Pricing comparison
Real pricing based on monthly character volume. All prices in USD.
| Volume | WPML | TranslatePress | Weglot | Loco Translate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | $39/yr | Free | $15/mo | Free |
| Full features | $99/yr | $139/yr | $29/mo | Free |
| MT included | Extra cost | Extra cost | Included | Extra cost |
| MT cost (1M chars) | $20+ (Google) | $20+ (Google) | Bundled | $19 (Langbly) |
Feature comparison
| Feature | WPML | TranslatePress | Weglot | Loco Translate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Annual license | Free + Premium | Monthly SaaS | Free plugin |
| Translation method | String-based | Visual (front-end) | Automatic + edit | PO/MO editor |
| Langbly MT support | Coming soon | |||
| Built-in MT engine | Google/DeepL | Google/DeepL | Weglot engine | Google/DeepL/Langbly |
| SEO (hreflang) | ||||
| WooCommerce support | ||||
| Multisite support | Limited | |||
| Content hosted | Your server | Your server | Weglot CDN | Your server |
| Speed impact | Medium | Low | Low (CDN) | None |
| Learning curve | Complex | Easy | Very easy | Medium |
| Supported languages | 65+ | 221 | 110+ | All |
Which WordPress translation plugin should you choose?
The answer depends on your priorities. Here's a quick decision framework:
- WPML: Best for complex multilingual sites with WooCommerce and custom post types. Industry standard but steep learning curve.
- TranslatePress: Best for visual, front-end translation editing. What-you-see-is-what-you-get approach. Free version available.
- Weglot: Best for quick setup. SaaS-based, no technical knowledge required. But ongoing monthly cost and content stored externally.
- Loco Translate: Best for theme/plugin string translation. Free, lightweight, but not a full website translation solution.
Machine translation costs: the hidden expense
All WordPress translation plugins let you use machine translation (MT) to generate initial translations that you can then edit. But the MT cost is often separate from the plugin cost.
WPML and TranslatePress connect to Google Translate ($20/M chars) or DeepL ($25/M chars). You pay the MT provider directly. A typical WordPress site with 500 pages (50,000 words / 250,000 characters) costs about $5-6 to fully translate into one language.
Weglot bundles MT in their pricing, so you don't pay separately for machine translation. However, the monthly SaaS fee adds up, and your content is hosted on Weglot's servers.
Loco Translate + Langbly is the cheapest MT option for plugin/theme strings. Langbly's free tier (500K chars/month) covers most small sites entirely for free. For larger sites, Langbly is 81–90% cheaper than Google Translate and 85–92% cheaper than DeepL.
Using Langbly with WordPress translation plugins
Langbly offers dedicated WordPress plugins for both TranslatePress and Loco Translate. Once installed, Langbly appears as a machine translation engine option alongside Google and DeepL, but at a fraction of the cost.
Setup takes under 5 minutes:
- Sign up at langbly.com/signup (free, no credit card)
- Install the Langbly plugin (for TranslatePress or Loco Translate)
- Enter your API key in the plugin settings
- Select Langbly as your MT engine and start translating
SEO considerations for multilingual WordPress
For multilingual SEO, proper hreflang tags and URL structure are critical. WPML, TranslatePress, and Weglot all handle this correctly. Loco Translate does not, as it's designed for string translation (PO/MO files), not full website localization.
If SEO is important for your multilingual site, choose WPML, TranslatePress, or Weglot. Then use Langbly as the MT engine within those plugins for the best combination of cost and quality.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best WordPress translation plugin?
For complex sites with WooCommerce: WPML. For visual editing and ease of use: TranslatePress. For zero-setup automatic translation: Weglot. For plugin/theme strings: Loco Translate. Most sites should combine WPML or TranslatePress with Langbly MT for cost-effective, high-quality translations.
Is WPML free?
No. WPML starts at $39/year for the Multilingual Blog plan and $99/year for the CMS plan (which includes WooCommerce support). There is no free version.
Is TranslatePress free?
TranslatePress has a free version that supports one additional language and manual translation. The premium version ($139/year) adds multiple languages, automatic translation, SEO support, and WooCommerce integration.
How much does machine translation cost for WordPress?
Using Google Translate through WPML or TranslatePress costs about $20 per million characters. Using Langbly costs $19/month for up to 5M characters (Starter plan), or free for up to 500K characters. A typical 500-page site costs about $5-6 to translate.
Can I use Langbly with TranslatePress?
Yes. Install the "Langbly for TranslatePress" plugin, enter your API key, and select Langbly as the machine translation engine in TranslatePress settings. It works the same as the Google or DeepL integration but at a fraction of the cost.