What happens if I do not review delivered work?

After fifteen days the system verifies the work automatically and triggers supplier payment, so silence is treated as acceptance.

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