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Translation · head to head

memoQ vs Smartling

memoQ logo

memoQ

Translation

Adapt your communication to local cultures with memoQ

From
€2904/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smartling logo

Smartling

Translation

Enterprise translation management sold alongside first-party language services priced per word

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: memoQ only Starter tier has published pricing; Essential, Professional, and Enterprise require sales consultation; Smartling translation memory is retained for only 180 days on the Core tier, so the asset that would make a future migration cheap expires on the plan most likely to be used by a team testing the water.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which memoQ and Smartling actually diverge.

Attributes where memoQ and Smartling differ
AttributememoQSmartling
Starting price€2904/yearOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWebWeb, API

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Smartling does not also cover.

Only in Smartling

  • Translation memory
  • Visual context CAT editor
  • Configurable workflows
  • First-party language services
  • Linguistic quality assurance
  • Connectors and API

What people use each for

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

memoQ

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

Smartling

  • A company that wants one supplier answerable for both the translation platform and the quality of the translated outputnot memoQ
  • Marketing sites where a translator needs to see the rendered page, not a spreadsheet of strings, to get tone and length rightnot memoQ
  • Replacing a platform vendor plus several separate agencies with a single contract and a single invoicenot memoQ
  • Content operations at a volume where per-word rates are the dominant cost and the tooling fee is noisenot 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

Smartling

  • Translation memory is retained for only 180 days on the Core tier, so the asset that would make a future migration cheap expires on the plan most likely to be used by a team testing the water.
  • The platform subscription is not published while the per-word service rates are, so you can model the variable cost precisely and cannot model the fixed cost at all until you have been through a sales sizing exercise.
  • The vendor earns on words routed through it, so the commercial relationship rewards volume flowing to Smartling rather than volume being avoided through better reuse of existing memory.
  • Per-word pricing multiplies by target language, so adding a market to a product that ships in twelve languages costs a thirteenth of the current translation bill rather than a marginal amount.
  • Minimum contract term, minimum annual spend and whether individual connectors carry their own charge are all absent from the public site, so three of the numbers that determine total cost only appear inside a proposal.

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

Smartling

On request
  • Core$undefined/year
    • Subscription price not published
    • Basic workflow, user and project management
    • Browser CAT editor with visual context
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Subscription price not published
    • Fully configurable dynamic workflows
    • Translation memory with unlimited storage
  • Language services, charged separately per word$undefined/year
    • Machine translation from 0.0075 USD per word
    • AI translation from 0.06 USD per word
    • AI translation with human review from 0.12 USD per word

Which should you pick?

Choose memoQ if

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

memoQ review

Choose Smartling if

  • You need translation memory.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want visual context cat editor.
Smartling review

Questions people ask

Is memoQ or Smartling better?
Neither clearly leads. memoQ starts at €2904/year and Smartling at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, memoQ or Smartling?
memoQ starts at €2904/year and Smartling at On request.
Does memoQ or Smartling run on more platforms?
memoQ runs on Web. Smartling runs on Web, API.
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 Smartling is typically brought in for.
What can memoQ do that Smartling cannot?
Smartling covers Translation memory, Visual context CAT editor, Configurable workflows, First-party language services.

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
Smartling: Is there a free plan?

The Core tier is advertised as free to start, but translation memory is kept for only 180 days on it and any production deployment is a quoted subscription. Treat it as an evaluation route, not a plan.

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
Smartling: What does the platform actually cost?

Smartling does not publish it. The published figures are per-word service rates. Expect an annual subscription sized against your content volume, workflows and language count, quoted after a scoping call.

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
Smartling: Can I use Smartling with my own translators?

Yes, the platform works with your own vendors and freelancers. You then pay for software and forgo the services revenue the pricing model is built around, which weakens your negotiating position on the subscription.

Smartling: What happens to my translation memory if I leave?

Translation memory is exportable, but on Core it only covers the previous 180 days, so leaving after two years on the entry tier means most of the asset is already gone.

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