Pricing comparison
Real pricing based on monthly character volume. All prices in USD.
| Volume | DeepL Free | DeepL Pro | Langbly | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500K chars/mo | Free (cap) | $17.99 | Free | Free | |
| 1M chars/mo | Over limit | $30.49 | $10 | $10 | Save 67% vs DeepL Pro |
| 5M chars/mo | Over limit | $130.49 | $90 | $30 | Save 77% vs DeepL Pro |
| 10M chars/mo | Over limit | $255.49 | $190 | $55 | Save 78% vs DeepL Pro |
| 25M chars/mo | Over limit | $630.49 | $490 | $130 | Save 79% vs DeepL Pro |
| 50M chars/mo | Over limit | $1,255.49 | $990 | $255 | Save 80% vs DeepL Pro |
| 100M chars/mo | Over limit | $2,505.49 | $1,990 | $505 | Save 80% vs DeepL Pro |
Feature comparison
| Feature | DeepL Free | DeepL Pro | Langbly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly base fee | $0 | $5.49 | $0 | $5 |
| Price per 1M chars | Free (capped) | $25 | $20 | $5 |
| Character limit | 500K/month | Unlimited | Unlimited | Metered usage |
| Languages | ~33 base | ~33 base (143 with variants) | 130+ | 100+ |
| Data security | Text may be stored | No storage, encrypted | Standard GCP | No storage |
| Next-gen model | Adaptive (extra cost) | Context-aware (included) | ||
| Glossaries | ~1 glossary | 2,000 glossaries | v3 only | |
| Document translation | 10 MB limit | 30 MB limit | $0.08/page (v3) | |
| Response caching | 7-day built-in | |||
| Credit card required | ||||
| Volume discounts | Contact sales | >1B chars | Flat $5/1M rate |
DeepL API pricing explained
DeepL offers two API plans: Free (500K characters/month, hard cap) and Pro ($5.49/month base fee + $25 per million characters, no cap). The free plan is useful for testing but hits its limit fast in production. Most developers end up on Pro.
At $25 per million characters, DeepL is 25% more expensive than Google Translate ($20/1M). Add the $5.49 monthly base fee and DeepL becomes the priciest mainstream translation API. There are no published volume discounts on the Pro plan.
Where DeepL excels
DeepL's strength is European language quality. German, French, Dutch, Polish, and other European pairs tend to produce more natural output than Google Translate. The Pro plan also includes data security guarantees (no text stored before or after translation) and priority processing.
If your primary need is European language pairs at low volume, and data security matters, DeepL Pro is a reasonable choice despite the higher cost.
Where DeepL falls short on value
For non-European languages, DeepL's quality advantage diminishes. With only ~33 base languages (143 counting regional variants), it covers far fewer languages than Google (130+) or Langbly (100+).
The lack of volume discounts means costs scale linearly. At 25M characters per month, DeepL Pro costs $630 while Langbly costs $130 for the same volume. That's a $6,000/year difference. At 100M characters, the annual gap exceeds $24,000.
Switching from DeepL
DeepL uses a proprietary API format, so switching requires some code changes. Most alternatives use different endpoint structures and response formats. Langbly's API follows the Google Translate v2 format, which is straightforward to migrate to.
For a full feature comparison, see DeepL API vs Langbly. For more alternatives, check DeepL API alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
How much does DeepL API Pro cost?
DeepL API Pro has a $5.49 monthly base fee plus $25 per million characters. At 5M characters per month, the total cost is $130.49. At 100M characters, it is $2,505.49.
Is DeepL API free?
The API Free plan offers 500,000 characters per month at no cost. It has reduced features: no priority processing, no next-gen model, limited glossaries, and your text may be stored by DeepL. Beyond 500K characters, you need API Pro.
Why is DeepL more expensive than Google Translate API?
DeepL charges $25/1M characters versus Google's $20/1M, plus a $5.49/month base fee. DeepL positions itself as a premium quality provider, especially for European languages. Whether the premium is justified depends on your language pairs.
Does DeepL API offer volume discounts?
Not on the standard Pro plan. The rate is a flat $25/1M regardless of volume. For custom pricing, contact DeepL sales about their Business/Enterprise tier.
What is cheaper than DeepL API?
Langbly charges $5 per million characters (80% cheaper than DeepL). Google Translate costs $20/1M. Amazon Translate is $15/1M. Microsoft Translator is $10/1M. All support more languages than DeepL.
How many languages does DeepL support?
DeepL supports approximately 33 base languages (135 source, 143 target when counting regional variants like EN-GB and PT-BR). Google Translate supports 130+ distinct languages. Langbly supports 100+.