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Translation · head to head

DeepL vs Smartcat

DeepL logo

DeepL

Translation

AI-powered language translation

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 DeepL has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DeepL pricing details not displayed on homepage; requires visiting separate pricing page; 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.
  • They diverge on capability: DeepL covers 30+ languages, Smartcat covers Smartword allowance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DeepL and Smartcat actually diverge.

Attributes where DeepL and Smartcat differ
AttributeDeepLSmartcat
Starting priceFree$1200/year
Pricing modelfreemiumPer year by Smartword volume
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Mobile, ApiWeb, API
Founded2017Unknown

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 DeepL

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

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.

DeepL

  • ai tools managementnot Smartcat
  • Workflow automationnot Smartcat
  • Reportingnot Smartcat

Smartcat

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

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

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

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 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 Smartcat if

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

Questions people ask

Is DeepL or Smartcat better?
Neither clearly leads. DeepL 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, DeepL or Smartcat?
DeepL has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DeepL and $1200/year for Smartcat.
Does DeepL or Smartcat run on more platforms?
DeepL runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api. Smartcat runs on Web, API.
Can I use DeepL for free?
Yes. DeepL has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Smartcat starts at $1200/year.
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 Smartcat is typically brought in for.
What can DeepL do that Smartcat cannot?
DeepL covers 30+ languages, Document translation, Glossary, Formal/informal toggle. Smartcat covers Smartword allowance, Freelancer marketplace, Payer of record, Unlimited users.

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
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.

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
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.

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
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.

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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