Best for startups

Free Translation APIs

Which machine translation APIs a startup can translate its product and content with for free today, how many characters the free allowance covers, whether it renews, whether a card is needed and what paid characters cost, read from each provider's own page.

8translation APIs with a free allowance
5translation APIs
3open-source translation

Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Translation providers change their free tiers from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you translate your product with it.

Translation APIs a startup can use for free today include DeepL (1,000,000 characters, one time), LibreTranslate (Free to self-host, open source), Google Cloud Translation (500,000 characters a month), Argos Translate (Free open source, runs offline), and Microsoft Azure AI Translator (2 million characters a month). Each of the 8 free allowances below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, whether the free characters renew, whether a card is needed and what paid characters cost.

Translating an app, a help center or user messages runs through a machine translation API. The big clouds give a free monthly allowance of characters, DeepL gives a one-time allowance to test with, and open-source engines translate for free on your own server.

The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Some free characters renew every month, some last only a year or never reset, and some free tiers leave out features such as speech translation. Each API below shows what is free, its main limit, whether the free characters renew, whether a card is needed and what paid characters cost, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.

Which APIs we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which APIs are listed or where.

Translation APIs

Translation APIs with a free tier

Machine translation for apps and content, with free characters each month.

  1. 1

    DeepL

    Testing DeepL translation quality before paying

    DeepL's free API is now the Developer plan: a one-time 1,000,000 characters to test with, which does not reset. After that, translation moves to the paid Growth plan.

    What's free
    1,000,000 characters, one time (source: support.deepl.com)
    Main limit
    Does not reset; then the Growth plan (source: support.deepl.com)
    Renews
    Once, does not reset (source: support.deepl.com)
    Start free at DeepLTerms read on support.deepl.com on DeepL: the free allowance and how to start
  2. 2

    Google Cloud Translation

    Teams already on Google Cloud with light volume

    Google Cloud Translation gives 500,000 characters a month free, applied as a $10 credit every month. Above 500,000 characters it costs $20 per million characters.

    What's free
    500,000 characters a month (source: cloud.google.com)
    Main limit
    Paid above 500,000 characters a month (source: cloud.google.com)
    Renews
    Renews every month (source: cloud.google.com)
    Paid characters
    $20 per million characters over 500,000 (source: cloud.google.com)
    Start free at Google CloudTerms read on cloud.google.com on Google Cloud Translation: the free allowance and how to start
  3. 3

    Microsoft Azure AI Translator

    Microsoft and Azure shops wanting a large free allowance

    The F0 free tier includes 2 million characters of any combination of standard translation and custom translation training free per month.

    What's free
    2 million characters a month (source: azure.microsoft.com)
    Main limit
    Standard and custom translation combined (source: azure.microsoft.com)
    Renews
    Renews every month (source: azure.microsoft.com)
    Start free at MicrosoftTerms read on azure.microsoft.com on Microsoft Azure AI Translator: the free allowance and how to start
  4. 4

    Amazon Translate

    AWS accounts translating text for their first year

    Upon signup, translate up to 2M characters monthly for 12 months, free. Standard text translation costs $15 per million characters after that, and real-time document translation has no free tier.

    What's free
    2M characters a month for 12 months (source: aws.amazon.com)
    Main limit
    Not for real-time document translation (source: aws.amazon.com)
    Renews
    Renews monthly for 12 months (source: aws.amazon.com)
    Paid characters
    $15 per million characters (source: aws.amazon.com)
    Start free at Amazon Web ServicesTerms read on aws.amazon.com on Amazon Translate: the free allowance and how to start
  5. 5

    SYSTRAN

    Testing a machine translation API for two weeks

    The SYSTRAN API can be tried free for 14 days, with 500,000 characters included, and the free trial needs no credit card. It supports 55 languages.

    What's free
    500,000 characters, 14-day trial (source: systransoft.com)
    Main limit
    55 languages (source: systransoft.com)
    Renews
    Once, during the 14-day trial (source: systransoft.com)
    Payment card
    No card needed (source: systransoft.com)
    Start free at SYSTRANTerms read on systransoft.com on SYSTRAN: the free allowance and how to start
Open-source translation

Open-source translation you can run free

Translation models and servers you can run yourself, free.

  1. 1

    LibreTranslate

    Running your own translation server at no licence cost

    LibreTranslate is free and open source software you can host yourself. Its hosted service offers no free API key, and its Starter plan is $58 a month.

    What's free
    Free to self-host, open source (source: portal.libretranslate.com)
    Main limit
    No free hosted API key (source: portal.libretranslate.com)
    Paid characters
    Hosted Starter: $58 a month (source: portal.libretranslate.com)
    Start free at LibreTranslateTerms read on portal.libretranslate.com on LibreTranslate: the free allowance and how to start
  2. 2

    Argos Translate

    Offline translation you run yourself, in Python

    Argos Translate is open-source offline translation software written in Python. You install the language packages you need, and it runs offline.

    What's free
    Free open source, runs offline (source: argosopentech.com)
    Main limit
    Install the language packages you need (source: argosopentech.com)
    Start free at Argos TranslateTerms read on argosopentech.com on Argos Translate: the free allowance and how to start
  3. 3

    Bergamot

    Browser-side translation for a few languages

    Bergamot is free, client-side translation software that runs in the browser. Its models cover Bulgarian, Czech, English, Estonian, French, Polish, and Spanish.

    What's free
    Free, open source, runs in the browser (source: browser.mt)
    Main limit
    7 languages, English included (source: browser.mt)
    Start free at BergamotTerms read on browser.mt on Bergamot: the free allowance and how to start
Referral offers

Also useful for founders

Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.

CometAPIOne API key for 500+ text, image, video and audio modelsFree test creditsReferral linkAymo AIOne chat workspace for 60+ AI modelsFree planReferral linkScraperAPIScraping API that handles proxies, browsers and CAPTCHAs for you1,000 API creditsReferral link
Methodology

How this comparison is built

The list covers machine translation APIs a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each API's terms. Every term comes from the API's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on characters, or free characters that last only a year, can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these APIs pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a API appears, and no API pays for a placement on this page.

Read the full methodology
Questions

Common questions

What is the best free translation API?

It depends on volume. By the terms each provider states, Microsoft Azure AI Translator gives 2 million characters a month, Google Cloud Translation 500,000 characters a month, Amazon Translate 2 million characters a month for 12 months, and DeepL a one-time 1,000,000 characters.

Is the DeepL API free?

DeepL's API Developer plan is free with a one-time total of 1,000,000 characters. Once that limit is reached it does not reset, and more translation needs the paid Growth plan.

Is the Google Translate API free?

Google Cloud Translation's first 500,000 characters each month are free; above that it costs $20 per million characters.

Is there a free open-source translation API?

Yes. LibreTranslate is open source and free to self-host, Argos Translate runs offline, and Bergamot translates in the browser.

Keep going

More best-of guides

Best Cloud Credits for StartupsBest Business Bank Accounts for StartupsUS Business Bank Accounts for Non-ResidentsFree LLM APIs and AI API CreditsFree Web Scraping and SERP APIsFree Email APIs and SMTP ServicesFree Email Finders and B2B Lead Data ToolsFree AI App Builders ComparedFree AI Agent Builders ComparedFree AI Dictation Apps ComparedFree CRMs for Startups ComparedFree App Hosting in 2026: Every Free Tier ComparedFree AI Note Takers for Meetings ComparedFree Uptime Monitoring Tools ComparedFree E-Signature Tools ComparedFree Live Chat for Your Website ComparedFree Newsletter Platforms ComparedFree AI Video Editors and Generators ComparedFree Authentication Providers ComparedFree Form Builders ComparedFree AI Presentation Makers ComparedFree AI Coding Assistants ComparedFree Postgres Hosting ComparedFree Time Tracking Software ComparedFree Invoicing Software ComparedFree AI Writing Tools ComparedFree Email Verification Tools ComparedFree Project Management Software ComparedFree Text to Speech Tools and APIs ComparedFree Social Media Schedulers ComparedFree LLC Formation Services ComparedFree Product Analytics Tools ComparedFree Help Desk Software ComparedFree Vector Databases ComparedFree Error Tracking and Observability Tools ComparedFree HR Software ComparedFree Object Storage and File Upload Services ComparedFree Scheduling Software ComparedFree Password Managers ComparedFree Speech-to-Text APIs ComparedFree LLM Observability and Evaluation Tools ComparedFree Cap Table Software ComparedFree Website Builders ComparedFree AI Chatbot Builders ComparedFree Business Email on Your Own Domain ComparedFree AI Image Generators and APIs ComparedFree Notification APIs ComparedFree Feature Flag Tools ComparedFree Headless CMS Platforms ComparedFree Document Parsing and OCR APIs ComparedFree Team Wiki and Docs Tools ComparedFree CI/CD Services ComparedFree Team Chat Apps ComparedFree SMS APIs and Trial Credits ComparedFree Business Phone Numbers and Trials ComparedFree Online Whiteboards and Diagram Tools ComparedFree Expense Management and Corporate Cards ComparedFree Data Room Software for Startups ComparedFree SEO Tools ComparedFree Design Tools ComparedFree Screen Recorders ComparedFree Proposal Software ComparedFree Feedback Board and Roadmap Tools ComparedFree API Testing Tools and API Clients ComparedFree Logo Makers ComparedFree Video Conferencing and Webinar Tools ComparedFree AI Code Review Tools ComparedFree Survey Tools ComparedFree Applicant Tracking Systems ComparedFree Browser and End-to-End Testing Tools ComparedFree Secrets Managers ComparedFree Voice AI Agent Platforms ComparedFree Maps APIs ComparedFree IP Geolocation APIs ComparedFree Video Hosting and Video APIs ComparedFree Accounting Software ComparedFree Internal Tool Builders ComparedFree Remote Desktop Software ComparedFree Shipping Software ComparedFree Text Expanders ComparedFree Affiliate Software ComparedFree BI Tools ComparedFree Ecommerce Platforms ComparedFree PR Tools and HARO Alternatives ComparedFree Email Signature Generators ComparedFree Background Removers ComparedFree Cold Email Software ComparedFree Link Shorteners ComparedFree Website Translation Tools ComparedGPU Credits for StartupsBest AI Credits for StartupsBest Developer Tools for StartupsBest CRM & Marketing Tools for StartupsBest Accounting and Finance Tools for StartupsBest Database & Data Credits for StartupsBest SaaS Deals & Software Discounts for StartupsBest Security, Legal & HR Tools for Startups

New startup perks, in your inbox

Get an email when a new credit, discount, or deal for founders is added. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

StartupPerks is a comparison tool and is not endorsed by the programs it lists. It is a referral partner of some providers, and those links are labeled where they appear. AITraining.jobs and Founden are run by the same company as StartupPerks: their listings are free, ranked by the same rules as every other program, and labeled "Same owner as StartupPerks" wherever they appear. Values and eligibility are aggregated from each provider's public pages and can change or be incomplete. Always confirm the current terms and your eligibility on the provider's own page before applying.