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Translation · head to head

Google Translate vs Lokalise

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
Lokalise logo

Lokalise

Translation

New packages to fuel your revenue growth

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Lokalise there is no free tier; the entry Explorer plan starts at $144 per month
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Google Translate and Lokalise differ
AttributeGoogle TranslateLokalise
Pricing modelPer million characterssubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, ChromeWeb

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 Google Translate

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

Only in Lokalise

Nothing recorded that Google Translate does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Google Translate

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

Lokalise

  • Automating multi-product translation workflowsnot Google Translate
  • Integrating GitHub and GitLab for code localizationnot Google Translate
  • Translating Figma designs for global audiencesnot Google Translate
  • Maintaining consistency with translation memorynot Google Translate

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Lokalise

  • There is no free tier; the entry Explorer plan starts at $144 per month
  • Multi-product workflow support requires the $999 per month Advanced plan
  • Enterprise security and support features are gated behind a custom quote

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Lokalise

Free
  • Explorer$144/month
    • Entry-level tier
    • Glossaries
    • Translation memory
  • Growth$375/month
    • Enhanced automation
    • Custom triggers
    • Templates
  • Advanced$999/month
    • Complex multi-product workflows
    • Most popular tier
    • Advanced AI capabilities
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom SLA
    • Specialized security
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Lokalise if

  • You want to start without paying.
Lokalise review

Questions people ask

Is Google Translate or Lokalise better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Translate starts at Free and Lokalise at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Translate or Lokalise?
Google Translate starts at Free and Lokalise at Free.
Does Google Translate or Lokalise run on more platforms?
Google Translate runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome. Lokalise runs on Web.
Can I use Google Translate for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Google Translate best used for?
Google Translate is most often used for an individual traveller or student using the free consumer app with no volume constraints, a developer embedding translated user-generated content into an app, paying per million characters translated, a company needing occasional bulk document translation and using the per-page document api pricing, a business training a custom domain-adapted model for specialised terminology using automl translation. Of those, an individual traveller or student using the free consumer app with no volume constraints and a developer embedding translated user-generated content into an app, paying per million characters translated are not what Lokalise is typically brought in for.
What can Google Translate do that Lokalise cannot?
Google Translate covers Text translation, Real-time conversation mode, Camera translation, Document upload.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Lokalise: How much does Lokalise cost?

Lokalise offers Explorer plan at $144/month for basic translation features, Growth at $375/month for enhanced automation, and Advanced at $999/month for complex workflows. Enterprise plans require custom quotes. All pricing is for monthly billing with no setup fees.

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.

Lokalise: Does Lokalise offer a free trial?

Yes, Lokalise provides a 14-day free trial for all plans with no credit card required, giving full access to evaluate features before committing to a paid subscription.

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.

Lokalise: What features does Lokalise's Advanced plan add?

The Advanced plan ($999/month) is designed for teams with complex, multi-product workflows. It includes all Growth features plus advanced AI capabilities, 24/7 support, and a dedicated account manager.

Source
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