Softwr

Translation · head to head

memoQ vs OmegaT

memoQ logo

memoQ

Translation

Adapt your communication to local cultures with memoQ

From
€2904/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OmegaT logo

OmegaT

Translation

Free, open source desktop CAT tool under the GPLv3, maintained by a volunteer community rather than a company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OmegaT has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: memoQ only Starter tier has published pricing; Essential, Professional, and Enterprise require sales consultation; OmegaT there is no commercial support contract available, so a business relying on it for critical work has only community forums to fall back on when something breaks.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which memoQ and OmegaT actually diverge.

Attributes where memoQ and OmegaT differ
AttributememoQOmegaT
Starting price€2904/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux

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 memoQ

Nothing recorded that OmegaT does not also cover.

Only in OmegaT

  • Translation memory
  • Glossary support
  • Wide format support
  • Project-based workflow
  • Machine translation plugin support
  • Cross-platform desktop app

What people use each for

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

memoQ

  • Maintaining standardized terminology across marketsnot OmegaT
  • Detecting inconsistencies and terminology issuesnot OmegaT
  • Translating multiple projects simultaneously with teamnot OmegaT
  • Managing translation memories and term bases centrallynot OmegaT

OmegaT

  • A freelance translator who wants translation memory and fuzzy matching without paying for a Trados or memoQ licencenot memoQ
  • A small language service provider standardising on a free tool for individual translators before investing in a shared TMSnot memoQ
  • A translator working with files from clients using commercial CAT tools, leveraging Okapi’s format support for compatibilitynot memoQ
  • A developer or power user who wants to inspect, modify or extend the tool since it is open source under the GPLv3not memoQ

Where each one falls short

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

memoQ

  • Only Starter tier has published pricing; Essential, Professional, and Enterprise require sales consultation
  • Higher tiers require minimum PM license requirements (1+, 5+, 10+)
  • Linguist subscription scaling not transparent for plans above Starter

OmegaT

  • There is no commercial support contract available, so a business relying on it for critical work has only community forums to fall back on when something breaks.
  • It lacks the cloud-hosted, real-time collaborative project management features of commercial TMS platforms like memoQ or Smartling.
  • The interface is a Java desktop application with a dated look and feel compared with modern web-based CAT tools, which affects onboarding speed for new users.
  • Release cadence and feature development depend on volunteer contributor availability rather than a company roadmap, so some requested features take a long time to arrive, if ever.
  • Machine translation integration requires configuring third-party API keys (Google, DeepL) separately, adding setup steps a commercial all-in-one tool would handle natively.

Pricing, plan by plan

memoQ

€2904/year
  • Starter$2904/year
    • 1 Project Manager license
    • 5 Linguist subscriptions
    • Translate unlimited content
  • Essential$null/custom
    • 1+ PM licenses
    • 10 Linguist subscriptions per PM
    • Contact sales for pricing
  • Professional$null/custom
    • 5+ PM licenses
    • 10 Linguist subscriptions per PM
    • Contact sales for pricing
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • 10+ PM licenses
    • Custom Linguist subscriptions
    • Contact sales for pricing

OmegaT

Free
  • OmegaTFree
    • Full CAT tool functionality, GPLv3 licensed
    • No paid tier, no vendor support contract available

Which should you pick?

Choose memoQ if

Nothing in the data separates memoQ from OmegaT on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

memoQ review

Choose OmegaT if

  • You need translation memory.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want glossary support.
OmegaT review

Questions people ask

Is memoQ or OmegaT better?
Neither clearly leads. memoQ starts at €2904/year and OmegaT at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, memoQ or OmegaT?
OmegaT has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €2904/year for memoQ and Free for OmegaT.
Does memoQ or OmegaT run on more platforms?
memoQ runs on Web. OmegaT runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use OmegaT for free?
Yes. OmegaT has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. memoQ starts at €2904/year.
What is memoQ best used for?
memoQ is most often used for maintaining standardized terminology across markets, detecting inconsistencies and terminology issues, translating multiple projects simultaneously with team, managing translation memories and term bases centrally. Of those, maintaining standardized terminology across markets and detecting inconsistencies and terminology issues are not what OmegaT is typically brought in for.
What can memoQ do that OmegaT cannot?
OmegaT covers Translation memory, Glossary support, Wide format support, Project-based workflow.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

memoQ: What is memoQ's entry-level pricing for translation management?

memoQ Starter plan costs 2,904 euros per year (approximately $3,194 USD annually). This includes 1 Project Manager license and 5 Linguist subscriptions with unlimited translation capacity.

Source
OmegaT: Is OmegaT really free, with no paid version?

Yes, it is fully free and open source under the GPLv3, with no commercial edition or vendor support contract sold alongside it.

memoQ: Does memoQ charge based on translation volume?

No, memoQ explicitly states no volume-based pricing model. Users can translate as much content as needed within their subscription tier without additional volume charges.

Source
OmegaT: Who maintains OmegaT?

A volunteer open source community, not a company; this differs from MateCat, which is developed and hosted by the company Translated.

memoQ: How do I get pricing for memoQ's Enterprise plan?

memoQ's Enterprise tier requires minimum 10 Project Manager licenses and custom Linguist subscription arrangements. Customers must contact memoQ sales directly for pricing details.

Source
OmegaT: Can it open files from Trados or Wordfast?

Yes, via the bundled Okapi Filters plugin, which supports SDLXLIFF, TTX, TXML and many other commercial CAT tool formats.

Share

Related pages

More on memoQ

More on OmegaT

Keep looking

Other head to heads