Smartcat
AI translation platform with a built-in marketplace of linguists
Smartcat is a translation & localization tool for Enterprise and Small businesses, offered as paid ($100/mo). Founded in United States in 2016. Popular alternatives include Rask AI.
About Smartcat
Smartcat is an AI translation and localization platform founded in 2016 by Ivan Smolnikov, who earlier built the language services firm ABBYY LS; Smartcat was incubated at ABBYY before spinning out. The company is based in Boston and raised a $43M Series C led by Left Lane Capital in September 2024, bringing total funding to about $70M. Its core job is translating websites, documents, software, e-learning and video into 280+ languages with AI first and human review where it matters.
The platform combines machine translation, translation memory and glossaries with AI Coworkers that handle translation, content updates, review and QA. A marketplace of 500,000+ linguists and 5,000+ agencies lets you hire reviewers inside the same workspace and pay them all on one invoice. Connectors cover CMSs such as WordPress, Webflow and Contentful, Figma, GitHub, Zendesk and Google Drive. Plans are annual, include unlimited users and are metered in Smartwords; matches and repetitions from translation memory are not charged.
Smartcat fits marketing, product and L&D teams that need many languages fast and want to buy human post-editing without managing separate vendors. Developer-heavy teams localizing app strings usually prefer Lokalise or Crowdin, and large enterprises with complex workflows often compare it with Phrase and Smartling.
Buying tip: the entry Adapt plan costs $1,200 a year for 100K Smartwords, and the next tier jumps to $24,000, so estimate yearly volume carefully. Use the 15-day trial, which includes API access, to measure how many Smartwords your real content consumes.
Key features of Smartcat
- 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
- Support content localization via Zendesk and ServiceNow
- Unlimited users on every plan with Smartword-based metering
Pros and cons
Pros
- 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
- Wide integration list for CMS, design and support tools
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
- Less tailored to developer string workflows than Lokalise or Crowdin
Smartcat pricing
Smartcat uses a paid model. A 15-day free trial is available.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Adapt | $1,200 / yr | Unlimited users, 100K Smartwords, 1 workspace |
| Accelerate | $24,000 / yr | Unlimited users, 1M Smartwords, 1 workspace |
| Anticipate | $60,000 / yr | Unlimited users, 2M Smartwords, 2 workspaces |
| Autonomous | Custom | 6M Smartwords, 7 workspaces |
Source: www.smartcat.com · checked on Oct 20, 2026
How Smartcat compares in Translation & localization
- Rank by votes
- #1 / 15
- Starting price
- $100
- Free alternatives
- 1
0 votes from members
156% above the category median ($39/mo)
Free or open-source tools in Translation & localization
Smartcat ranks #1 of 15 translation & localization tools by community votes and is priced above most tools in the category.
Common use cases
- 1Translating a marketing website into a dozen languages via WordPress
- 2Localizing e-learning courses and training videos for global staff
- 3Translating Zendesk help center articles for international support
- 4Hiring freelance post-editors for regulated or brand-critical content
- 5Localizing Figma designs before handoff to development
Best for
Marketing, product and L&D teams that translate high volumes into many languages and want AI plus vetted human reviewers in one place.
Not ideal for
Developer teams focused on app string localization (Lokalise, Crowdin) or buyers wanting a cheap monthly plan for occasional translation (DeepL).
Integrations
- WordPress
- Webflow
- Contentful
- Figma
- GitHub
- Zendesk
- Google Drive
- Adobe Experience Manager
Our take
Smartcat is a good choice when volume and language count are high and you want to hire human reviewers without a separate agency. Run the 15-day trial on real content before committing to an annual tier.
FAQ
- What is Smartcat?
- Smartcat is a Translation & localization tool: AI translation platform with a built-in marketplace of linguists.
- How much does Smartcat cost?
- Smartcat uses a Paid model; paid plans start at $100 per month.
- What are the best alternatives to Smartcat?
- Community-listed alternatives to Smartcat include Rask AI.
- Does Smartcat have a free trial?
- Yes, Smartcat offers a 15-day free trial.
- What does Smartcat integrate with?
- Smartcat integrates with WordPress, Webflow, Contentful, Figma, GitHub, Zendesk and more.
- Which platforms does Smartcat support?
- Smartcat is available on web.
- Who is Smartcat for?
- Marketing, product and L&D teams that translate high volumes into many languages and want AI plus vetted human reviewers in one place.
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