Best Computer Translation Software

Computer translation software

There are a number of different reasons why you may be looking into computer translation software. It may be the case that you have a business that you are looking to expand to a global audience. Alternatively, you may be looking to create a marketing campaign that has more of an international appeal. Translation software exists in a number of different formats, and we are going to cover a few of these in the following blog post. Hopefully, this will help you to get your head around what is available to you. Of course, they all exist with the same purpose of speeding up the entire translation process from start to finish.

What Is Translation Software?

Before we go any further into the article, it is worth taking a general overview of what computer translation software is in the first place. Sometimes, it has the name ‘computer-assisted translation’ (CAT). You can get your hands on software that is web-based, desktop-based, or a combination of the two. Alternatively, if you find yourself working mainly on your smartphone, there is bound to be software that accommodates for this as well.

Essentially, they work by dividing up the content that you create in the original language and opening up a bilingual file. This will appear in two main columns. The source language text will be on the left and a space waiting for the translated content will be on the right. Many of the translation tools that we are going to discuss in the section below have the option of being integrated with your existing content management system, which can certainly help to make your life just a little bit easier. This will help to make the translation process even quicker. Also, it helps to reduce the number of manual tasks that need to be inputted and helps to automate everything accordingly.

Web-Based or Desktop

There is no single right answer when it comes to deciding whether you need a web-based or a desktop solution. Ultimately, it all comes back to your own individual needs and requirements. Starting off with web-based solutions, there are a number of different advantages that are worth bearing in mind initially. They work with all different types of operating systems, and you can access them from all sorts of devices as well. Translations can also be viewed immediately in context, as well as being updated along the way. On the downside, you are reliant on having a stable internet connection, which is not always the case for everybody. Also, if the server is not working properly, it can cause a major headache, so you need to ensure that you select the right internet provider for your needs.

On the other hand, we have desktop solutions. These have the natural advantage of not needing to rely on either the internet or server stability. Of course, you need to have some space available to install it on your computer. If you do not have multiple licenses available, or you have a floating license, it means that you have one-device access only, which may not be suitable for certain types of businesses. If you do not put on the auto-save option, it could easily mean that your work is lost as a result of this.

Top Translation Software

Now that we have covered some of the preliminary information, the time has come for us to discuss the individual software packages in a higher level of detail.

Memsource

Memsource is most widely renowned as a web-based service, but desktop translation is also an option that is installable on a wide range of laptop computers.

Memoq

Next up on the list, we have MemoQ, which is known as an advanced translation tool that offers a raft of different advantages, including quality control and reporting – to name just a couple of them.

Wordbee

With its catchy name, this is a popular translation tool, but it generally focuses on project management and collaboration. Of course, this could be exactly what you are looking for.

Smartling

Smartling offers a wide range of different tools, including version control and workflow management.

Smartcat

Finally, we have the free Smartcat platform, which is web-based and offers translation memory and terminology management.

There you have a good selection of the different translation services at your disposal. While many of them have similar features, no two are exactly the same, which means that it is certainly worth looking at each one of them in detail before making your mind up. Of course, many of them are available for free or at a low cost, so you can try them out before making a big commitment. As always, when you are looking at getting a new piece of software, check out the online reviews and forums for true accounts of the software and ensure there are no hidden costs.