10 Best Website Translation Plugins for Multilingual Websites

Did you know that 85% of online shoppers prefer sites in their language? To reach more customers worldwide, website translation is essential.

WordPress doesn’t have built-in translation, but translation plugins can help you:

• Reach a global audience.
• Improve SEO in many languages.
• Increase traffic and sales.

From my experience with translation tools, choosing the right plugin is key. There are generally two main types:

• Manual translation plugins: Offer the most control over translation quality.
• Automatic translation plugins: Quickly translate your site using services like Google Translate, but quality may vary.
• Hybrid plugins: Combine both approaches.

To help you choose, this post will cover the 10 best website translation plugins, based on:

• Ease of use
• Translation features
• Pricing
• User reviews

What to Look For in a WordPress Website Translation Plugin?

When choosing a WordPress website translation plugin, prioritize these factors to ensure effective content:

• Accuracy: Natural-sounding translations are key. While AI like Deep is useful, the ability to manually correct translations is essential.
• SEO-friendly: The plugin should create unique web addresses for each language to improve search engine visibility and reach a wider audience. Multilingual SEO means optimizing a website for search engines in many languages.
• Compatibility: Make sure the plugin works smoothly with other tools, like page builders.
• Speed: Choose a plugin that doesn’t slow down the site. Plugins that pre-translate pages are better than those that translate in real time.
• Ease of Use: The interface should be simple and easy to use to make the translation process easier.
• Language Support: Check that the plugin supports all the languages you need.
• Integration: Some plugins connect with professional human translation services for better accuracy.
• Customer Support: Good support is very helpful if problems come up.

Best WordPress Multilingual Plugins

Here’s a list of some of the best WordPress multilingual plugins, divided into manual and automatic translation options:

Best WordPress Multilingual Plugins with Manual Translation

These plugins enable you to manually add multilingual content to your website, giving you complete control over the quality of translations and ensuring a better user experience.

1. TranslatePress

Translate your website directly from the front end using a visual interface. TranslatePress works well for bloggers and small businesses needing a simple way to translate their websites. It is versatile for different WordPress sites since it supports WooCommerce, custom post types, themes, and site builders. The plugin is made to not slow down your site

Key features include:

• Visual Translation Interface: See changes in real-time as you translate directly from the front end.
• Compatibility: Works with various themes and plugins.
• Translation Options: Supports manual and automatic translation using services like Google Translate or DeepL, allowing for manual adjustments.
• SEO-Friendly: Generates SEO-friendly URLs for each language.
• Dynamic Content Translation: Easily translates dynamic content like sliders and custom fields.
• Image Translation: Supports the translation of images and other media.
• Language Switcher: Add language switchers anywhere on your site.
• Self-hosted: All translations are stored locally on your server.

Additional features and add-ons:

• Automatic Translation: Translate your entire website automatically.
• Extra Languages: Add unlimited translation languages.
• Translator Accounts: Create accounts for translators without admin rights.
• Automatic Language Detection: Redirect first-time visitors to their preferred language.

User Experience:

• Ease of Use: TranslatePress is user-friendly and intuitive.
• Streamlined Translation: Translates the full page content directly from the front end.

Pros:

• Offers a visual translation interface.
• Supports both manual and automatic translation.
• Generates SEO-friendly URLs.

Cons:

• Some advanced features need premium add-ons.

2. WPML

WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin) helps you make websites in multiple languages, by allowing for the translation of pages, posts, menus, and themes.

Key aspects include:

• Translation Options: WPML offers both automatic and manual translation options, using services like Google, DeepL, and Microsoft for up to 90% accuracy.
• Compatibility: It works with most WordPress themes and plugins, including page builders like Elementor and SeedProd.
• SEO-Friendly: The plugin lets you control URLs and meta info, which helps optimize your website for search engines in different languages.
• Translation Management: WPML integrates with professional translation services, so you can assign translation tasks.
• User Interface: WPML includes an easy visual editor and setup wizard.

Some things to consider:

• WPML is a premium plugin, and it may affect site speed.
• The basic license is the Multilingual Blog plan, but the Multilingual CMS plan is needed for more advanced features.
• WPML is a reliable plugin for multilingual WordPress websites, even though it doesn’t have a free version or trial.

3. Weglot

Weglot is a WordPress translation plugin that provides a simple way to translate a website into multiple languages.

Key Functionality:

• Automatic Translation: Weglot uses machine learning to automatically translate the entire website, including text, images, and SEO metadata.
• Translation Management Tools: It provides tools for team collaboration with professional translators.
• SEO Optimization: Weglot follows SEO practices, ensuring translated pages are indexed by search engines.

Setup and Interface:

• Quick Installation: The setup process is quick and easy.
• User-Friendly Dashboard: Weglot uses a cloud-based platform where users can translate and manage content.
• Visitor Language Redirection: Weglot automatically redirects visitors to their local language.

Additional Features:

• Team Collaboration: Weglot is suitable for growing businesses, allowing multiple team members, with plans accommodating 5 to 50 members.
• Language Support: Weglot supports over 110 languages.
• Integrations: It integrates with platforms like WooCommerce, HubSpot, and Salesforce.
• Translation Editing: Translations can be edited and adjusted after Weglot translates a site.
• Multilingual SEO: The plugin is optimized for multilingual search.
• URL Structure: Weglot can translate website URLs, which is essential for multilingual SEO, providing options such as country-specific URLs, subdomains, and subdirectories.

Intended User:

Weglot is ideal for eCommerce stores and multilingual WordPress sites needing efficient translation solutions with minimal setup. It is a complete, scalable solution for expanding teams that prioritize both efficiency and quality translation.

Pricing:

Weglot uses a monthly pricing structure based on the number of languages and translated words, which may be more expensive than plugins with a fixed yearly license. A free plan with limited features is available.

Weglot is an all-in-one cloud-based translation platform. To use it, you need to enter the Weglot API to connect a WordPress site to their platform and then choose the preferred language, site language, and the languages to be added.

4. Polylang

Polylang is a WordPress translation plugin that helps you create a multilingual website. It allows you to translate posts, pages, media, and categories. Polylang works well for simple blogs or single-page sites needing an easy way to create bilingual or multilingual content.

The plugin has a straightforward interface that allows you to easily add translations. Polylang is compatible with major SEO plugins and handles multilingual SEO. It is a good choice for translating words generated by your WordPress theme, ensuring your website looks professional in every language.

Key features include:

• Translation of WordPress posts, pages, media, categories, post tags, custom post types, and taxonomies.
• Translation of menus, widgets, and URLs.
• Support for RSS feeds and RTL script translation.
• Customizable language switcher.
• Easy setup wizard.

Some drawbacks:

• The plugin author doesn’t offer support for the free version.
• It does not come with support to translate your WordPress theme and plugins.
• The default plugin doesn’t include eCommerce support, so you’ll need to purchase a paid add-on.

Pricing:

The base plugin is free, and the Pro version is available for €99 with a single site license.

5. MultilingualPress

MultilingualPress is a WordPress translation plugin that simplifies the creation of multilingual websites. It stands out for its ease of use, allowing you to translate your entire site with just a few clicks without needing to manage complicated setups.

Key Features:

• Simplicity: Easy to use without complicated setups.
• Dashboard: Has an intuitive dashboard that puts language control at your fingertips.
• Compatibility: Compatible with major page builders and plugins, enhancing your existing setup without disruptions. Supports Gutenberg, Elementor, and Beaver Builder. Optimized for WooCommerce.
• SEO-friendly: Prioritizes multilingual SEO, giving each language version a fair chance to rank in search engines. Creates SEO-friendly URLs and provides automatic hreflang support. Yoast SEO sync.
• Language Support: Offers more than 800 languages by default. Supports RTL languages.
• Multisite Support: Works well with WordPress multisite, allowing you to create a network of connected WordPress sites, each representing a different language version.
• Automatic Language Redirection: Has automatic language redirection.
• No Lock-in: There’s no lock-in, meaning that even if you disable the plugin, all your sites will work as usual without data loss.

Pricing:

Starting from $99 per year for a single multisite license.

Best WordPress Multilingual Plugins with Auto Translation

1. Google Language Translator

Google Language Translator is a lightweight WordPress translation plugin that facilitates the creation of multilingual websites. It uses Google Translate API to translate website content based on the user’s selection.

Key Features:

• Ease of Use: It is very easy to create a multilingual website.
• Language Support: Connects to Google Translate API and can translate into over 100 languages.
• Automatic Translation: Content is translated based on the user’s language selection.
• Widget Display: The translation option is displayed as a widget, allowing users to choose their preferred language.
• Automatic language detection: This can automatically translate content based on the user’s browser language.

Cons:

• The source does not explicitly mention the cons of using the Google Language Translator plugin, but it does state the free plan does not allow manual edits to translations.
• Translations are machine-generated, so the quality may not be that great.

Pricing:

• Free.
• There is a paid version with additional features.
• A lifetime plan is available for €59, which includes free updates and customer support.

2. GTranslate

GTranslate is a popular WordPress translation plugin powered by Google Translate that allows you to translate your website content into 100+ languages. It is designed to help you increase international traffic and reach a global audience.

Key Features:

• Automatic Translation: Instantly translates your website upon installation using Google and Bing automatic translations.
• Manual Correction: Allows you to manually correct Google’s automatic translation if needed.
• SEO-Friendly:
  • Offers a separate URL for each language to improve multilingual SEO strategy. For example, domain.fr will rank higher in search results in France.
  • Translates website URLs, which is essential for multilingual SEO, and allows you to modify the translated URLs.
  • Search engines will index your translated pages, enabling people to find your products by searching in their native language.
• Customization: Comes with various widgets where users can easily select their preferred language.
• Integration: Provides Google Analytics integration, so you can measure whether providing translation on your site benefits your users. Fully compatible with popular plugins like Yoast SEO and WooCommerce in the pro version.

Other Features:

• Dashboard with metrics to see who is visiting and how many translated versions are happening.
• Seamless updates without the need to check for and install software updates.
• Translation Delivery Network (TDN).
• Centralized translation cache.
• Language hosting: each language can have its domain.

Cons:

• The free version uses statistical machine translations.
• The quality of statistical translation may not be that great.

Pricing:

GTranslate offers various pricing plans:

• Free: Includes a language selector widget, machine translation, unlimited words and page views, search engine indexing, and the ability to edit translations.
• Custom: $9.99/month ($99.90/year)
• Startup: $19.99/month ($199.90/year)
• Business: $29.99/month ($299.90/year)
• Enterprise: $39.99/month ($399.90/year)

3. Loco Translate

Loco Translate is a WordPress plugin designed to help you translate WordPress themes and plugins directly in your browser. It is particularly useful for developers who want to offer international versions of their themes and plugins. The plugin focuses on localization, allowing you to translate website content, plugins, and theme strings directly within the WordPress dashboard.

Key Features:

• Easy Installation: Simple to install.
• Translation Editor: Built-in translation editor within the WordPress admin interface.
• Language File Management: Create and update language files.
• Compatibility: Works well with WordPress, fitting in with many themes and plugins.
• Integration with Translation APIs: Integrates with translation APIs such as DeepL, Google, Microsoft, and Lecto AI.
• In-Browser Editor: Translates content right where you see it, showing how it looks as you make changes.

Cons:

The sources do not explicitly mention the cons of using Loco Translate.

Pricing:

• Free.
• Loco Pro plans start at $5.95 per month.

4. Multilanguage

Multilanguage is a free translation plugin available for WordPress users that enables website visitors to switch languages and browse content in their preferred language. It is designed to be user-friendly and to integrate seamlessly with existing WordPress setups.

Key Features:

• User-Friendly: Easy to use, requiring no coding knowledge.
• Integration: Seamlessly integrates with existing WordPress setups.
• Language Support:
  • Supports over 80 pre-installed languages, including regional dialects and variants.
  • You can easily add new languages as needed.
• Language Switcher:
  • Includes multiple language switcher layouts.
  • Offers a modern language switch option on your website with flag icons.
• Automatic Language Detection: Can direct visitors to the version of your site in their preferred language automatically.
• Translation-Ready Dashboard: Provides a translation-ready admin dashboard.
• Manual Translation: This allows you to manually translate your website content directly from your post editor.
• RTL Support: Supports RTL (right-to-left) languages.

Cons:

The sources do not explicitly mention the cons of using the Multilanguage plugin.

Pricing:

• Free.
• Paid plans start at $39 per year, which includes all premium features and customer support for a year. A lifetime plan is also available for $380.

5. Google Website Translator

The Google Website Translator plugin lets you use the Google Translate API to translate your website’s content. It’s a good choice if you want to give visitors the option to translate.

Key Features:

• Google Translate API: Uses the Google Translate API to translate website content.
• Customization: You can select the languages you want to show in the language switcher.
• Widget/Shortcode:
  • Offers a default Google Translate button that can be displayed anywhere on your website.
  • The language switcher can be displayed using a sidebar widget or an inline shortcode. The shortcode feature lets you provide machine translations for specific pages as needed.
• Automatic language detection: The plugin has the functionality to detect a user’s language via their browser settings.
• Speed: Has almost zero impact on your page load speeds.

Cons:

The source does not explicitly mention the cons of using the Google Website Translator plugin, however, keep in mind that translations are machine-generated, so the quality may not be that great.

Pricing:

• Free.
• A lifetime plan is available for €59 that includes free updates and customer support.

Conclusion

WordPress offers various translation plugins tailored to different needs, from manual precision to automated speed.

• For an all-in-one solution with a user-friendly visual interface, TranslatePress is a top pick.
• WPML suits large international businesses, providing robust features for both manual and automated translation.
• Weglot is ideal for eCommerce stores needing efficient translation and minimal setup.
• If you seek budget-friendly automatic translation, GTranslate balances speed and convenience.

The right choice depends on factors like budget, technical expertise, and desired translation quality.

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FAQs

Q. Does WordPress have a translation feature?

No, WordPress does not have a built-in translation feature, but translation plugins like WPML, Polylang, or TranslatePress can easily add this functionality.

Q. How do I know which languages to translate my site into?

Connect your site to Google Analytics to see where your traffic is coming from geographically. If you notice traffic from a specific location, like France, consider offering your site in French.

Q. How do you translate a WordPress website?

Use a translation plugin like WPML or Polylang to translate your content manually or automatically, depending on your preference.

Q. What are multilingual plugins for WordPress?

Multilingual plugins help you translate your website into different languages easily, creating versions of your site in multiple languages so visitors can understand it better.

Q. What is multilingual SEO?

Multilingual SEO refers to optimising your website for search engines in multiple languages. It ensures your site appears in search results when people search in different languages, helping you reach a wider audience.

Q. What Is the WPML Plugin?

WPML is a popular translation plugin for WordPress that makes it easy to create multilingual websites. It lets you translate your content into different languages manage everything from one dashboard and integrate with automatic translation services like Google Language Translator.

Q. Are there any free multilingual plugins available for WordPress?

Yes, free multilingual plugins like Polylang and Loco Translate offer basic translation features to help you get started with translating your website.

Q. What is the best plugin to translate WordPress theme-generated words?

Polylang is a good choice for translating words generated by your WordPress theme. It lets you translate theme-generated words easily, ensuring your website looks professional in every language.

Q. Which WordPress translation plugin is the most SEO-friendly?

WPML stands out as an SEO-friendly translation plugin. It helps you optimize your website for search engines in different languages, ensuring your site ranks well in search results across the globe.

Q. Which is the best WordPress translation plugin for automatic content translation?

For automatic translation, GTranslate is a top choice. It automatically translates your website content into multiple languages using machine translation, saving you time and effort.

Q. What is the most user-friendly WordPress translation plugin?

TranslatePress is a user-friendly WordPress translation plugin. Its visual translation editor lets you translate your website directly from the front end, making the process simple and intuitive.

Q. What is the best way to translate your WordPress site?

The best way to translate your WordPress site is based on your requirements and preferences. You can choose a manual translation plugin like Polylang or an automatic translation plugin like GTranslate, depending on what works best for you.

Q. Is Polylang better than WPML?

Polylang and WPML are the best translation plugins for WordPress. While WPML provides more advanced features and support, Polylang is simpler and more user-friendly for basic translation needs.

Q. Will translations slow down my website?

Generally, no. Choosing a reliable, well-built plugin means you won’t need to worry about speed and performance. Lightweight and well-coded plugins shouldn’t affect your site’s loading times.

Q. What is the Easy Translate plugin for WordPress?

Easy Translate is a plugin for WordPress that makes translating your website straightforward. It offers a simple interface and intuitive features, making it ideal for beginners.