AI Translation Tools That Transform Business Communication

Given the business opportunities available, brands are racing to expand their global reach, and speaking their customers’ language is an essential tactic.

However, traditional website translation methods can prove a hurdle to success. They’re often expensive, time-consuming, and riddled with errors that can undermine credibility.

The best solution lies in AI translation tools: modern enablers that meet challenges and consumer pain points head-on. These tools offer a blend of speed, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness, allowing brands to make a great first impression on their international visitors.

Here we’ll explore the market’s leading AI translation solutions, their key features for effective website localization, best use cases, and cost considerations.

By the end, you’ll be equipped to find the platform that’s right for your own brand’s expansion, and one that ensures your message connects across cultures.

What is an AI Translation Tool?

AI translation tools go beyond basic translation software to meet the specific demands of global communication. These modern solutions use neural networks and specialized language models, so that your brand voice remains intact. But what does this mean exactly?

Well, neural networks are AI systems inspired by the human brain. So, just like us, they pick up speech patterns through learning. Specialized language models are focused on industry-specific expertise, rather than being a good ‘all-rounder’. Combining the two enables accurate translations for great swathes of content, no matter how specialized the subject area!

With the ability to process high volumes of content efficiently, AI translation tools are designed to accelerate expansion projects.

A variety of platforms are available today, offering features such as:

• Automated content detection and language processing for websites, documents, and applications, making it easier to manage multilingual content.
• Context-aware translations that preserve marketing messaging and technical accuracy, so diverse audiences can still understand your brand.
• Quality assurance systems that identify potential mistranslations or cultural nuances, safeguarding your brand’s reputation.
• Continuous learning, allowing the system to improve over time.

Machine Translation vs AI Translation vs GenAI Translation

There are three approaches to translation technology, depending on your business needs. As their terms are often used interchangeably—incorrectly so, we might add—here’s a definition to avoid misunderstanding:

• Machine translation relies on predefined rules and patterns, making it suitable for basic communication tasks but poor for website localization. A great example can be found in Google Translate—a free online machine translation tool that focuses on straightforward text translation.
• AI translation employs neural networks trained on industry-specific content, delivering more accurate results—essential for effective business communications. DeepL Translator is a great AI translation example, producing accurate and contextually appropriate translations.
• GenAI translation takes it a step further—large language models generate translations that sound natural and maintain technical precision and brand voice.

Website translation tools like Weglot combine machine translation with human editing capabilities, using AI for the first layer of automatic translation, with options for human editing afterward.

Benefits of Using an AI Translation Tool

There are a huge number of benefits for businesses using AI for their translations. Best of all, the more you use a website translation tool, the better the translations perform!

• Speed and efficiency: Machine translation software can reduce translation workflows by up to 66% through automation. The best solutions provide instant translation of modified content, and automatically translate any new content found in your primary language.
• Cost-effectiveness: Enables faster global expansion at reduced costs.
• Customization and consistency: AI language models improve translations over time, especially for industry-specific terminology.
• Scalability: AI website translation tools enable rapid launch in multiple markets, with a capacity that grows in line with your business needs.
• Quality control: AI’s learning capabilities lead to continuous improvement in translation quality, offering greater accuracy compared to traditional machine translation.
• SEO optimization: The best tools come with built-in SEO optimization for multilingual content, helping you compete for listings on foreign search engines.

Let’s look at Polaar as an example of the benefits of employing AI in your translations.

The French skincare brand originally managed its translations manually, a process that ate up time and budget. Polaar was seeking a solution that was easy to implement, offered instant translations through AI, and came with the option of human refinement.

Polaar found this through Weglot, and translating its site into English saw its US traffic double within just a few months. What’s more, the team found the automated translations to be so accurate that manual refinement was only needed for 10% of the work performed.

For reducing overall costs while improving overall quality, nothing else compares to having an AI translation tool in your tech stack.

The 10 Best AI Translation Tools on the Market

Keep your own brand firmly in mind when evaluating translation tools, as some platforms have been tailored to specific industries. Look for versatility and a solution that can scale in line with your own business growth.

We’ve split our list into two categories: website translation software that uses AI, and AI translation tools. If you have a full website to translate and are regularly adding new content (that needs to be translated), then opting for website translation software will be a much more efficient option.

Website Translation Software that Uses AI

1. Weglot

Weglot is a comprehensive website-focused translation software, supporting over 110 languages using AI translation providers such as DeepL, while integrating with all web technologies (even custom-built sites). Its no-code implementation allows businesses to get started in under 10 minutes, and a central dashboard makes team collaboration easy.

Weglot provides an automated first layer of translation with options for human translation, making it a hybrid solution that balances speed with the option to make edits if you’d like.

A Visual Editor tool enables in-context translation reviews, and professional translators can even be hired directly through the dashboard itself.

For translation editing scale, you can also use Weglot’s translation glossary, which allows you to create rules like ‘never’ or ‘always’ translate a particular word or term across your site, keeping things consistent and meaning you only need to make the edit once.

Weglot’s SEO features—including hreflang tag management and metadata translation—help improve visibility in target markets. The pricing structure includes a free tier for small projects. Paid plans starting at €15/month, scaling up based on word count and the number of languages needed.

You can also enjoy a 14-day free trial with up to 10,000 translated words and 1 language! After the trial, users can stay on the free plan if their website has fewer than 2,000 words.

The tool complies with GDPR and other standards, and technical support is comprehensive.

Best for: All industries and business sizes wanting to automate website translation processes.

2. Lokalise AI

Lokalise AI specializes in localization management, combining machine translation with human editing capabilities for optimal results. It integrates with numerous development environments through its API, so tech-savvy teams will find this an excellent fit for making localization workflows smoother.

Language pair coverage is extensive, and pricing varies based on project size and features used. Beyond a limited free version, prices start at $120 per month; at this bracket, it’s a solution for larger, more established businesses.

Lokalise emphasizes security through compliance with GDPR and other regulations. Technical support includes detailed documentation along with community forums and direct assistance options to help users navigate challenges whenever they occur.

Best for: Enterprise companies and web app developers working to scale.

3. Smartling

Smartling is a cloud-based translation management platform designed for enterprises needing complete localization solutions. Custom pricing is based on specific needs, and there’s no free version available.

The platform includes a translation memory and glossary management, with API access for integrations. Users gain access to a reporting and analytics dashboard, and a useful suite of workflow automation tools.

Smartling offers an extensive network of professional linguists to ensure high-quality translations, but entry pricing is more towards enterprise budgeting.

The platform also adheres to industry standards for data security and privacy. Lastly, it offers numerous support options, including phone and email assistance.

Best for: Enterprises needing a highly comprehensive solution.

4. TextUnited

TextUnited is designed to simplify localization processes across various industries.

Pricing starts at €599 per month, with custom plans available based on needs.

The platform combines machine translation with human supervision. It comes equipped with built-in project management tools for tracking progress. API integration capabilities make it easy to add to your existing tech stack.

The platform is compliant, following strict data security protocols aligned with ISO standards. Its customer service is available 24/7. Given the costs of using TextUnited, it’s likely best reserved for more established businesses that manage multiple languages across multiple sites.

Best for: Enterprise businesses needing regular translations.

AI Translation Tools

5. Google Translate

Google Translate is a widely used translation tool that supports over 130 languages, allowing users to translate text, speech, images, and web pages for free. It’s possible to translate images via a camera input, or website content directly through a URL. The platform also comes with an excellent language detector.

A user-friendly interface makes Google Translate suitable for beginners, although accuracy can vary when it comes to idioms and more complex sentences. A lack of cultural context in many translations means that human refinement may be extensive, adding to timescales.

Google Translate adheres to general data protection regulations but may store user data for improvement purposes. Its tech support is limited, with help found through online resources and forums.

Best for: Small projects. Google Translate is unsuitable for whole website translation, but may be useful for those seeking to translate an individual page or block of text and manually copying and pasting it back into your CMS.

6. DeepL

DeepL has gained recognition for its high-quality translations, particularly in Europe languages. It supports a wide range of languages and is known for its nuanced understanding of context, making it ideal for professional use.

Integration is facilitated through an API that allows easy incorporation into various applications. DeepL’s pricing model includes a free tier with limited features and paid plans that start at $8.74 per month. Pricing scales based on usage, making it accessible for both small businesses and larger enterprises, and the platform emphasizes security with strong data protection measures in place.

DeepL’s technical support is well-regarded, offering comprehensive documentation and responsive assistance to ensure users can maximize their translation capabilities.

For a direct comparison of two of the most well-known AI translation tools, see our guide to DeepL vs Google Translate.

Best for: Small-to-large businesses needing a simple but effective solution.

7. Microsoft Translator

The basic Microsoft Translator is free, identifies input language text, and offers dictionary support for better understanding. Users gain from having up to 2 million characters translated every month.

That might be okay for very small sites with minimal content, but the average business will need Microsoft Translator for Business, part of the brand's Azure AI services. This adds speech-to-speech translation and some lovely customizations. Businesses can build custom language models, tailored to their specific terminology.

The Business tier comes with advanced security, GDPR compliance, support for mixed content containing text and images, and control over data handling and storage. It also has a range of pricing options, starting at $10 USD per 10 million characters.

Best for: Small marketing projects—larger brands will need the Business package.

8. ChatGPT

ChatGPT can be adapted for translation tasks by using its natural language processing capabilities.

While not primarily a translation tool, it can generate translations by understanding context and nuances in text. Some technical setup is required to utilize its API effectively within existing systems.

Language coverage is flexible but may not match dedicated translation tools in terms of accuracy across all languages. A free tier is available, and pricing plans from $20 per month depend on usage tiers set by OpenAI. These can be cost-effective for smaller projects but may escalate with high-volume use.

Security measures are good, and documentation is thorough, although direct technical support is limited compared to dedicated translation services.

Best for: Small marketing projects and more basic translations.

9. Lara

Lara is an emerging AI translation tool that provides context-aware translations tailored to specific industries or brands. Integration requirements are minimal, and novice users can easily connect it to their existing systems through straightforward APIs.

Language pair coverage is expanding but currently focuses on key global languages, so potential users should check if their target languages are included. Lara’s pricing structure is competitive, with a free tier and plans starting at €9 per month.

Security certifications are in place to protect user data during translation processes, and technical support includes comprehensive documentation.  

Best for: A good all-rounder, with plans to suit everyone from students to enterprises.

10. QuillBot

Quillbot is primarily an AI writing assistant offering paraphrasing, summarization, and translation features to improve written content quality. Users can test QuillBot via the free basic plan, with subscriptions available starting at $4.17 per month.

Handy features include a paraphrasing tool with multiple modes, summarization capabilities, grammar checking, and plagiarism detection features. QuillBot’s interface is extremely user-friendly, and users can choose from more than 40 languages. Some manual intervention will be required to ensure accuracy.

QuillBot implements strong encryption but collects user data for improvement purposes. Online resources are the best place to find assistance if you need it, as there are limited direct customer support options for free users.

Best for: Students and bloggers with minimal translation needs, not scalable for larger global marketing activities and campaigns.

Unlock Your Global Potential with Weglot

If effective communication is one of the keys to global success, AI translation tools can help you get there!

Our featured platforms offer significant benefits for those focused on global expansion. AI translation tools can deliver time savings, better quality control, and help organize projects between multiple partners.

The most effective approach combines the efficiency of AI with the option for manual intervention. This ensures that translations meet your brand’s unique voice while using local words and phrases that your audience can relate to.

Among the tools we’ve explored, if it’s website translation you’re looking for, Weglot stands out as the best choice. With its support for over 110 languages, no-code implementation, advanced SEO features, and a Visual Editor for in-context reviews, Weglot saves time and money for businesses looking to translate their websites and launch in new markets quickly.

Ready to take your business global? Sign up for a 14-day free trial (no commitment) of Weglot to get started!