Pick by what you translate
Different translators are strong at different jobs:
| Job | Tools to try |
|---|---|
| A paragraph or an email | DeepL Translator, Google Translate, Kagi Translate |
| A whole web page | Firefox Translations, Kagi Translate website translation |
| Signs, menus and printed text | Camera translation in Google Translate, Apple Translate and Microsoft Translator |
| A conversation | Conversation modes in Google Translate, Apple Translate and Microsoft Translator |
| A document file | DeepL Translator (1 file a month on the free plan), Google Translate |
| Your own server or app | LibreTranslate, Argos Translate, OPUS-MT |
Free limits to know
Most translators do not publish a cap for casual use. These are the limits we found on the official pages:
| Tool | Free limit |
|---|---|
| DeepL Translator Free | 50,000 characters per user a month, 1 file translation a month up to 5 MB, 1 glossary with 5 entries per language pair |
| Kagi Translate | A monthly allowance with a free account, no card needed; the input field shows a 20,000 character maximum |
| TranslateLocally | Desktop app free; Chrome plugin free for personal use |
| Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, Apple Translate | Free apps; no character cap stated on the pages we checked |
To see how many characters a text has before you paste it, use our character counter.
Offline and on-device translation
Several translators can work without sending your text to a server or without a connection at all:
- Phone apps. Google Translate lets you download a language to translate without an internet connection. Microsoft Translator offers offline translation packs, and Apple Translate has a fully offline mode for downloaded languages.
- Firefox. Mozilla says the Firefox Translations language models are downloaded to your browser and translations are done locally.
- Desktop. TranslateLocally translates locally on your device, per its site.
- Self-hosted. LibreTranslate is an AGPL-3.0 translation API you run on your own server, built on the open source Argos Translate library. OPUS-MT offers models under CC-BY 4.0 and a server with a web interface you can start with Docker.
When machine translation is not enough
Free translators are great for understanding a text and for everyday messages. For contracts, medical papers, official forms or anything you sign, ask a professional translator or a native speaker to check the result. Short words with several meanings, names and numbers are where machine translations most often go wrong.
A quick test: translate your result back into the original language. If the meaning changed, rewrite the source in shorter, plainer sentences and try again. If you want to learn the language yourself, see our list of free language learning apps.
Free text tools on this site
- Character counter: count characters before you paste a text into a translator with a limit.
- Word counter: words, sentences and reading time.
- Image to text: pull the text out of a screenshot or scan with OCR, then translate it.
- Text to speech: hear a translation read aloud with the voices on your device.
- Speech to text: dictate a text instead of typing it.
We opened each tool's official page on the date in the table and wrote down only what it says. "Not stated" means the page does not say it.
Frequently asked questions
Is DeepL free?
Yes, DeepL has a free version. Its plan comparison lists 50,000 characters per user a month, 1 file translation a month up to 5 MB and 1 glossary for the free version. Paid plans raise these limits.
Can I translate without an internet connection?
Yes. Google Translate, Microsoft Translator and Apple Translate let you download languages for offline use. Firefox translates web pages locally in the browser, and Argos Translate and LibreTranslate can run offline on your own computer or server.
Can I translate a document for free?
DeepL Translator translates 1 file a month up to 5 MB on the free version, including PDF, Word and PowerPoint files. Google Translate says you can upload files and translate them in place without losing formatting; it does not state a size limit on the page we checked.
How do I translate text on a sign or a menu?
Use the camera mode of a phone app. Google Translate translates text when you point your camera at it, Apple Translate translates text around you in the camera view, and Microsoft Translator translates text in images.
Can I host my own translator?
Yes. LibreTranslate is a free, open source translation API under the AGPL-3.0 that you run yourself. Argos Translate is an offline library under the MIT License or CC0, and OPUS-MT offers models under CC-BY 4.0 with a Docker server.