POEditor vs Smartling
POEditor and Smartling are both translation & localization tools. POEditor is aimed at developers and small businesses, while Smartling is aimed at enterprise. Both have a free plan.
String-based localization platform for apps, sites and games
Enterprise translation management
| Pricing | Freemium · $20 | Freemium |
| Starting price | $20/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 10 days | — |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | — · 2012 | US · 2009 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose POEditor if
Small to mid-size software teams and open-source projects that want affordable, string-based localization with Git sync and crowdsourcing.
- Priced by strings, so adding translators or developers costs nothing extra
- Free plan is enough for small apps and hobby projects
- Wide file format support including PO, JSON, ARB and XLIFF
Look elsewhere if: Enterprises needing heavy vendor management, in-context design review or advanced automation (Phrase, Lokalise, Crowdin).
Choose Smartling if
Enterprises.
- Enterprise scale
- Visual context
- Services included
Look elsewhere if: Small teams.
POEditor vs Smartling pricing
POEditor
- Free$0Up to 1,000 strings; unlimited projects
- Start$20/mo$17/mo billed yearly; 3,000 strings
- Plus$60/mo$51/mo billed yearly; 10,000 strings
- Premium$160/mo$136/mo billed yearly; 30,000 strings
- Enterprise$260/mo$221/mo billed yearly; 100,000 strings, more on request
Smartling
- Core$0Free to start; CAT tool, 180-day TM; pay per word
- EnterpriseCustomCustom workflows, unlimited TM, advanced LQA
POEditor · Key features
- Git sync with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps repositories
- Machine translation through Google, Azure AI Translator and DeepL
- Connect OpenAI, Claude, Gemini or Amazon Bedrock for AI translation
- Translation memory, glossaries and automated quality checks
- Order human translation from Gengo or TextMaster inside projects
- Public join links for crowdsourcing translations from users and volunteers
Cons
- Interface feels dated next to Lokalise or Crowdin
- Costs climb quickly when many languages multiply your string count
- Machine translation beyond 10,000 free characters needs paid packages
Smartling · Key features
- Translation management
- Visual context
- AI translation
- Language services
- Integrations
- Quality tools
Cons
- Expensive at scale
- Enterprise focus
- Complex
POEditor vs Smartling: FAQ
Do POEditor and Smartling have a free plan?
Yes, both POEditor and Smartling have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, POEditor or Smartling?
POEditor lists small businesses as a core audience, while Smartling is aimed more at enterprise.