Pricing comparison
Real pricing based on monthly character volume. All prices in USD.
| Volume | Google v2 (Basic) | Google v3 (Advanced) | Google AutoML | Langbly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500K chars/mo | Free | Free | Free | Free | |
| 1M chars/mo | $10 | $10 | $40 | $10 | Same as Google NMT |
| 5M chars/mo | $90 | $90 | $360 | $30 | Save 67% vs Google NMT |
| 10M chars/mo | $190 | $190 | $760 | $55 | Save 71% vs Google NMT |
| 25M chars/mo | $490 | $490 | $1,960 | $130 | Save 73% vs Google NMT |
| 50M chars/mo | $990 | $990 | $3,960 | $255 | Save 74% vs Google NMT |
| 100M chars/mo | $1,990 | $1,990 | $5,970 | $505 | Save 75% vs Google NMT |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Google v2 (Basic) | Google v3 (Advanced) | Google AutoML | Langbly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M chars | $20 | $20 | $30-$80 | $5 |
| Free tier | 500K/mo | 500K/mo (shared) | 500K/mo (separate) | 500K/mo |
| Languages | 130+ | 130+ | Custom pairs | 100+ |
| Glossary support | ||||
| Batch translation | ||||
| Document translation | $0.08/page | $0.25/page | ||
| Response caching | 7-day built-in | |||
| Credit card required | ||||
| Cloud account required | GCP account | GCP account | GCP account | None |
| Monthly base fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5 |
Google Cloud Translation API: three pricing tiers
Google Cloud offers three distinct translation products, each with different pricing. The most commonly used is the Basic v2 API at $20 per million characters. The Advanced v3 API costs the same for standard NMT translation but adds glossaries, batch mode, and document translation. AutoML Translation lets you train custom models at $80/1M chars (dropping to $30/1M at very high volumes), plus $45/hour for training.
All three share a 500K character monthly free tier for NMT translation. AutoML gets a separate 500K free allowance. New GCP accounts also receive a $300 trial credit that expires after 90 days.
Google recently added Adaptive Translation ($25/1M input + $25/1M output) and a TextTranslation LLM model ($10/1M input + $10/1M output). These are not covered by the free tier.
Character counting and hidden costs
Google counts every Unicode code point, including spaces, punctuation, and HTML tags. If you send HTML-formatted text with format=html, all tag characters count toward billing. Switching to format=text and stripping HTML before sending can reduce costs by 20-40%.
Empty requests are billed as 1 character. Multi-language batch requests multiply: translating 5,000 characters into 3 languages costs 15,000 characters. These rules catch many developers off guard when the first invoice arrives.
When Google Cloud Translation makes sense
Google Cloud Translation is a good fit if you already use GCP services and want everything on one invoice. The v3 API's glossary support helps with domain-specific terminology, and batch translation works well for large document sets. At lower volumes (under 1M characters/month), the cost difference with alternatives is small enough that convenience may matter more.
At higher volumes (5M+ characters/month), the $20/1M rate adds up quickly. A SaaS platform translating 25M characters per month pays $490/month with Google versus $130/month with Langbly, a difference of over $4,300 per year.
Switching from Google: how it works
Langbly's API is 100% compatible with the Google Translate v2 endpoint format. Same request structure, same response format, same error codes. Migration means changing one URL and swapping your API key. Existing code, SDKs, and integrations keep working without modification.
For a full feature-by-feature comparison, see Google Translate API vs Langbly. For the broader pricing landscape, check our translation API pricing comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Google Cloud Translation API cost?
Google Cloud Translation costs $20 per million characters for both the Basic (v2) and Advanced (v3) APIs. The first 500,000 characters per month are free. AutoML custom models cost $30-$80 per million characters depending on volume.
Is Google Cloud Translation API free?
Partially. You get 500,000 characters per month free (permanently), plus a $300 GCP trial credit for new accounts (expires after 90 days). Beyond the free tier, pricing is $20 per million characters.
What is the cost per character for Google Translate API?
The per-character cost is $0.00002 (two hundred-thousandths of a dollar). That works out to $20 per million characters, $0.02 per thousand characters, or roughly $0.12 per thousand words for English text.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Google Cloud Translation?
Yes. Langbly offers the same v2 API format at $5 per million characters (75% cheaper). Microsoft Translator costs $10 per million. Amazon Translate costs $15 per million. All offer similar language coverage.
What is the difference between Google Translation Basic and Advanced?
Both cost $20/1M characters for standard NMT translation. Advanced (v3) adds glossary support, batch translation, document translation ($0.08/page), and access to AutoML custom models. If you only need text translation, they are functionally identical in cost.
Does Google Translate API charge for HTML tags?
Yes. When using format=html, every character in HTML tags counts toward billing. Use format=text and strip HTML before sending to avoid paying for markup. This can reduce costs by 20-40%.