Softwr

Translation · head to head

Crowdin vs Smartling

Crowdin logo

Crowdin

Translation

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smartling logo

Smartling

Translation

Enterprise translation management sold alongside first-party language services priced per word

From
On request
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; Smartling translation memory is retained for only 180 days on the Core tier, so the asset that would make a future migration cheap expires on the plan most likely to be used by a team testing the water.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crowdin and Smartling actually diverge.

Attributes where Crowdin and Smartling differ
AttributeCrowdinSmartling
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
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 Smartling does not also cover.

Only in Smartling

  • Translation memory
  • Visual context CAT editor
  • Configurable workflows
  • First-party language services
  • Linguistic quality assurance
  • Connectors and API

What people use each for

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

Crowdin

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

Smartling

  • A company that wants one supplier answerable for both the translation platform and the quality of the translated outputnot Crowdin
  • Marketing sites where a translator needs to see the rendered page, not a spreadsheet of strings, to get tone and length rightnot Crowdin
  • Replacing a platform vendor plus several separate agencies with a single contract and a single invoicenot Crowdin
  • Content operations at a volume where per-word rates are the dominant cost and the tooling fee is noisenot 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

Smartling

  • Translation memory is retained for only 180 days on the Core tier, so the asset that would make a future migration cheap expires on the plan most likely to be used by a team testing the water.
  • The platform subscription is not published while the per-word service rates are, so you can model the variable cost precisely and cannot model the fixed cost at all until you have been through a sales sizing exercise.
  • The vendor earns on words routed through it, so the commercial relationship rewards volume flowing to Smartling rather than volume being avoided through better reuse of existing memory.
  • Per-word pricing multiplies by target language, so adding a market to a product that ships in twelve languages costs a thirteenth of the current translation bill rather than a marginal amount.
  • Minimum contract term, minimum annual spend and whether individual connectors carry their own charge are all absent from the public site, so three of the numbers that determine total cost only appear inside a proposal.

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

Smartling

On request
  • Core$undefined/year
    • Subscription price not published
    • Basic workflow, user and project management
    • Browser CAT editor with visual context
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Subscription price not published
    • Fully configurable dynamic workflows
    • Translation memory with unlimited storage
  • Language services, charged separately per word$undefined/year
    • Machine translation from 0.0075 USD per word
    • AI translation from 0.06 USD per word
    • AI translation with human review from 0.12 USD per word

Which should you pick?

Choose Crowdin if

  • You want to start without paying.
Crowdin review

Choose Smartling if

  • You need translation memory.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want visual context cat editor.
Smartling review

Questions people ask

Is Crowdin or Smartling better?
Neither clearly leads. Crowdin starts at Free and Smartling at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crowdin or Smartling?
Crowdin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Crowdin and On request for Smartling.
Does Crowdin or Smartling run on more platforms?
Crowdin runs on Web. Smartling runs on Web, API.
Can I use Crowdin for free?
Yes. Crowdin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Smartling starts at On request.
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 Smartling is typically brought in for.
What can Crowdin do that Smartling cannot?
Smartling covers Translation memory, Visual context CAT editor, Configurable workflows, First-party language services.

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
Smartling: Is there a free plan?

The Core tier is advertised as free to start, but translation memory is kept for only 180 days on it and any production deployment is a quoted subscription. Treat it as an evaluation route, not a plan.

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
Smartling: What does the platform actually cost?

Smartling does not publish it. The published figures are per-word service rates. Expect an annual subscription sized against your content volume, workflows and language count, quoted after a scoping call.

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
Smartling: Can I use Smartling with my own translators?

Yes, the platform works with your own vendors and freelancers. You then pay for software and forgo the services revenue the pricing model is built around, which weakens your negotiating position on the subscription.

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
Smartling: What happens to my translation memory if I leave?

Translation memory is exportable, but on Core it only covers the previous 180 days, so leaving after two years on the entry tier means most of the asset is already gone.

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