Softwr

Translation · head to head

Lokalise vs Smartcat

Lokalise logo

Lokalise

Translation

New packages to fuel your revenue growth

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 Lokalise has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lokalise there is no free tier; the entry Explorer plan starts at $144 per month; 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 Lokalise and Smartcat actually diverge.

Attributes where Lokalise and Smartcat differ
AttributeLokaliseSmartcat
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 Lokalise

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.

Lokalise

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

Smartcat

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

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

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 Lokalise if

  • You want to start without paying.
Lokalise review

Choose Smartcat if

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

Questions people ask

Is Lokalise or Smartcat better?
Neither clearly leads. Lokalise 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, Lokalise or Smartcat?
Lokalise has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lokalise and $1200/year for Smartcat.
Does Lokalise or Smartcat run on more platforms?
Lokalise runs on Web. Smartcat runs on Web, API.
Can I use Lokalise for free?
Yes. Lokalise has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Smartcat starts at $1200/year.
What is Lokalise best used for?
Lokalise is most often used for automating multi-product translation workflows, integrating github and gitlab for code localization, translating figma designs for global audiences, maintaining consistency with translation memory. Of those, automating multi-product translation workflows and integrating github and gitlab for code localization are not what Smartcat is typically brought in for.
What can Lokalise do that Smartcat cannot?
Smartcat covers Smartword allowance, Freelancer marketplace, Payer of record, Unlimited users.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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.

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
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.

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
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.

Share

Related pages

More on Lokalise

More on Smartcat

Keep looking

Other head to heads