Pricing comparison
Real pricing based on monthly character volume. All prices in USD.
| Volume | MyMemory | Langbly |
|---|---|---|
| 500K chars/mo | $11* | Free |
| 1M chars/mo | $22 | $2.50 |
| 5M chars/mo | $110 | $22.50 |
| 25M chars/mo | $550 | $122.50 |
| 100M chars/mo | $2,200 | $497.50 |
Feature comparison
| Feature | MyMemory | Langbly |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M chars | $22 | $5 |
| Free tier | 5,000 chars/day | 500K chars/month |
| Free monthly allowance | ~150K chars | 500K chars |
| Translation engine | Crowdsourced + MT | Next-gen AI |
| Translation quality | Inconsistent | Consistent AI |
| Context-aware | ||
| Formality control | ||
| HTML support | ||
| Auto-detect language | ||
| API key auth | Email-based key | Bearer token |
| Rate limiting | Strict (daily cap) | Monthly quota |
| Batch translation | ||
| Built-in caching | Up to 1 hour | |
| Google v2 compatible |
MyMemory Translation API overview
MyMemory is one of the oldest free translation APIs available. It combines crowdsourced translation memory with machine translation fallbacks to deliver results. The service is popular among hobby developers and small projects because it requires no sign-up for basic usage. Just send a GET request with your text and language pair.
However, the free tier is severely limited: without an API key, you can translate only 5,000 characters per day (roughly 150K per month). With a registered key, the limit increases but you start paying $22 per million characters. Translation quality is inconsistent because results come from a crowdsourced translation memory, and the output depends entirely on whether a similar sentence has been submitted before.
MyMemory's API is also dated. It does not support HTML tag preservation, has no batch endpoint, and lacks features like formality control or glossary support that modern translation APIs provide.
MyMemory's request parameters explained
MyMemory's API uses a GET-based request. The two required query parameters are q, the text to translate, URL-encoded, and langpair, the source and target language codes separated by a pipe character, for example en|nl for English to Dutch. A concrete request URL pattern is https://api.mymemory.translated.net/get?q=Hello&langpair=en|nl. Without a registered API key, requests are capped at 5,000 characters per day; registering an email address (MyMemory calls this the de parameter) raises the limit but the service remains rate-limited compared to a paid tier.
Langbly uses a single POST request with a Bearer token in the Authorization header and a structured JSON body. No per-request email parameter is needed, so integration does not require assembling query strings by hand.
Langbly vs MyMemory: quality and reliability
The biggest difference between Langbly and MyMemory is consistency. MyMemory pulls translations from a crowdsourced database, meaning quality varies wildly depending on the language pair and domain. A marketing headline might return a polished human translation one time and an awkward machine translation the next.
Langbly uses advanced AI translation that produces consistent, context-aware output every time. The model understands sentence intent, handles idiomatic expressions naturally, and applies locale-specific formatting rules. For professional use cases where unpredictable quality is not acceptable, Langbly is the clear choice.
Choosing between MyMemory and Langbly
Choose MyMemory if:
- You want to start without any sign-up and send a simple GET request immediately.
- Your daily volume stays below 5,000 characters and you prefer not to create any account at all.
- You are comfortable with variable quality from a crowdsourced translation memory that can fall back to generic machine translation.
- You need a basic GET endpoint and can work without HTML support, batch processing, formality controls, or glossaries.
Choose Langbly if:
- You are willing to create a free account to access 500,000 free characters per month, over three times MyMemory's anonymous limit.
- You value consistent translation quality for every request, without unpredictable swings from community-contributed data.
- Your project requires HTML translation, batch file processing, formality settings, terminology glossaries, or translation memory support.
- You use the Google Translate v2 REST API format and want a direct drop-in replacement at a lower paid cost ($5 per million characters after the free tier).
Frequently asked questions
Is MyMemory Translation API really free?
MyMemory offers a free tier limited to 5,000 characters per day (about 150K per month) without an API key. For higher volumes, you need a paid key at $22 per million characters. Langbly offers 500K characters per month free, more than 3x the free allowance.
Why is MyMemory translation quality inconsistent?
MyMemory relies on crowdsourced translation memory. Quality depends on whether a similar sentence has been contributed by a human translator before. If no match exists, it falls back to generic machine translation, which can produce lower-quality output.
Is Langbly cheaper than MyMemory for production use?
Yes. MyMemory charges $22/M characters with no volume discounts. Langbly charges a flat $5 per million characters (500K/month free, no base fee), making it 77-89% cheaper at equivalent volumes.
Can I migrate from MyMemory to Langbly?
Yes. MyMemory uses a simple GET-based API, while Langbly uses a Google Translate v2 compatible REST API. The switch requires minimal code changes: update the endpoint URL, add a Bearer token header, and adjust the request body format.
Which free translation API is best for developers?
Langbly offers the best free tier for developers: 500K characters per month with advanced AI-quality output, modern REST API, HTML support, and batch translation. MyMemory's free tier is limited to 5,000 characters per day with inconsistent quality.