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Translation · head to head

DeepL vs Google Translate

DeepL logo

DeepL

Translation

AI-powered language translation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Translate logo

Google Translate

Translation

Free consumer translation app and website, backed by the paid Cloud Translation API priced per million characters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DeepL pricing details not displayed on homepage; requires visiting separate pricing page; Google Translate the free consumer app and the metered developer API are commercially separate products despite sharing branding, which confuses buyers evaluating cost for an integration project.
  • They diverge on capability: DeepL covers 30+ languages, Google Translate covers Text translation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DeepL and Google Translate actually diverge.

Attributes where DeepL and Google Translate differ
AttributeDeepLGoogle Translate
Pricing modelfreemiumPer million characters
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Mobile, ApiWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 DeepL

  • 30+ languages
  • Document translation
  • Glossary
  • Formal/informal toggle
  • Browser extension
  • API access
  • Desktop app
  • Web support

Only in Google Translate

  • Text translation
  • Real-time conversation mode
  • Camera translation
  • Document upload
  • Cloud Translation API
  • Custom models (AutoML Translation)

What people use each for

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

DeepL

  • ai tools managementnot Google Translate
  • Workflow automationnot Google Translate
  • Reportingnot Google Translate

Google Translate

  • An individual traveller or student using the free consumer app with no volume constraintsnot DeepL
  • A developer embedding translated user-generated content into an app, paying per million characters translatednot DeepL
  • A company needing occasional bulk document translation and using the per-page document API pricingnot DeepL
  • A business training a custom domain-adapted model for specialised terminology using AutoML Translationnot DeepL

Where each one falls short

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

DeepL

  • Pricing details not displayed on homepage; requires visiting separate pricing page
  • Free tier limitations not specified on main site

Google Translate

  • The free consumer app and the metered developer API are commercially separate products despite sharing branding, which confuses buyers evaluating cost for an integration project.
  • API costs scale linearly with content volume, so a high-traffic application can accumulate significant monthly spend even at $20 per million characters.
  • Custom model training pricing starts as high as $80 per million characters at low volumes, a steep premium over the standard NMT rate for domain adaptation.
  • Machine translation output for low-resource language pairs or specialised terminology often still needs human post-editing, so the API alone does not replace professional translation for anything customer-facing at high stakes.
  • There is no bundled human-in-the-loop quality tier; a business needing verified accuracy has to pair the API with a separate service such as Unbabel or Gengo.

Pricing, plan by plan

DeepL

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 document translations
    • 5000 characters
  • Starter$8.99/month
    • 5 documents/month
    • Unlimited text
  • Advanced$28.99/month
    • 20 documents/month
    • Glossary

Google Translate

Free
  • Google Translate (consumer)Free
    • Free web, mobile and browser extension use
    • No published usage cap for personal use
  • Cloud Translation API (NMT)$20/month
    • $20 per million characters translated
    • First 500,000 characters per month free, recurring
  • Cloud Translation API (Translation LLM)$10/month
    • $10 per million characters input, $10 per million output
  • Document translation$0.08/month
    • $0.08 per page for DOCX, PPT and PDF translation

Which should you pick?

Choose DeepL if

  • You need 30+ languages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want document translation.
DeepL review

Choose Google Translate if

  • You need text translation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome.
  • You also want real-time conversation mode.
Google Translate review

Questions people ask

Is DeepL or Google Translate better?
Neither clearly leads. DeepL starts at Free and Google Translate at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DeepL or Google Translate?
DeepL starts at Free and Google Translate at Free.
Does DeepL or Google Translate run on more platforms?
DeepL runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api. Google Translate runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome.
Can I use DeepL for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DeepL best used for?
DeepL is most often used for ai tools management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, ai tools management and workflow automation are not what Google Translate is typically brought in for.
What can DeepL do that Google Translate cannot?
DeepL covers 30+ languages, Document translation, Glossary, Formal/informal toggle. Google Translate covers Text translation, Real-time conversation mode, Camera translation, Document upload.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DeepL: Does DeepL offer a free version?

Yes. DeepL offers free trial access and a free API key option, plus a paid DeepL Pro subscription tier and Enterprise solutions.

Source
Google Translate: Is the consumer Google Translate app really free with no limits?

Yes, for personal use there is no published cap or charge; usage limits only apply to the metered developer API.

DeepL: How many languages does DeepL support?

DeepL supports translation into 100+ languages including popular pairs like English-Chinese, English-French, and Chinese-English.

Source
Google Translate: How much does the developer API cost?

$20 per million characters for standard neural machine translation, after a recurring 500,000-character monthly free allowance.

DeepL: Does DeepL support voice translation?

Yes. DeepL Voice enables real-time voice translation in virtual meetings and in-person conversations for instant collaboration.

Source
Google Translate: Can I train it on my own terminology?

Yes, through AutoML Translation custom models, priced separately and starting at $80 per million characters at low volumes.

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