Which is the Best Language Translation Plugins for WordPress

According to statistics, approximately 65% of people prefer gaining access to content in their own language. In addition, about 40% of people would not buy products from websites in other languages.

Although WordPress does not have multilingual features, it is quite easy to create a multilingual website with the help of WordPress plugins. So what exactly is a translation plugin for WordPress?

What is a WordPress Translation Plugin?

A WordPress translation plugin translates your website’s content into multiple languages, allowing the website visitors to browse through the website in their own preferred languages. There are two types of WordPress translation plugins; automatic machine translation and self-translation.

Automatic machine translation uses a translation API like Google Translate in order to translate a website’s content. Although these automatic translations have shown significant improvements over time, they might contain misspelled words and other errors.

On the other hand, one of the surest ways to produce high-quality and error-free translations is through the help of self-translation plugins. This type of translation plugin allows you to edit and adjust the translations to suit your style.

Whichever translation plugin you use for WordPress, you will have to hire the help of a certified and professional translation agency that can help you manage large amounts of content for accurate translation.

15 Best Language Translation Plugins for WordPress

Here is a look at the 15 best WordPress language translation plugins that your enterprise can use for the translation of content into multiple global languages:

1. Weglot Translate

Weglot Translate is a lightweight plugin that offers automatic translations in over 100 global languages. The users can manage translated content from a single dashboard, allowing them to push these translations to their live websites.

Compatible with almost every website technology, Weglot has garnered over 50,000 business customers around the globe owing to its ease of use and compatibility. The best thing about Weglot is that it can handle WooCommerce product pages and checkout workflow easily and efficiently.

The notable features of this translation plugin are SEO-friendly URL support, a language switch option, and third-party translation services.

Weglot has a monthly pricing structure that is based on a number of languages and translated words. Although this makes it a bit more expensive than other plugins, the huge number of features it offers is a bargain not to be missed.

2. Lokalise

A translation plugin designed to be an all-in-one toolkit, Lokalise is an easy-to-use translation plugin for WordPress. It allows users to assign tasks as well as chat with their teams.

With a shared space, users can work together with the visibility and context that is required for a quality-backed translation project. Lokalise has over 50 integrations and fits perfectly into existing workflows of companies, making it easier for automation processes in translation.

3. WPML

Considered one of the most popular translation plugins for WordPress, WPML is capable of handling the translation needs of all types of websites, from small blogs to big corporate websites. It allows users to place each version of a language in the same domain and locate different translations on completely different domains.

Possessing an easy interface, WPML is well-known for supporting all types of posts, taxonomies, strings, and custom fields. Moreover, WPML helps to translate in over 40 languages and has a popular String Translation, implying that it has page load times reduced to less than 50%.

However, to reap the full range of benefits offered by the WPML platform, users need a multilingual CMS plan for page-builder, custom fields, translation team support, and E-commerce integration.

4. Polylang

A free WordPress translation plugin, Polylang is known for its flexibility and reliability. Users can choose their preferred options from their profiles and automatically download the language pack. Additionally, it has the ability to separate the versions of users’ sites into sub-domains for every language.

Polylang is an open-source plugin, which means that it supports as many languages as the site requires, along with custom taxonomies, RSS feeds, and posts. Featuring a simple and easy interface, Polylang allows users to add translations for their posts, widgets, and much more.

Other than that, it enables an easy setup of URLs for each language and works well with other WordPress plugins. However, Polylang does not support the translation of WordPress themes and plugins and the default plugin does not include e-commerce support, which means users will have to purchase a paid version of the plugin for getting these benefits.

5. WooCommerce Multilingual

Companies using WooCommerce websites need a WordPress plugin that can deliver translation support and integration. With WooCommerce Multilingual, companies can translate their web pages into multiple languages smoothly and easily. It enables users to operate their E-commerce platform through acceptance of different currencies.

The simple interface of the WooCommerce Multilingual plugin encourages self-usage, which means users will not need to hire a third party to do the translation job for them. Additionally, it also allows them to send emails to customers in their own native language, so as to provide maximum support for their Ecommerce business.

6. Multilingual Press

Multilingual Press is a unique and slightly different plugin from the other WordPress plugin. The unique feature that it offers is that instead of running on WordPress install, it uses the built-in WordPress Multisite Network for each language. It then allows users to connect their translated versions of their websites to the WordPress platform.

Another unique feature of Multilingual Press is that it saves data from getting lost. This means that if the previous versions of the data are deleted, the connected posts will still stay saved, along with the translated pages.

This saves the users from needing to retranslate in case of accidental deletions. Moreover, it allows easy management of content for each language from a single dashboard, while supporting pages, posts, taxonomies, and more.

7. GTranslate

Known for using Google Translate features, GTranslate comes with an auto-switch to correct the languages depending on the user’s browser settings, where users can customize their web pages according to their language and display preferences.

GTranslate comes with a support of 103 languages and has full SEO compatibility for the paid versions of the plugin. GTranslate is also a fast plugin, meaning that it handles translations in the cloud, without having any impact on the users’ site performance and work.

Additionally, it also delivers unlimited words and page views and is an SEO-friendly plugin that offers two customized URL structures to choose from, aiding in the easy management of translated content.

8. TranslatePress

A freemium WordPress translation plugin, TranslatePress has translations displayed in real-time, with robust support for both manual and automatic translation methods. Users can also translate metadata with the combined SEO pack while adding a language switcher with a shortcode.

TranslatePress has more than 100,000 active installations and is updated regularly by the developers. This plugin allows its users to directly translate their entire pages at once, and because it is a self-hosted service, the translations are saved automatically instead of getting stored offsite.

One unique feature of the plugin is the live-preview feature that makes it easier to switch between languages directly during translations. However, a drawback of the TranslatePress plugin is that it does not have a free version.

9. Google Language Translator

Google Language Translator is not an official Google plugin, but it allows users to translate directly from Google Translate onto their websites. Featuring support for over 80 languages, this plugin provides a way for users to switch language views.

Google Language Translator powers more than 500,000 multilingual sited globally and delivers automatic Google Analytics integration, with an option to hide Google top frames, while including support for multilingual SEO that helps to improve the users’ site rankings globally.

The free version of the plugin supports all languages with machine translation for unlimited words, but a paid version is required in order to enable users to gain access to translation editing and multilingual SEO support.

10. Lingotek Translation

Although not a stand-alone plugin, LingoTek Translation is compatible with Polylang, complementing it by providing vital language skills. It is a cloud-based translation support network that offers 3 different types of translation services–first,

a free machine translation of up to 100,000 characters, and second, a community translation that allows for easy translation of content using a Lingotek text editor. The third option is to choose the Lingotek professional translation service along with the help of professional translators.

The flexibility of Lingotek makes it a great plugin for companies wanting to start simple and grow into complex language implementations. It allows users to easily translate their content with the help of 5000 translators and works along with Polylang to make sure the users’ sites stay multilingual.

11. Google Website Translator

An open-source software, Google Website Translator is a free plugin that allows users to create their multilingual websites with ease. Resembling the GTranslate plugin, Google Website Translator allows users to translate their content automatically with Google Translate in over 100 global languages.

In addition, Google Website Translator is easy to use and does not limit the number of words that users can translate. It is a lightweight plugin and does not affect the website page load speed.

One drawback of this plugin is that it lacks flexibility and cannot translate users’ website URLs, which means that their posts are unable to rank high on search engines. Other than this, it does not allow users to edit their translated content.

12. Loco Translate

Targeted especially for developers, Loco Translate is a unique plugin that allows it to work with automatic translation tools owing to its built-in API. it enables users to update their language files from the plugin, theme, or even their browsers. In addition, it can also extract and generate templates, making it an ideal plugin for developers.

Loco Translate supports over 2000 translations and a variety of keyboard shortcuts that help to streamline translations across the users’ WordPress website. However, in case the themes and supporting plugins releases their updated and new versions, users will have to update the translations manually as Loco Translate does not come with an automatic update.

13. BuddyPress Multilingual

Users of the BuddyPress website need a plugin that would solve all their translation worries, and BuddyPress Multilingual is an ideal plugin for them. BuddyPress Multilingual is a free and easy-to-use plugin that delivers translations for BuddyPress pages with WPML.

Regardless of whether the users run a single or multisite installation, BuddyPress Multilingual works with both smoothly so the users will not have to approach community websites for translation support.

The various features offered by BuddyPress Multilingual include language switching, translation of email notifications, and keeping the BuddyPress flow operating smoothly in the current language.

14. WPGlobus

A part of a group of plugins that help the conversion of a website into multilingual ones, WPGlobus offers all the basic features of translating a website into multiple languages.

Featuring a front-end language switcher and an option to change the language on the admin interface, WPGlobus supports easy translations of posts, pages, tags, categories, and menus.

WPGlobus allows its users to add one or more languages while supporting Yoast SEO and the All-in-one SEO pack. Add-ons allow this plugin to work on themes that impart multilingual editing capabilities to the visual editor widget.

In addition, the premium add-on of this plugin is vital for the translation of URLs, keywords, and WooCommerce sites.

15. Babble

Babble is another easy-to-use plugin that requires an easy installation. All users have to do is to get a new language pack, install Babble, enable new languages, and translate.

After the users are done with translation, Babble displays two versions of WordPress visual editor–one with the original content and the second with translation features for a live website.

Babble is compatible with the core WordPress functions and allows users to run their websites in any language they want, with an active, open-source version that supports the development of the plugin. In addition, it is fully capable of generating translations approximately 20% faster than other premium plugins.

Key Takeaway

A WordPress plugin is an essential tool that enables WordPress users across the world to translate their websites into multiple languages. A variety of plugins are available in the market that offers easy-to-use interfaces and wide language support for quick and smooth translations into multiple languages.

However, to ensure the translations of websites are fully accurate, it is better to hire the services of a professional and certified translation company that would not only make the translation job easier, it would also provide support for a company’s business growth and success.