Locize vs Smartcat
Locize and Smartcat are both translation & localization tools. Locize is aimed at developers and small businesses, while Smartcat is aimed at enterprise and small businesses. Locize costs less, from $7/mo versus $100/mo for Smartcat. Only Locize has a free plan.
Continuous localization platform from the creators of i18next
AI translation platform with a built-in marketplace of linguists
| Pricing | Freemium · $7 | Paid · $100 |
| Starting price | $7/mo | $100/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | 15 days |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise | Enterprise, Small businesses, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | CH · 2016 | US · 2016 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Locize if
JavaScript teams using i18next that want continuous, CDN-delivered localization at a low price.
- Built by the i18next authors, so integration is seamless
- Low entry price with a free plan and a $7 Starter tier
- Swiss company with GDPR-friendly data handling
Look elsewhere if: Large localization departments needing many file formats and design integrations (Lokalise, Phrase, Crowdin).
Choose Smartcat if
Marketing, product and L&D teams that translate high volumes into many languages and want AI plus vetted human reviewers in one place.
- AI translation and human review hiring live in one workspace
- Unlimited seats make it easy to invite reviewers and stakeholders
- Translation memory matches and repetitions are free
Look elsewhere if: Developer teams focused on app string localization (Lokalise, Crowdin) or buyers wanting a cheap monthly plan for occasional translation (DeepL).
Locize vs Smartcat pricing
Locize
- Free$0100K CDN downloads, 2,000 words, 2 languages, 1 user
- Starter$7/mo1M CDN downloads, 15,000 words, 5 languages, 5 users
- Starter-Plus$19/mo3M CDN downloads, 30,000 words, 7 languages
- Growth$49/mo60,000 words, 10 languages, unlimited users, review flow
- Professional$99/mo100,000 words, 20 languages, SAML SSO add-on $20/mo
Smartcat
- Adapt$1,200/yrUnlimited users, 100K Smartwords, 1 workspace
- Accelerate$24,000/yrUnlimited users, 1M Smartwords, 1 workspace
- Anticipate$60,000/yrUnlimited users, 2M Smartwords, 2 workspaces
- AutonomousCustom6M Smartwords, 7 workspaces
Locize · Key features
- Native i18next backend that serves translations from a CDN
- Update copy in production without redeploying the app
- In-context editor for i18next and vue-i18n on the live page
- AI and machine translation guided by glossary and style guide
- Review workflow, versions, history and per-language permissions
- Branches and tenants for parallel releases and white-label apps
Cons
- Fewer integrations with design tools and code hosts than Lokalise or Phrase
- Usage-based limits on downloads and words need monitoring
- Plans below Enterprise block the project above 110% of included downloads
Smartcat · Key features
- AI translation into 280+ languages with translation memory reuse
- AI Coworkers for translation, content updates, review and QA
- Marketplace of 500,000+ linguists and 5,000+ agencies
- Single invoice and automatic cost calculation for hired vendors
- Glossaries and terminology control shared across projects
- Connectors for WordPress, Webflow, Contentful, Figma and GitHub
Cons
- No free plan and no monthly billing; plans are annual only
- Large price jump from $1,200 to $24,000 a year
- Smartword metering takes time to understand and forecast
Locize vs Smartcat: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Locize or Smartcat?
Locize starts at $7/mo and Smartcat at $100/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Locize and Smartcat have a free plan?
Locize has a free plan. Smartcat has no free plan, a 15-day free trial.