Crowdin vs Lokalise

Side-by-side comparison · AI Translation Tools

At a glance

DimensionCrowdinLokalise
PricingFree for open-source and small projects with limits; paid plans scale with words, projects and seats - verify current pricing on the official pageNo free tier; trial access for evaluation, with paid plans priced per seat and by usage volume - verify current pricing on the official page
Free planYesPaid
Ratingβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†
Best forsoftware localisation, app and website translation, documentation and community translationsoftware localisation, mobile app translation, continuous delivery and large language sets
CategoryAI Translation ToolsAI Translation Tools

Crowdin - strengths & limits

Strengths

  • Covers the whole localisation pipeline, not just the translating
  • Vendor, community and machine translation can be mixed per project
  • Free tier suits open-source work and small catalogues

Watch out for

  • The interface is dense and takes time to configure well
  • Costs scale with translated words, projects and team seats
  • Automation quality depends on how clean the source strings are

Lokalise - strengths & limits

Strengths

  • Keeps code and translations in step through automation
  • Context features cut the guesswork that produces bad strings
  • Strong coverage of mobile release workflows and over-the-air updates

Watch out for

  • No permanent free tier, only trial access
  • Costs grow with seats, project count and translated word volume
  • Initial setup is real work for teams with messy string conventions

Which should you choose?

If your priority is software localisation, app and website translation, documentation and community translation, Crowdin is the stronger pick. If instead you care more about software localisation, mobile app translation, continuous delivery and large language sets, go with Lokalise. For most people, trying both on a free tier is the fastest way to decide - they serve the same AI Translation Tools space but differ in workflow and output style.

FAQ

Which is better, Crowdin or Lokalise?

It depends on your task. Crowdin leads on software localisation, app and website translation, documentation and community translation; Lokalise is better when you need software localisation, mobile app translation, continuous delivery and large language sets. Try both free tiers.

Can I use Crowdin and Lokalise together?

Yes - many users keep one as the daily driver and the other for specific tasks where it is stronger.