Alconost is a localization service provider, and we work with most localization management platforms available on the market. 

The question of how to choose the best translation management platform for a software project comes up frequently, so we decided to break it down and weigh the pros and cons of the most popular ones.

Our clients' experience shows that it's a pain to migrate from one kind of translation management software to another, so it's best to start with the right solution for your project.

In this article we'll compare such popular localization management platforms as Crowdin, Lokalise, SmartCAT, Phrase, Transifex and POEditor. We'll discuss how they can assist you in better translation quality management. Besides, we'll take a look at Nitro by Alconost — a self-service translation platform which is a great solution for shorter and faster translation requests.

How and why translation management tools came about

It used to be that when developers needed something translated, they had to send the translator an Excel file to work with — not exactly convenient. Later, translators switched to CAT (computer-assisted translation) tools, such as Trados or MemoQ, which was a big step forward. To this day, CAT tools remain an ideal option for long-term projects that require a custom setup, but they are still too ponderous and inflexible for Agile projects.

And then LMS/TMS (Localization Management System/Translation Management System) tools appeared on the scene. Unlike desktop-only CAT tools, these localization platforms do all their work in the cloud and are extremely flexible. The advantages this presents for both devs and localization agencies are self-evident.

The benefits of localization management systems

First let’s consider the main benefits of LMS tools and why they are considered the best choice in most cases. Now, we’re not saying that you can’t use a CAT tool and should use localization platforms exclusively. But CAT tools are very cumbersome and are not at all adaptable for Agile projects. This is the primary reason why most of our clients prefer to work with LMS tools such as Crowdin or Lokalise, to name a few.

Now, on to the benefits of LMS tools.

Support for numerous file formats

LMS tools support nearly all file formats, including standard Word and Excel files and more specific ones such as .MQXLIFF (a cross-platform .XML that is generated when downloading a file from MemoQ). Note that file types like .MQXLIFF are considered highly specialized and not all LMS tools can read them.

Great for continuous localization projects

We’ve already discussed what continuous localization is and why it’s awesome in this article. A quick recap: continuous localization is ongoing localization using Agile methodology that supports editing on the go and real-time changes (which would be impossible with CAT systems, for example).

All this means that a cloud-based translation management platform like Crowdin is perfect for continuous localization due to its “cloud” nature and functionality. Here are some of the most useful features of LMS tools for continuous localization:

• Adding changes to strings: LMS tools have an “update” function that automates content updates, meaning that translators see only the new, untranslated strings. An LMS tool can also automatically synchronize the updated file with previous translations by deleting or adding strings.
• Automation: A localization platform can be set up to automatically upload new strings to the project and pull them back to the platform.
• Instant editing: LMS tools allow for instant editing so you can instantly fix anything in the ongoing project. In addition, you can comment on strings and also use comments as an issue tracker.
• Different collaboration options: depending on their level of access, users can collaborate on a project simultaneously: add new translators, approve strings, resolve issues, etc.
• Translation memory and glossary: facilitates homogenous translation and unified terminology.

These are just a few features of translation management system that make them so remarkably suited to Agile projects. But compatibility with Agile methodology is just one advantage of LMS systems. Another is their numerous options for integration.

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Numerous integration options

For better efficiency, most LMS tools are compatible with multiple third-party services such as GitHub, HubSpot, Zendesk, Android, Jira, Azure Repos, and many others. Thanks to seamless integration, content can be automatically transferred from one system to another, thus saving considerable time by eliminating the need to retrieve it manually.

Automated QA checks

Built-in localization QA tools reduce the number of manual QA checks thanks to automated QA. That means an LMS tool such as Crowdin or Lokalise is capable of automatically checking for glossary mismatches, spelling, placeholder availability, and critical errors.

Also, Crowdin Enterprise offers the sweet option of creating custom QA checks using a JS framework.

Advanced project statistics

One more valuable feature of an efficient localization platform is advanced project statistics and reports. This feature is really useful for ensuring project transparency, as it allows clients to monitor the project’s progress (work carried out within a given date range, stats for specific files only, TM fuzzy matches, etc.).

This video shows how the localization workflow takes place on localization platforms:

Translation management systems comparison

Now that we’ve covered the main benefits of LMS tools, let’s compare them and go over the pros and cons of each. The table below covers the key features of the most popular translation management systems.

Good news: some translation platforms (Crowdin, Lokalise, Transifex, POEditor) are completely free for open-source projects!

We have included Nitro in this comparison, though Nitro is just on its way on getting revamped to a full-fledged localization platforms, it started supporting files recently and can become a fast an affordable solution for smaller projects. You can learn more about Nitro's features at the bottom of this article.

Have a short and urgent translation task? Get it translated with Nitro!

As you can see, every platform has a certain number of available integrations. For example, a localization management platform can be integrated with third-party services such as GitHub, iOS and Android SDK, Figma, Slack, Jira, and Asana. What’s great about these integrations is that you can set up automatic content uploads/downloads directly to a third-party system.

Now let’s break down each feature from the table to see where each platform stands in terms of usability and performance.

UI usability

UI usability refers to a platform’s ease of use and user-friendliness. Of all the options listed above, users report that translation management with Crowdin is the most convenient and user-friendly. It has an intuitive, well-optimized UI, with minimal steps for every action to prevent confusion. This is especially useful for those encountering localization for the first time, who need time to familiarize themselves with the process.

Localization managers at Alconost like it that in Crowdin it's easy to hide certain strings and files for specific languages if needed and that you can easily see all the versions of translations (the one suggested by TM, the one by the translator and the proofreader's version).

Lokalise is next in line after Crowdin. While its UI is mostly intuitive and understandable, users tend to stumble a bit. But Lokalise does have the advantage of far more advanced admin access settings than Crowdin. As for other platforms, their UIs are generally about average.

Each platform has certain valuable features that other platforms are missing. SmartCAT, for instance, allows users to complete financial transactions right within the platform without leaving it — an option not available on other localization platforms.

Lokalise has its own highly valuable feature: it can automatically recognize screenshot text that is added to strings and link the screenshots to the keys. This means they are immediately displayed in the editor, which is very useful for platform users.

POEditor has an interface one needs to get used to: some UI elements are not intuitive and you don't know what they do until you use them. For example, "quit editor" means to leave the project — so you can accidentally lose access to the project because of this a bit misleading button.

Commenting on strings

The option to comment on strings is extremely valuable, as it allows translators and other team members to clarify the context of the text, ask questions, and interact with each other. While every localization platform has the option to add comments to strings, Crowdin takes it one step further by allowing users to use comments as issue trackers. That means a user can add either issue or resolved status to a comment, which helps facilitate project monitoring.

In this way, every string has its own thread (or chat) where you can tag people (developers, translators), leave replies, and clarify any issues. Using this feature, Crowdin immediately lets you know which areas require your attention. Plus, you can instantly find the required string by typing issue in the dashboard search.

In Lokalise, you have to spend extra time on checking each string to see whether there is a new comment or not. However, Lokalise has an advanced set of string filters which can be useful for some projects.

Activity log and statistics

Most collaborative translation platforms typically have a dashboard with a status bar displaying the project status, percentage of translated text, etc.

One of the reasons why we love Crowdin is that it has a full-fledged activity log that displays both major stats (% of completed translation, for example) and minor stats (such as what comments were added, by whom, and who approved them), while another advanced localization platform — Lokalise — doesn't make it easy to count the number of repetitions and TM matches. Stats like these are important as we at Alconost offer 70% discount for 100% matches. 

Pre-processing of spreadsheets and .XML files

Pre-processing, as the name implies, means file processing before a localization platform starts working with them. If you upload a file in table (.XLSX or .CVS) or .XML format to Crowdin, the platform allows you to set up the structure and/or configuration of your files so that Crowdin correctly uploads the content for translation.

Lokalise also has advanced pre-processing settings. While uploading your files, you can select the necessary pre-processing options, such as: convert placeholders, detect ICU plurals, or fill empty values with keys. The native CLI or GitHub integration can also be used for file upload.

If we look at another cloud-based translation management tool, SmartCAT also offers a good selection of pre-processing settings. The user is presented with different configuration options depending on the file format. The most popular formats supported by SmartCAT are Excel, .XLIFF, .XML, .PDF, and Word.

Real-time in-app editing

Live editing is an invaluable feature that allows translators to translate text in real time directly within the web application UI. It lets you instantly see what the translated file will look like and whether the text needs to be adjusted.

This feature is found in the Crowdin, Lokalise, and Transifex platforms. Let’s examine Crowdin first. In Crowdin, this feature is called the In-Context tool: as stated above, it lets you view and translate files directly within the web app. The In-Context localization is linked to the Crowdin project where the files are stored so that everything works in sync. This feature can be used to edit all text of an app and even to translate strings with placeholders.

In Lokalise, this feature is called LiveEdit and it lets you translate text both in web and mobile applications in real time. So while it’s similar to Crowdin’s In-Context editor, it takes it one step further by supporting translation of mobile app content as well.

Finally, there is Transifex with its Transifex Live feature. When using it, you will see a small sidebar on top of the website, which you can use to manage your translations in real time. While Transifex Live works slightly differently from Lokalise Live Edit and Crowdin In-Context, it also helps facilitate translation in real time.

Online translation platform for translating short updates and one-off tasks

As you can see from their rich functionality, the above-mentioned localization tools are great for big, complex localization projects. But what do you do if you just need to translate a small amount of text (under 1000 words, for example, or just a handful of strings)?

This is where lightweight, stripped-down translation platforms come into play, such as Nitro . Nitro is a self-service human translation platform that supports multiple languages, in plain text format or as Google Docs. Learn more about Google Docs translation with Nitro in this article.

Tip! A batch of plain text translations can be exported from Nitro to a single Google Sheets file which is also convenient.

This online translation management tool has a clean, simple UI designed for swift execution of short translations. The way it works is simple: you insert either plain text (displayed in segments) or add a link to a Google document, check off the languages into which you want it translated, pay within the platform, and submit your order for translation. Most orders are ready within 24 hours, while many are completed far sooner.

 

Nitro’s features include options for providing context, communicating with translators, and adding questions and comments. A number of Alconost’s clients prefer to use Crowdin for handling large translations and Nitro for small ones.

Summing up

When choosing a software localization tool, the first thing to consider is the scope of your project and what it will require. For long-term and complex projects we highly recommend Crowdin or Lokalise, as these two tools have the most advanced feature sets, extensive integration and file format support. Moreover, Crowdin allows for an intuitive and friendly UI.

Between the two, our favorite is Crowdin due to its advanced functionality and the number of options available. But the Alconost team also works with Lokalise, SmartCAT, and other platforms.

If you need advice on choosing the best translation management system for your specific needs or if you don’t know where to start, just contact us! We will gladly go over all the pros and cons with you and help you pick the solution best suited to your project.