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Translation · head to head

Lokalise vs Unbabel

Lokalise logo

Lokalise

Translation

New packages to fuel your revenue growth

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unbabel logo

Unbabel

Translation

Human-in-the-loop translation combining machine translation with human post-editing, priced per word rather than per character

From
On request
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; Unbabel the attractive low per-word rate requires a minimum annual commitment reported around $120,000, which prices out most small and mid-sized businesses.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lokalise and Unbabel actually diverge.

Attributes where Lokalise and Unbabel differ
AttributeLokaliseUnbabel
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Unbabel does not also cover.

Only in Unbabel

  • Machine translation with human post-editing
  • Multiple quality tiers
  • Customer support integration
  • Translation quality scoring
  • Human translator network
  • Enterprise reporting

What people use each for

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

Lokalise

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

Unbabel

  • A multilingual customer support operation needing translated tickets accurate enough to send directly to customersnot Lokalise
  • An enterprise with predictable, high-volume support translation needs able to justify a six-figure annual commitmentnot Lokalise
  • A company wanting different quality tiers (raw MT versus human post-edited) depending on the sensitivity of the contentnot Lokalise
  • A business integrating translation directly into an existing helpdesk platform rather than building a custom pipelinenot 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

Unbabel

  • The attractive low per-word rate requires a minimum annual commitment reported around $120,000, which prices out most small and mid-sized businesses.
  • It should not be compared directly to per-character machine translation APIs, since the pricing unit, inclusion of human review and use case are all different, and doing so understates the real cost.
  • Turnaround time is inherently slower than pure machine translation, since human post-editors are part of the pipeline, which matters for real-time chat use cases.
  • Public pricing detail is limited outside the enterprise tier, so smaller buyers get little transparency into what they would actually pay before a sales conversation.
  • Quality and turnaround depend partly on the availability of the human post-editor network for a given language pair, which can vary for less common languages.

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

Unbabel

On request
  • Unbabel Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Per-word pricing reported from around $0.00015/word at top volume
    • Minimum annual commitment reported around $120,000
    • Rate depends on volume, language pairs, turnaround and quality tier

Which should you pick?

Choose Lokalise if

  • You want to start without paying.
Lokalise review

Choose Unbabel if

  • You need machine translation with human post-editing.
  • You also want multiple quality tiers.
Unbabel review

Questions people ask

Is Lokalise or Unbabel better?
Neither clearly leads. Lokalise starts at Free and Unbabel at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lokalise or Unbabel?
Lokalise has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lokalise and On request for Unbabel.
Does Lokalise or Unbabel run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Lokalise for free?
Yes. Lokalise has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Unbabel starts at On request.
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 Unbabel is typically brought in for.
What can Lokalise do that Unbabel cannot?
Unbabel covers Machine translation with human post-editing, Multiple quality tiers, Customer support integration, Translation quality scoring.

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
Unbabel: Is Unbabel comparable to Google Translate’s API on price?

No, they are different products: Unbabel is a managed service billed per word with human post-editing included, while Google’s API is raw machine translation billed per character.

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
Unbabel: What is the minimum commitment?

Enterprise pricing has been reported as requiring a minimum annual commitment around $120,000, which is a meaningful barrier for smaller buyers.

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
Unbabel: Does Unbabel offer fully human translation?

Yes, alongside raw machine translation and MT-plus-post-edit tiers, priced differently by the level of human involvement.

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