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Translation · head to head

Pontoon vs Weglot

Pontoon logo

Pontoon

Translation

Mozilla open source localisation platform that you host yourself

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Weglot logo

Weglot

Translation

Make your website multilingual in minutes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pontoon there is no hosted commercial edition, so adopting it means running Django, PostgreSQL and a task queue yourself and keeping them patched.; Weglot free plan is capped at 2,000 words and a single language
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pontoon and Weglot actually diverge.

Attributes where Pontoon and Weglot differ
AttributePontoonWeglot
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb

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 Pontoon

  • Repository sync
  • Suggest and approve workflow
  • Fluent support
  • Translation memory
  • Machine translation suggestions
  • Contributor statistics

Only in Weglot

Nothing recorded that Pontoon does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Pontoon

  • Open source projects with volunteer translator communities across many localesnot Weglot
  • Organisations that must keep translation data on their own infrastructurenot Weglot
  • Projects using Mozilla Fluent where commercial tools have partial or no supportnot Weglot
  • Replacing a per seat translation platform where contributor count, not word volume, drives the billnot Weglot

Weglot

  • E-commerce store translation into multiple languages instantlynot Pontoon
  • Government website content accessibility in native languagesnot Pontoon
  • Educational institution information in student/parent native languagesnot Pontoon
  • International website reach for marketing teamsnot Pontoon
  • Custom web application translation with media file supportnot Pontoon

Where each one falls short

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

Pontoon

  • There is no hosted commercial edition, so adopting it means running Django, PostgreSQL and a task queue yourself and keeping them patched.
  • No vendor support and no service level agreement exist, so an outage during a release freeze is your engineering problem alone.
  • The roadmap serves Mozilla localisation needs first, and features outside that scope are unlikely to be built for you.
  • Format coverage is narrow next to commercial systems: it is strong on PO and Fluent, weak on document formats such as InDesign or complex XML.
  • Because you host it, security and compliance evidence such as an external audit report does not exist, so any assurance your customers need has to be produced by your own team.

Weglot

  • Free plan is capped at 2,000 words and a single language
  • Starter plan at $17 per month is limited to 1 language; reaching 3 languages requires the $32 per month Business plan
  • Word caps scale by tier from 10,000 on Starter up to 5,000,000 on the $769 per month Extended plan, with Enterprise priced on request beyond that

Pricing, plan by plan

Pontoon

Free
  • Open source, self-hostedFree
    • No licence fee and no per contributor charge
    • You provide hosting, database and maintenance
    • Machine translation billed by whichever engine you connect

Weglot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2000 words
    • 1 language
  • Starter$17/month
    • 10000 words
    • 1 language
  • Business$32/month
    • 50000 words
    • 3 languages
  • Pro$87/month
    • 200000 words
    • 5 languages
    • Professional translator access

Which should you pick?

Choose Pontoon if

  • You need repository sync.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want suggest and approve workflow.
Pontoon review

Choose Weglot if

  • You want to start without paying.
Weglot review

Questions people ask

Is Pontoon or Weglot better?
Neither clearly leads. Pontoon starts at Free and Weglot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pontoon or Weglot?
Pontoon starts at Free and Weglot at Free.
Does Pontoon or Weglot run on more platforms?
Pontoon runs on Web, Self-hosted. Weglot runs on Web.
Can I use Pontoon for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Pontoon best used for?
Pontoon is most often used for open source projects with volunteer translator communities across many locales, organisations that must keep translation data on their own infrastructure, projects using mozilla fluent where commercial tools have partial or no support, replacing a per seat translation platform where contributor count, not word volume, drives the bill. Of those, open source projects with volunteer translator communities across many locales and organisations that must keep translation data on their own infrastructure are not what Weglot is typically brought in for.
What can Pontoon do that Weglot cannot?
Pontoon covers Repository sync, Suggest and approve workflow, Fluent support, Translation memory.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pontoon: Is there a paid hosted version?

No. Mozilla runs an instance for its own projects. Anyone else deploys their own.

Weglot: What is Weglot's pricing model?

Weglot offers seven tiers from free ($0/month with 2000 words, 1 language) to Enterprise (custom pricing). The Pro plan at $87/month includes 200,000 words and 5 languages with professional translator access.

Source
Pontoon: What does it actually cost?

Server hosting, engineering time to operate it, and whatever machine translation engine you connect. There is no licence fee.

Weglot: Does Weglot offer a free trial?

Yes, all plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. Users can test the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Source
Pontoon: Is it suitable for a commercial product?

Only if you have infrastructure staff and mostly software string formats. Document translation and vendor support are missing.

Weglot: What discount does Weglot offer for annual subscriptions?

Subscribe annually to receive 2 months free, effectively discounting your annual cost by one-sixth. You only pay the difference when upgrading plans mid-billing cycle.

Source
Weglot: How does Weglot handle over-limit usage?

When accounts exceed their plan's word limit, Weglot sends email notifications. An auto-upgrade feature is available to automatically move to the next tier without service interruption.

Source
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