Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. The largest vendors in CAT tools (computer-assisted translation)
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 11 tools, reviewed
#1 memoQ
Translation editor that grows into a team server · Hungary · memoq.com
Published prices Windows desktop LiveDocs
memoQ is the CAT tool a freelancer can price in a minute and a ten-person agency can still use two years later. The translator pro license sits at a published monthly and annual rate, and the trial runs 14 days. LiveDocs lets a translator drop in old source and translation pairs and get matches from them without building a formal alignment project.
- Pricing: Per license / year. memoQ translator pro is listed at €44 per month or €396 per year per license (USD $54 and $436). Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Freelancers and small agencies
- Strengths: Desktop translation editor; LiveDocs reference alignment; Translation memory.
Where it falls short
memoQ runs on Microsoft Windows, so a translator on a Mac has to host a Windows environment first. The TMS plans above Starter (Essential, Professional, Enterprise) are priced through the sales team, which makes budgeting harder for an agency that outgrows the entry package.
Wrong for
A Mac-first translator who wants a native app should start with Wordfast Pro or CafeTran Espresso, and a volunteer team with no budget at all should look at MateCat first.
Visit memoQ →
#2 MateCat
Free open-source CAT tool that runs in the browser · Italy · matecat.com
Free Open source Browser-based
MateCat answers the question many new translators ask first: is there a professional CAT tool that costs nothing? The vendor site describes it as a free and open source online CAT tool, free for translation companies, translators and enterprise users alike. It pulls matches from translation memories and machine translation into one editor, and it ships an aligner and an API.
- Pricing: Open source + paid tiers. Free for translation companies, translators and enterprise users; the code is released under the LGPL and can be self-built from GitHub. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Translators who want zero license cost
- Strengths: Online CAT editor; Translation memory leverage; Machine translation suggestions.
Where it falls short
MateCat is a hosted web tool, so the work depends on an internet connection and on the operator keeping the service running. The vendor site documents no paid support tier or service-level commitment that we could find.
Wrong for
A law firm or manufacturer that needs a contractual service level, an on-premises server and vendor support should price memoQ or Trados instead of relying on a free hosted tool.
Visit MateCat →
#3 Wordfast
Cross-platform CAT tool family for translators · United States · wordfast.com
Windows, macOS, Linux Educational licenses Package interchange
Wordfast is the family to look at when your translators do not all use the same operating system. Wordfast Pro 11.5 is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux, and it opens Word, Excel, PowerPoint, InDesign, FrameMaker, XLIFF, SDLXLIFF, MQXLIFF and RWS Trados packages. Translation memories reach up to 5,000,000 translation units each, and Transcheck runs spelling, number, terminology and placeable checks as you type.
- Pricing: Per license. Wordfast sells licenses per product on its buy page without listing prices in the pages we read; 15% off for three licenses, 30% off for ten; free licenses for universities. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Mac and Linux translators
- Strengths: Wordfast Pro desktop editor; Wordfast Anywhere in the browser; Wordfast Classic for MS Word.
Where it falls short
The pages we read publish no prices; the buy page points to the individual product pages and a FAQ. Intel Macs are not supported from macOS Sonoma onward, and the vendor warns it cannot guarantee Wordfast Pro on macOS 27.
Wrong for
A buyer who wants published, comparable prices and a cloud project manager out of the box should compare memoQ and Phrase, and an agency running only Windows may find memoQ better supported.
Visit Wordfast →
#4 Trados
Industry-standard CAT editor from RWS · United Kingdom · trados.com
Industry standard Windows desktop AppStore plug-ins
Trados is the name clients write into briefs, and that alone keeps it on most agency translators' machines. Trados Freelance is published at £34 per month with unlimited desktop target words and one million cloud target words per year, and the lighter browser-based Trados Go is £24. MultiTerm comes with every Freelance subscription, and the RWS AppStore carries plug-ins for DeepL, Google, Microsoft and others.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Trados Go costs £24 per month (£288 billed annually); Trados Freelance £34 per month (£408 billed annually); 14-day trial; Team, Business and Enterprise are separate products. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Translators working for agencies
- Strengths: Trados Studio desktop editor; Trados Go browser editor; MultiTerm terminology.
Where it falls short
Trados Studio is officially supported on Windows only; Mac users must run it through Parallels. Pricing is a ladder of Go, Freelance, Team, Business and Enterprise, and the cloud allowance is capped at one million target words per year on Freelance.
Wrong for
A translator on macOS who wants a native app should choose Wordfast Pro or CafeTran, and a team that does not need to match an agency's file formats can run MateCat for free.
Visit Trados →
#5 CafeTran Espresso
Cross-platform CAT tool, free to use with limits · United States · cafetran.com
Mac, Windows, Linux Free to start Solo developer
CafeTran Espresso is for the translator who wants a capable editor without a corporate contract. The program is free to download and use indefinitely, and a paid license is only required once translation memories or glossaries grow beyond the free limits. One license covers two computers.
- Pricing: Per license. Free to download and use indefinitely; a paid license is needed for larger translation memories or glossaries and covers two computers; no price on the home page. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Solo translators on Mac or Linux
- Strengths: Mac, Windows and Linux editor; Translation memory server; Machine translation and AI integration.
Where it falls short
The home page gives no price for the paid license, and the vendor is a small US limited liability company with a mailing address in Delaware. The interface is customizable, which means more setup than a standard editor.
Wrong for
An agency that needs project management, vendor payments and role-based access should look at memoQ, Phrase or Wordbee, which are built for managers rather than single translators.
Visit CafeTran Espresso →
#6 Phrase
Translation management and localization platform · Czech Republic · phrase.com
Published tiers Cloud TMS Developer integrations
Phrase suits a company that has stopped emailing files to translators and wants one place for jobs, deadlines and memories. The pricing page publishes tiers named Team, Software UI/UX, Freelancer and Professional, and it separates seats for the translation management system from seats for Phrase Strings, which handles app and software text.
- Pricing: Per seat / month. Annual billing on published tiers (Team, Software UI/UX, Freelancer, Professional) with custom Business and Enterprise pricing; 14-day free trial; payment terms Net 15. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Companies managing many translators
- Strengths: Phrase TMS workflows; Phrase Strings for software; Translation memory and terminology.
Where it falls short
Phrase is a platform for managers, not a lightweight editor for an individual translator, and the useful tiers start in the hundreds per month. Business and Enterprise pricing is only available through sales. The pricing page shows no permanent free plan, only a trial.
Wrong for
A freelancer who just wants a desktop editor for client files should look at memoQ or Wordfast, and a solo translator with no budget can use MateCat.
Visit Phrase →
#7 Smartcat
AI translation platform with a translator marketplace · United States · smartcat.com
Translator marketplace AI agents Smartwords allowance
Smartcat combines an editor, machine translation and a hiring marketplace, so a marketing team can order a translation and have it reviewed in the same workspace. The vendor lists more than 280 languages, 80-plus file formats and over 40 integrations including WordPress, Figma and Contentful. The Adapt plan is published from $1,200 per year, and translation memory matches and repetitions cost nothing extra on any plan.
- Pricing: Quote only. Adapt starts at $1,200 per year billed annually, with higher tiers on request; 15-day trial; translation memory matches and repetitions are free on every plan. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Marketing and content teams
- Strengths: CAT editor; 280+ languages; Marketplace of 500,000+ linguists.
Where it falls short
The allowance is counted in Smartwords, so the yearly price depends on how much text you push through, and everything above Adapt needs a quote. Adapt has one workspace and no SSO or 2FA.
Wrong for
A translator who wants a traditional desktop editor with local files should pick memoQ or Wordfast, and a security-led team needing SSO should budget above the entry tier.
Visit Smartcat →
#8 Wordbee
Translation management with a CAT editor · Luxembourg · wordbee.com
Luxembourg-based Vendor management Open REST API
Wordbee covers the back office of a translation business: jobs, vendors, invoicing and analytics sit beside the editor. Pricing is published for the Enterprise plan at €150 per power user per month, billed annually, with 20 power users, 500 linguists and 5 TB of storage included. The vendor says every plan carries an open REST API, and the Beebox route covers CMS connectors for WordPress, Sitecore, AEM and Drupal.
- Pricing: Per user / month. The Enterprise plan is listed at €150 per power user per month billed annually; other tiers on request; no trial of the Translator plans is listed. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Agencies and in-house language teams
- Strengths: Translation management; CAT editor; Vendor management and invoicing.
Where it falls short
The Wordbee terms say subscriptions are non-cancellable and non-refundable, renew automatically for one-year terms unless notice is given 60 days ahead, and renewal prices may rise by CPI plus 2%. Customer data is deleted six weeks after termination.
Wrong for
A freelance translator or a two-person shop will find the per-power-user pricing out of proportion.
Visit Wordbee →
#9 Déjà Vu
Long-running CAT tool from Atril, first sold in 1993 · France · atril.com
Since 1993 Free edition Workgroup edition
Déjà Vu is one of the oldest CAT tools still on sale: the vendor site says it has been the original since 1993. Atril sells X3 Free as a trial edition, X3 Professional for individual translators, X3 Workgroup for sharing memories and terminology on a local network, and TEAMserver for companies. Translators who testify on the site praise DeepMiner, AutoWrite and the project-specific lexicon.
- Pricing: Per license. Atril lists X3 Free, X3 Professional, X3 Workgroup and TEAMserver with Order Now buttons but no amounts on the pages we read; a free trial is offered. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Long-time Déjà Vu translators
- Strengths: Déjà Vu X3 Professional; Déjà Vu X3 Workgroup; TEAMserver.
Where it falls short
The vendor site publishes no prices and the footer reads copyright 2017, so a new buyer cannot see how actively the product is developed. The product pages name X3 as the current edition. The Lille address is the only office listed.
Wrong for
A buyer who wants current published pricing and a visible release pace should compare memoQ and Trados before committing, and a Mac user should choose a cross-platform tool.
Visit Déjà Vu →
#10 Smartling
Enterprise localization platform with CAT tools · United States · smartling.com
Tiered SaaS TMX export AI and human review
Smartling is built for companies where marketing, localization and engineering share one translation pipeline. The site describes feature-rich CAT and transcreation tools with advanced visual context, translation memories that can be exported in TMX, and an AI Hub that can translate with more than 20 large language models and machine translation engines. It connects to over 50 platforms, including WordPress, Contentful, Salesforce, HubSpot and GitHub.
- Pricing: Quote only. Offered as a tiered SaaS platform with a Core plan and an Enterprise plan. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Enterprise marketing and product teams
- Strengths: CAT and transcreation tools with visual context; Translation memory (exportable in TMX); AI Hub with 20+ LLMs and MT engines.
Where it falls short
No prices appear on the home page, and the plan structure is described only as Core and Enterprise. The pricing structure is described only through sales contact, so a small buyer cannot budget from the site.
Wrong for
A freelancer or a small agency without an enterprise content workflow should use memoQ, Wordfast or MateCat, which are sold and priced for individuals.
Visit Smartling →
#11 Across Language Server
Central translation management system from Karlsbad · Germany · across.net
German vendor Terminology Workflow automation
Across Language Server is a translation management system for companies that want processes, terminology and memory under central control. The vendor, Across Systems GmbH in Karlsbad, describes integrated terminology management and translation memory functions as part of quality assurance, plus automated workflows. It can be used as a complete solution or combined with systems a company already runs.
- Pricing: Quote only. No price is published; the vendor offers a demo appointment and lists a sales contact. Free plan: none.
- Best for: German-speaking corporate language teams
- Strengths: Central translation management; Integrated terminology; Translation memory functions.
Where it falls short
The vendor site does not list prices, machine translation support, file formats or whether the system runs in the cloud, on premises or both. Buyers must book a demo to learn those details. The site is primarily German.
Wrong for
A freelance translator or a small agency should not start here; they need self-service pricing and a trial, which memoQ, Wordfast and MateCat provide.
Visit Across Language Server →
Questions and answers
What is the best CAT tool in 2026?
memoQ ranks first of 11, best for freelancers and small agencies. MateCat is second (translators who want zero license cost) and Wordfast third (mac and Linux translators). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
Is there a free CAT tool that is good enough for professional work?
MateCat is free for translators, translation companies and enterprise users, and its code is open source under the LGPL. CafeTran Espresso is free to download and use indefinitely, but larger translation memories and glossaries need a paid license.
Can I use a CAT tool on a Mac?
Yes, but the options narrow. Wordfast Pro is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux, and CafeTran Espresso runs on Mac, Windows and Linux.
What does translation memory do in a CAT tool?
A translation memory stores each approved source and target segment. When similar text appears again, the CAT tool offers the earlier translation with a match percentage, and the translator accepts or edits it.
How much does a CAT tool cost per year?
The published range is wide. memoQ translator pro is €396 per year, Trados Freelance is £408 per year billed annually, and Smartcat's Adapt plan starts at $1,200 per year.
Should I choose a CAT tool or a translation management system?
Choose a CAT tool when you translate files yourself and need a good editor and memory. Choose a translation management system when you assign work to many translators and need deadlines, invoices and reports in one place.
Can a CAT tool open files made in Trados?
Many can. Wordfast Pro lists RWS Trados packages and the SDLXLIFF, SDLPPX and MQXLIFF formats among its supported files. CafeTran Espresso supports xliff and sdlxliff, and memoQ lists SDLXLIFF among the formats it handles.
Do CAT tools use machine translation and AI?
Most now do.
Is a browser-based CAT tool as good as a desktop one?
For many jobs yes, though it depends on the file. Browser tools such as MateCat, Trados Go and Wordfast Anywhere need no installation and work on any device.
How do I move my translation memories to a different CAT tool?
Export the memory as TMX from the old tool and import it into the new one, then spot-check segments with tags and numbers.
Which CAT tools have a free trial?
memoQ offers a 14-day trial and Trados a 14-day trial. Phrase gives a 14-day trial with Enterprise features, and Smartcat a 15-day trial.
