Crowdin
FreemiumLocalization platform with a generous free tier, 600+ integrations, and AI-powered translation for open-source and commercial software teams
What is Crowdin?
Crowdin is one of the two leading developer-first localization platforms (alongside Lokalise) and is especially popular with open-source projects, indie developers, and cost-conscious software teams. It has a free tier that is genuinely useful: unlimited collaborators on open-source projects, up to 60,000 hosted source words, and most of the core translation features. That free plan has made Crowdin the go-to localization home for thousands of open-source projects including Minecraft mods, Mastodon, and many Linux distributions. For commercial teams, paid plans start at $50/month for Pro (50,000 words, 20 projects, unlimited collaborators), climb to $200/month for Team (250,000 words, 50 projects, advanced workflows), and scale into custom Enterprise deals. Crowdin's biggest advantage is integration count — 600+ integrations including GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Figma, Sketch, Unity, Unreal Engine, Android Studio, iOS Xcode, WordPress, Contentful, Strapi, and dozens of marketing and CMS platforms. In 2024-2026 Crowdin launched Crowdin AI, which routes translations through OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and DeepL with glossary enforcement and TM leverage. The platform also offers optional human translation services through Crowdin Language Services at per-word rates. Crowdin is SOC 2 Type II compliant and offers both cloud (Crowdin.com) and self-hosted (Crowdin Enterprise on-premise) deployments. For startups and open-source projects, the free plan plus $50 Pro tier makes Crowdin the most cost-effective serious TMS on the market.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Open-source projects, indie developers, and cost-conscious software teams who need full localization without enterprise pricing
Enterprise marketing teams needing polished in-context visual editing — Smartling is a better fit there
Free for open source · Pro $50/mo · Team $200/mo · Business $450/mo · Enterprise custom
Yes — free plan with unlimited collaborators on open-source projects
Best free tier of any serious TMS plus 600+ integrations across dev, design, and CMS tools
UI is less polished than Lokalise, and newcomers can find the menu tree dense
Bottom line: Crowdin scores 4.4/5 — the best free localization tier on the market and the most budget-friendly serious TMS. Open-source projects and small teams should start here; larger product teams that outgrow it often move to Lokalise.
Pricing
Free (for open source): Unlimited collaborators, 60,000 source words, 3 projects, AI translation quota, basic features — permanent free plan for public open-source projects.
Pro — $50/month: 50,000 source words, 20 projects, unlimited collaborators, full integrations, TM, QA checks, Crowdin AI basic access.
Team — $200/month: 250,000 source words, 50 projects, advanced workflow engine, branching, SSO (optional add-on), priority support.
Business — $450/month: 1M source words, 150 projects, SSO, audit logs, custom integrations, SLA.
Enterprise (on-premise or private cloud): Custom pricing, dedicated infrastructure, unlimited volume, enhanced security, dedicated CSM.
Key Features
- Free tier with unlimited collaborators for open-source projects
- 600+ integrations (GitHub, GitLab, Figma, Unity, Unreal, WordPress, Contentful)
- Crowdin AI with OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepL, Google routing
- In-context editor with screenshot attachments
- Translation memory and glossary management
- Branching and workflow automation
- Mobile SDKs for iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter
- Crowdin Language Services for managed human translation
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR compliant, on-premise option
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Genuinely free for open-source projects — no hidden caps
- Most integrations of any TMS (600+)
- Transparent self-serve pricing from $50/month
- On-premise deployment available via Crowdin Enterprise
Cons
- UI feels dated compared to Lokalise's modern design
- Advanced workflow configuration has a learning curve
- Some features gated behind Business ($450/mo) or above
FAQ
Is Crowdin really free for open-source projects?
Yes. Crowdin has offered a permanent free tier for public open-source projects since its early days and is committed to keeping it. You get unlimited collaborators, up to 60,000 hosted source words, AI translation quota, and all core features — the only real restrictions are that the project must be publicly visible and the source code freely available. Thousands of open-source projects including Mastodon, Minecraft mods, KDE, Godot Engine, and many Linux distributions use the free tier as their primary translation home.
Crowdin vs Lokalise — which is better?
They are the two best developer-first TMS platforms and the choice is usually budget and taste. Crowdin has a free tier and much cheaper entry pricing ($50/mo vs Lokalise's $140/mo), and more integrations. Lokalise has a cleaner UI, better Figma integration, and is preferred by teams that value design polish. For open-source projects, Crowdin is the obvious pick. For venture-funded software startups with a dedicated localization manager, Lokalise is often preferred.
Does Crowdin use AI for translation?
Yes. Crowdin AI routes content through OpenAI GPT models, Anthropic Claude, DeepL, Google Translate, and Microsoft Translator. It enforces glossary and translation memory, auto-suggests the best engine per segment, and supports human review workflows. Free tier gets basic AI access; Pro and above get higher quotas and advanced engine selection. Enterprise customers can bring their own API keys or deploy custom LLMs.
What integrations does Crowdin support?
600+ integrations — the widest of any TMS. Major ones include GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, Android Studio, Xcode, WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Contentful, Strapi, Sanity, Directus, Ghost, Storyblok, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Slack, Jira, Trello, Asana, Google Sheets, Airtable, and dozens more. Custom integrations can be built on the REST API or via the Crowdin App marketplace.
Is Crowdin GDPR compliant?
Yes. Crowdin is SOC 2 Type II certified, GDPR compliant, and offers Data Processing Agreements for all paid plans. EU data residency is available. Enterprise customers can also deploy Crowdin on-premise or in a private cloud for complete data control. Third-party AI engines are opt-in and can be disabled for sensitive projects.
Does Crowdin offer human translation services?
Yes. Crowdin Language Services provides managed human translation through a vetted network of professional translators and LSPs. Rates are per word and typically range from $0.08-$0.25 depending on language pair and domain. You can order human translation directly from the TMS dashboard with fast turnaround, making it easy to mix AI translation for bulk content with human translation for marketing or legal text.
Can Crowdin run on-premise?
Yes. Crowdin Enterprise is the self-hosted version that runs on your own infrastructure with dedicated servers, enhanced security, and full data isolation. It is the common choice for government, healthcare, and large enterprises with strict data residency requirements. Pricing is quote-based and typically starts at $30,000-$50,000/year for a small deployment.
📋 Good to know
Sign up at crowdin.com, create a project, connect a Git repo or upload files, invite collaborators. Open-source projects go live in minutes.
SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, EU data residency. Enterprise on-premise available. AI engines configurable per project.
Move to Pro ($50/mo) when you need more source words, commercial use, or higher AI quota. Team ($200/mo) for advanced workflows.
Low-medium for translators. Medium for project owners — the feature tree is deep and takes a day or two to master.