Lokalise vs Smartcat
Lokalise and Smartcat are both translation & localization tools. Lokalise is aimed at developers and enterprise, while Smartcat is aimed at enterprise and small businesses. Smartcat costs less, from $100/mo versus $149/mo for Lokalise.
Localization platform for software teams
AI translation platform with a built-in marketplace of linguists
| Pricing | Paid · $149 | Paid · $100 |
| Starting price | $149/mo | $100/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | 15 days |
| Built for | Developers, Enterprise | Enterprise, Small businesses, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | LV · 2017 | US · 2016 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Lokalise if
Product teams shipping software in multiple languages.
- Excellent developer workflows
- Strong design context
- Good AI translation quality
Look elsewhere if: Website-only translation (Weglot) or open-source projects (Crowdin free).
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).
Lokalise vs Smartcat pricing
Lokalise
- Explorer$149/moEssentials for getting started
- Growth$379/moMore automation and control
- Advanced$1049/moComplex multi-product workflows
- EnterpriseCustomBespoke security and support
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
Lokalise · Key features
- Translation key management for apps
- Git, CLI and API sync
- Figma plugin and screenshot context
- AI translation and translation memory
- Workflows, QA checks and glossaries
- Marketplace for professional translators
Cons
- Price rises quickly as processed word volume grows
- No free plan, only a trial
- Enterprise features gated
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
Lokalise vs Smartcat: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Lokalise or Smartcat?
Smartcat starts at $100/mo and Lokalise at $149/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Lokalise and Smartcat have a free plan?
Lokalise has no free plan, a 14-day free trial. Smartcat has no free plan, a 15-day free trial.
Which is better for small businesses, Lokalise or Smartcat?
Smartcat lists small businesses as a core audience, while Lokalise is aimed more at developers and enterprise.