Best WordPress Translation Plugins: Must-Have Features in 2024

With over 43% of all websites built on WordPress, having a multilingual site is crucial for reaching global audiences today.1

But the wide selection of translation plugins available can make it hard to determine the best fit for your needs.

In this extensive guide, we‘ll cover:

  • Key benefits of utilizing a translation plugin
  • Critical factors in choosing a plugin
  • In-depth profiles of the top 7 plugins
  • Comparisons of machine vs human vs hybrid translation
  • Optimization tips and best practices
  • FAQs on implementing multilingual support

Let‘s get started.

Why Translate Your WordPress Site?

Expanding your website into multiple languages brings three major advantages:

1. Increased Global Reach and Engagement

English dominates web content, but just 26% of internet users worldwide are native English speakers.2

Translating your site opens it up to the over 4 billion internet users more comfortable in other languages.

Internet Users by Language

Delivering content in your visitors‘ preferred language is also key for conversion and engagement.

One study found 73% of consumers are more likely to purchase when provided information in their native language.3

So supporting multiple tongues allows you to better connect with users worldwide.

2. Improved SEO and Localized Rankings

Translated content enables search engines to better crawl, index, and rank your pages for international searches in the relevant locale.

However, you need to implement hreflang tags to avoid duplicate content issues:

hreflang tags example

Hreflang tells search bots about alternate language versions so they index the appropriate localized page.

3. Lower Bounce Rates and Better UX

Visitors are much more likely to engage with content in their own language. Translated pages reduce confusion and friction.

Supporting multiple languages provides a smoother, more positive experience for international users, lowering bounce rates.

How to Select the Ideal Translation Plugin

Now let‘s explore key factors to evaluate when selecting a translation plugin for your WordPress site:

Languages Supported

Ensure the plugin supports all the languages you need now and may need in the future. Wider language support provides more flexibility.

Translation Method

You‘ll also need to decide between machine, human, or hybrid translation:

  • Machine translation is fast and affordable but less accurate with nuances. Good for gist translations.

  • Human translation delivers high quality but is slower and pricier. Ideal when nuance is important.

  • Hybrid combines both for a balance of quality and cost. Humans review and edit machine output.

We‘ll dive deeper into comparing these methods later in the guide.

Content to Translate

Figure out which content needs translating – the entire site, certain pages/sections, post types, etc. This helps determine if you need a full multilingual plugin or one tailored to specific content types.

Budget

Both free and paid translation plugins exist. Factor in your business‘s budget and volume of content needing translation. Free options work well for smaller sites.

Features

Evaluate must-have functionality like multilingual SEO, translated URLs, media translation, translation management, etc. Advanced plugins offer more built-in features.

Top 7 WordPress Translation Plugins Compared

Now let‘s analyze the top translation plugin contenders for WordPress based on key criteria:

comparison table of top wordpress translation plugins

Below we’ll explore the top options in more detail:

1. WPML – Most Powerful Multilingual Plugin

WPML is arguably the most robust and fully-featured multilingual plugin for WordPress. It‘s a paid plugin that can translate an entire WordPress site into unlimited languages.

Over 600,000 sites actively use WPML, and it boasts a 4.7/5 rating on WordPress.org.

Key Features:

  • Translate any content including pages, posts, taxonomies, URLs, media, PDFs, and more
  • Integrations with both machine translation like Google Translate and DeepL as well as human translation services via Translation Proxy
  • Advanced multilingual SEO tools like translated slugs and metadata
  • Robust translation management hub and editor to manage your multilingual content
  • Multi-currency support for WooCommerce sites

Use Cases:

WPML works great for sites that need to fully translate all their content into multiple languages at scale. The automation and integrations help manage large translation projects.

Pricing

WPML starts at $99/year for the personal plan. Business packages start at $199/year with volume discounts available.

2. Weglot – Simple & User-Friendly Translation

Weglot is an affordable and straightforward multilingual solution. It offers both free and paid plans.

It has over 100,000 active installs and a 4.2/5 rating.

Key Features:

  • Easy setup and automatic detection of visitor language
  • Translates site into over 100 languages
  • Option to translate only pages/posts or entire site
  • Free plan available for smaller websites
  • Simple pricing based on number of words translated

Use Cases:

Weglot is ideal for sites needing to quickly translate a portion of their content on a budget. It‘s easy to use even for beginners.

Pricing:

Free plan available. Paid plans start at $4.99/month billed annually.

3. TranslatePress – Great Mid-Range Choice

TranslatePress balances capabilities and affordability as a mid-range multilingual WordPress plugin.

With over 200,000 active installs and a 4.6/5 rating, it’s a popular choice.

Key Features:

  • Automatic duplication of site structure in translated languages
  • Support for both human and machine translation
  • Active development with regular updates
  • SEO optimization for translated content

Use Cases:

TranslatePress is ideal for small to medium sites that want to translate more than just pages, without the cost or complexity of premium plugins.

Pricing:

Plans start at $69/year for the Pro package. Add-ons are available for expanded human translation capabilities.

4. Loco Translate – Free Translation for Themes & Plugins

Loco Translate is a free, open source WordPress plugin tailored specifically for translating themes and plugins.

Key Features:

  • Focused on translating WordPress themes and plugins
  • Easy workflow using PO files rather than database
  • Collaborative translation and comments
  • Basic translation editor

Use Cases:

Loco Translate is the go-to choice for developers looking to release multilingual themes or plugins.

Pricing:

Loco Translate is free and open source. Support and advanced features require paid packages starting at $99/year.

5. Google Translate For WordPress – Quick Google Integration

This handy plugin adds Google Translate‘s automatic translation capabilities into your WordPress site with minimal setup.

Key Features:

  • Super simple installation and usage
  • Leverages Google‘s machine translation engine
  • Translates site on the fly or one-time

Use Cases:

This is useful for sites that just need basic Google translations without investing in a full translation management platform.

Pricing:

Google Translate for WordPress is free. The only cost is integrating Google Translate API if exceeding usage limits.

Comparing Machine vs. Human vs. Hybrid Translation

When selecting a translation plugin, one of the key considerations is what translation method it utilizes. Let‘s compare them:

machine-translation-vs-human-translation-vs-hybrid

Machine Translation

Machine translation uses technologies like neural networks and AI to automate translating content. For example, Google Translate and DeepL are popular services.

Pros

  • Very fast, can translate volumes of content almost instantly
  • Cost-effective and scalable
  • Good enough quality for gist translations

Cons

  • Lower accuracy due to lack of context and nuance
  • Meaning can be lost or mangled without human insight

Use Cases

  • Large volume of content needing translation
  • Constantly updating content
  • Basic support sites where gist translation is sufficient

Human Translation

Human translation relies on experienced bilingual professionals to carefully translate content manually.

Pros

  • Most accurate and natural sounding results
  • Translators understand nuances and cultural context
  • Best for high-value content where quality is critical

Cons

  • Slower turnaround time
  • More expensive, especially at scale
  • Hard to adapt quickly to new content

Use Cases

  • Marketing copy and sales collateral
  • Complex content like legal or financial
  • Content where mistranslations could damage brand or engagement

Hybrid Translation

Hybrid solutions combine machine and human translation. The machine outputs a draft translation, then human editors review, proofread and fix any errors.

Pros

  • Balances speed and cost of machines with accuracy of humans
  • Scalable once the workflows are set up
  • Provides the best of both translation methods

Cons

  • Adds management complexity with two-step process
  • Still requires human effort so not fully automated

Use Cases

  • Translating high volumes of marketing and product content
  • Websites with regularly updated blog posts and articles
  • Striking a balance between quality, speed and cost

Tips for Optimizing Your Chosen Plugin

Follow these tips to maximize the value from your selected WordPress translation plugin:

  • Utilize professional translation services for accuracy – whether natively integrated or via add-ons, leverage professionals for the best quality.

  • Analyze translation analytics – review usage metrics to identify popular languages and prioritize translating high-traffic content.

  • Perform quality checks – spot check machine translated output for errors and unnatural phrasing.

  • Follow SEO best practices – ensure translated content is optimized for local search rankings and visibility.

  • Keep translations updated – translate new content and update changed content across all languages. Outdated translations frustrate users.

  • Simplify translator workflows – make it easy for translators to translate new content efficiently using the plugin‘s capabilities.

Bring Your Brand to a Global Audience

Adding multilingual support enhances your ability to serve audiences worldwide and unlock new markets for your brand.

Choosing a robust translation plugin solution tailored to your needs streamlines managing translated WordPress content at scale.

For expert guidance on selecting and implementing the ideal translation technologies for your website, get in touch with our team. We‘re happy to provide actionable recommendations to grow your global presence.

  1. Fitzgerald A., (2022). 20 WordPress Statistics You Should Know in 2024.
  2. Internet Users by Language (2021). Wikipedia.
  3. “Guide to Can’t Read, Won’t Buy Research” CSA Research, Jan. 2020.