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Translation · head to head

Smartcat vs Weglot

Smartcat logo

Smartcat

Translation

Translation platform and freelancer marketplace billed in Smartwords, where every added target language multiplies consumption

From
$1200/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Weglot logo

Weglot

Translation

Make your website multilingual in minutes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Weglot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Smartcat smartwords are consumed as source words multiplied by target languages, so a product going from five to ten locales doubles consumption on identical source content and the plan you sized last year no longer fits.; Weglot free plan is capped at 2,000 words and a single language
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Smartcat and Weglot actually diverge.

Attributes where Smartcat and Weglot differ
AttributeSmartcatWeglot
Starting price$1200/yearFree
Pricing modelPer year by Smartword volumesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb

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 Smartcat

  • Smartword allowance
  • Freelancer marketplace
  • Payer of record
  • Unlimited users
  • Browser CAT editor
  • AI agents

Only in Weglot

Nothing recorded that Smartcat does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Smartcat

  • A company that wants to hire and pay many freelance linguists without opening a supplier account and payment channel for each onenot Weglot
  • Translation programmes with high volume in a small number of target languages, where the multiplier does the least damagenot Weglot
  • Teams that need unlimited internal users on the platform without paying per seat for occasional reviewersnot Weglot
  • Consolidating an existing freelancer roster onto one contract, one invoice and one payment railnot Weglot

Weglot

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

Where each one falls short

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

Smartcat

  • Smartwords are consumed as source words multiplied by target languages, so a product going from five to ten locales doubles consumption on identical source content and the plan you sized last year no longer fits.
  • The gap between the entry tier at 1,200 USD a year and the next at 24,000 is twentyfold with nothing between them, so a team that outgrows Adapt faces a step change rather than an increase.
  • Subscription Smartwords expire at renewal and monthly plan credits expire each cycle, so unused allowance is lost rather than banked and overbuying is a straight write-off.
  • Marketplace access, the reason many buyers choose Smartcat at all, does not exist on the entry plan, and API access with single sign-on only appears two tiers up at 60,000 USD a year.
  • The published commission table in the help centre still names retired plan tiers, so the rates a buyer would use to model marketplace cost cannot be reliably mapped onto the plans actually on sale.

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

Smartcat

$1200/year
  • Adapt$1200/year
    • Starting price, billed annually
    • 100,000 Smartwords
    • 1 workspace
  • Accelerate$24000/year
    • Starting price, billed annually
    • 1 million Smartwords
    • 1 workspace
  • Anticipate$60000/year
    • Starting price, billed annually
    • 2 million Smartwords
    • 2 workspaces
  • Autonomous$undefined/year
    • Price not published, tailored to requirements
    • 6 million Smartwords
    • 7 workspaces

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 Smartcat if

  • You need smartword allowance.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want freelancer marketplace.
Smartcat review

Choose Weglot if

  • You want to start without paying.
Weglot review

Questions people ask

Is Smartcat or Weglot better?
Neither clearly leads. Smartcat starts at $1200/year and Weglot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Smartcat or Weglot?
Weglot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1200/year for Smartcat and Free for Weglot.
Does Smartcat or Weglot run on more platforms?
Smartcat runs on Web, API. Weglot runs on Web.
Can I use Weglot for free?
Yes. Weglot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Smartcat starts at $1200/year.
What is Smartcat best used for?
Smartcat is most often used for a company that wants to hire and pay many freelance linguists without opening a supplier account and payment channel for each one, translation programmes with high volume in a small number of target languages, where the multiplier does the least damage, teams that need unlimited internal users on the platform without paying per seat for occasional reviewers, consolidating an existing freelancer roster onto one contract, one invoice and one payment rail. Of those, a company that wants to hire and pay many freelance linguists without opening a supplier account and payment channel for each one and translation programmes with high volume in a small number of target languages, where the multiplier does the least damage are not what Weglot is typically brought in for.
What can Smartcat do that Weglot cannot?
Smartcat covers Smartword allowance, Freelancer marketplace, Payer of record, Unlimited users.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Smartcat: What is a Smartword?

A credit. One Smartword is consumed per source word per target language, so 1,000 words into five languages costs 5,000 Smartwords. AI dubbing costs ten Smartwords per dubbed word.

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
Smartcat: Does Smartcat take a cut from freelancers?

No. The vendor states it does not deduct a platform commission from supplier earnings; the marketplace commission is charged to the client. Freelancers pay withdrawal fees, a fixed one to ten dollars plus half a percent, and a two and a half percent currency conversion markup.

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
Smartcat: Is there a free plan?

No. There is a fifteen day trial of the full platform. A legacy free tier still appears in help articles but is not on the current pricing page.

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
Smartcat: What happens if I do not review delivered work?

After fifteen days the system verifies the work automatically and triggers supplier payment, so silence is treated as acceptance.

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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