Softwr

Translation · head to head

wxrks vs MateCat

wxrks logo

wxrks

Translation

Translation platform formerly called Bureau Works, priced by processed words per year with unlimited seats and a real free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MateCat logo

MateCat

Translation

Free, browser-based CAT tool under the LGPL, developed and hosted by the translation company Translated

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: wxrks connectors are marked as billed separately on the pricing page with no rate published anywhere, so the integration that justifies buying the platform carries a cost you cannot discover until you ask.; MateCat the hosted version most users rely on depends on Translated srl’s continued operation and infrastructure decisions, unlike a self-run desktop tool.
  • They diverge on capability: wxrks covers Published price ladder, MateCat covers Browser-based CAT interface.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which wxrks and MateCat actually diverge.

Attributes where wxrks and MateCat differ
AttributewxrksMateCat
Pricing modelPer year by processed word volumeOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb

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 wxrks

  • Published price ladder
  • Unlimited user seats
  • Four parallel meters
  • Published overage rates
  • Marketplace
  • Repository and design connectors

Only in MateCat

  • Browser-based CAT interface
  • Machine translation suggestions
  • Translation memory
  • Quality assurance checks
  • Project management
  • File translation

What people use each for

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

wxrks

  • A team that needs to model localisation cost from published numbers rather than sit through a sales cycle to get a figurenot MateCat
  • Content operations with many occasional reviewers, since seats are unlimited and only analytics users are chargednot MateCat
  • Developer-led localisation pulling strings from GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket rather than a content management systemnot MateCat
  • Small teams and side projects that can live inside 60,000 words a year on the permanent free tiernot MateCat

MateCat

  • A freelance translator wanting a no-install, browser-based CAT tool with built-in machine translation suggestionsnot wxrks
  • A small agency wanting basic hosted project management without paying for a commercial TMSnot wxrks
  • A translator who wants MT suggestions from multiple engines surfaced alongside translation memory matches in one interfacenot wxrks
  • A team occasionally needing quick file translation through a browser without setting up desktop softwarenot wxrks

Where each one falls short

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

wxrks

  • Connectors are marked as billed separately on the pricing page with no rate published anywhere, so the integration that justifies buying the platform carries a cost you cannot discover until you ask.
  • Four separate meters run in parallel and any one of them can be exhausted while the others have headroom, so a workload heavy on API calls or AI tokens can force a plan upgrade long before the word allowance is touched.
  • Word allowances are annual rather than monthly, so a single large launch early in the term can consume most of the year and leave the remaining months on overage rates.
  • The marketplace is promoted as a way to reach agencies and translators, but whether the vendor takes a commission and how linguists are paid is not disclosed anywhere on the public site.
  • The company rebranded from Bureau Works in March 2026, so existing documentation, third-party guides, integration listings and internal references still carry the old name, and the vendor is small with no disclosed funding behind it.

MateCat

  • The hosted version most users rely on depends on Translated srl’s continued operation and infrastructure decisions, unlike a self-run desktop tool.
  • It is developed by a commercial translation company whose own paid services sit alongside the free tool, which is worth being aware of when evaluating vendor neutrality.
  • Being browser-based, it requires a stable internet connection, unlike OmegaT’s fully offline desktop application.
  • Advanced terminology management and enterprise-scale project features are more limited than a paid commercial TMS such as memoQ or Smartling.
  • Self-hosting the open source LGPL code independently of Translated’s hosted service requires technical setup effort that most individual translators are unlikely to undertake.

Pricing, plan by plan

wxrks

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 60,000 processed words per year
    • 2,300 API calls
    • 300,000 stateless AI tokens
  • Starter$38/month
    • Billed yearly
    • 1 million words per year
    • 38,000 API calls, 5 million AI tokens, 330,000 MT words
  • Boutique$180/month
    • Billed yearly
    • 3.2 million words per year
    • 122,000 API calls, 16 million AI tokens, 1 million MT words
  • Clockwork$470/month
    • Billed yearly
    • 9.6 million words per year
    • Overage at 0.0005 USD per word

MateCat

Free
  • MateCatFree
    • Free browser-based CAT tool, LGPL licensed
    • Hosted and operated by Translated srl

Which should you pick?

Choose wxrks if

  • You need published price ladder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want unlimited user seats.
wxrks review

Choose MateCat if

  • You need browser-based cat interface.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want machine translation suggestions.
MateCat review

Questions people ask

Is wxrks or MateCat better?
Neither clearly leads. wxrks starts at Free and MateCat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, wxrks or MateCat?
wxrks starts at Free and MateCat at Free.
Does wxrks or MateCat run on more platforms?
wxrks runs on Web, API. MateCat runs on Web.
Can I use wxrks for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is wxrks best used for?
wxrks is most often used for a team that needs to model localisation cost from published numbers rather than sit through a sales cycle to get a figure, content operations with many occasional reviewers, since seats are unlimited and only analytics users are charged, developer-led localisation pulling strings from github, gitlab or bitbucket rather than a content management system, small teams and side projects that can live inside 60,000 words a year on the permanent free tier. Of those, a team that needs to model localisation cost from published numbers rather than sit through a sales cycle to get a figure and content operations with many occasional reviewers, since seats are unlimited and only analytics users are charged are not what MateCat is typically brought in for.
What can wxrks do that MateCat cannot?
wxrks covers Published price ladder, Unlimited user seats, Four parallel meters, Published overage rates. MateCat covers Browser-based CAT interface, Machine translation suggestions, Translation memory, Quality assurance checks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

wxrks: Is this still Bureau Works?

Yes. The company rebranded to wxrks on 23 March 2026 and bureauworks.com redirects to wxrks.com. The legal entity is Bureau Translations Inc.

MateCat: Is MateCat really free?

Yes, it is free to use as a hosted browser-based tool and released as open source under the LGPL.

wxrks: Is the free plan permanent?

Yes. It allows 60,000 processed words a year along with API call, AI token and machine translation allowances, and unlimited user seats. A fourteen day trial of paid features is offered separately.

MateCat: Who maintains MateCat?

Translated srl, an Italian translation company, develops and hosts it; this differs from OmegaT, which is maintained by a volunteer open source community.

wxrks: What happens when I exceed the word allowance?

You pay a published per-word overage rate, from 0.0009 USD on Starter falling to 0.0003 USD on the largest plans, rather than being cut off.

MateCat: Can I self-host MateCat instead of using Translated’s hosted version?

The code is open source under the LGPL and technically self-hostable, but doing so requires meaningful technical setup most individual users skip in favour of the hosted service.

wxrks: Do connectors cost extra?

The pricing page states connectors are billed separately but publishes no rate. Get the figure in writing before signing, because it is the one unbounded item in an otherwise transparent price list.

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