Lingo.dev vs Smartling
Complete comparison guide to help you choose the right coding tool for your needs.
The Winner
Smartling
Wins for overall value, user satisfaction, and Enterprise translation at scale.
Quick Comparison
Feature Breakdown
Feature Comparison
Lingo.dev 
Smartling Lingo.dev
- Zero-Friction Git Workflow
- Bring Your Own LLM
- Generous Free Tier
- Open Source Transparency
- No Third-Party Reviews
- Requires Git Expertise
- AI Translation Limitations
Smartling
- Free Core Plan
- Cutting-Edge AI Features
- Exceptional Workflow Automation
- Visual Context Editing
- Enterprise Pricing Opacity
- Pay-Per-Word Costs
- Interface Complexity
Lingo.dev Overview
Lingo.dev is built for developers who want localization without leaving their workflow. Push code, get translations-automatically via CI/CD. Free tier (10K words/month) is generous for testing. But it requires Git expertise, AI translations may miss cultural nuance, and there are no third-party reviews yet (launched 2024). Best for dev teams shipping fast to international markets.
Best For:
- Dev teams prioritizing speed over polish
- Projects with CI/CD pipelines requiring instant localization on deployment
- Startups and scale-ups launching multi-language products quickly
- Apps with user-generated or dynamic content needing real-time translation
- Teams comfortable with AI-generated translations and iterative refinement
Smartling Overview
Smartling combines advanced AI translation with comprehensive workflow automation to help enterprises scale localization efforts. The freemium model offers a free Core tier for basic needs, while Enterprise plans deliver 50-70% cost savings with custom pricing. Strong for teams processing 100K+ words annually, but may be overkill for simple translation tasks.
Best For:
- Enterprise translation at scale
- Companies requiring 90%+ workflow automation with Dynamic AI routing
- Organizations processing 100K+ words annually seeking 35-60% better unit economics
- Businesses integrating with 50+ software platforms (CMS, marketing tools, developer environments)
- Teams prioritizing translation accuracy at scale with AI Post-Editing and Quality Estimation agents
Our Verdict
Smartling is our top pick for most users, thanks to its higher user ratings. However, Lingo.dev remains a solid choice if you need Dev teams prioritizing speed over polish.
Try Smartling Free