Smartling vs Transifex are two popular tools that businesses use for various purposes. In this article, we’ll compare Smartling vs Transifex to help you decide which one is right for your needs.
Table of Contents
Overview
Let’s start with a brief overview of both Smartling and Transifex.
Smartling
Smartling is an enterprise-grade translation management system with powerful automation features and workflow customization capabilities. Its visual context and dynamic content handling make it particularly well-suited for complex, media-rich e-learning projects requiring localization across multiple languages.
Transifex
Transifex offers a developer-friendly localization platform with strong integration capabilities for continuous localization workflows. Its focus on automation and API-first approach makes it especially valuable for e-learning platforms that require frequent content updates and agile localization processes.
Ratings Comparison
| Platform | Smartling | Transifex |
|---|---|---|
| G2 Product Rating | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Capterra Customer Service | 3.7 | 4.4 |
| Capterra Ease of Use | 3.8 | 4.2 |
| Capterra Functionality | 3.6 | 4.2 |
Smartling – Features & Capabilities
Smartling is a cloud-based Translation Management System (TMS) designed to streamline and automate localization workflows for websites, apps, and other digital content. It features Visual Context, allowing translators to see how their translations will appear in real-time, ensuring accuracy and consistency. Smartling’s Neural Machine Translation (NMT) Hub integrates with multiple MT engines like DeepL and Google Translate, selecting the best engine for each task to optimize translation quality. Its Global Delivery Network (GDN) automates the delivery of localized content with minimal developer involvement.
The platform supports translation memory (TM) to reduce costs and improve efficiency while maintaining brand voice through glossaries and style guides. Smartling offers over 30 pre-built integrations with tools like WordPress, Adobe Experience Manager, and Salesforce, as well as APIs for custom workflows. It automates up to 90% of translation tasks, including file handling and routing, saving time for project managers. Additional features include robust analytics, quality assurance tools, and dynamic workflows, making Smartling a comprehensive solution for global localization needs.
Transifex – Features & Capabilities
Transifex is a cloud-based localization platform designed to streamline the translation of digital content, such as websites, apps, and software. It supports over 46 file formats, including JSON, XLIFF, and YAML, and integrates seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines for continuous localization. Transifex features translation memory (TM) to reuse previous translations, machine translation (MT) for automated workflows, and robust quality assurance tools to ensure accuracy. Its collaborative online editor allows translators, reviewers, and managers to work in real time, with tools like term management and glossary support for consistency.
The platform offers powerful automation through APIs, webhooks, and SDKs for integration with development ecosystems. Features like branch management, GitHub/Bitbucket synchronization, and over-the-air (OTA) updates enable agile workflows. Transifex also provides project tracking, user permissions, and notifications to simplify workflow management. These capabilities make it a versatile solution for global localization needs.
Pricing Comparison
Let’s compare the pricing plans for both Smartling and Transifex.
| Product | Pricing Plans |
|---|---|
| Smartling | Core Package at $2,167/month, Growth Package at $4,167/month, Essential Plan at $500 + $150 per locale and Premium Plan at $2,000 + $950 per locale |
| Transifex | Starter Plan at $120 / month and Growth Plan at $570 / month |
Conclusion
Smartling and Transifex are both powerful cloud-based translation management systems (TMS), but they cater to slightly different localization needs. Smartling excels as an end-to-end solution, offering robust features like AI-powered tools, a Global Delivery Network for seamless website localization, and extensive integrations with content management and e-commerce platforms. It is particularly suited for enterprises focused on international brand expansion and managing complex workflows with customizable steps and detailed reporting. Transifex, on the other hand, emphasizes collaboration and automation, providing flexible workflows, a strong API for custom integrations, and advanced tools for managing multilingual content efficiently. Its focus on scalability and ease of use makes it ideal for tech companies and large enterprises aiming to streamline localization processes.
While Smartling offers more structured workflows and professional language services, Transifex provides greater flexibility in workflow customization and collaboration features like in-context editing. The choice between the two depends on whether the priority is a comprehensive, all-in-one platform (Smartling) or a more adaptable, developer-friendly solution (Transifex).
Alternative You Can Consider
If you’re looking for an easier way to edit and update SCORM files, Doctor eLearning offers a hassle-free solution. Instead of relying on complex SCORM authoring tools or going back to your original eLearning vendor, Doctor eLearning allows you to directly modify published SCORM files. You can replace outdated images, swap audio narrations, or update videos — all without needing the source files. This gives you full control to keep your SCORM content fresh and relevant, even if the original authoring tool is no longer accessible.
