A multilingual WordPress site needs more than a language switcher. Someone must translate new content, review checkout messages, keep navigation consistent, and make sure search engines can identify each language version. The plugin you choose determines where that work happens and how much duplication, service dependency, and recurring cost you accept.
TranslatePress, Polylang, and Weglot use three different editorial models. TranslatePress lets you translate rendered pages visually. Polylang organizes language versions as WordPress content. Weglot connects the site to a hosted translation platform. This comparison uses official directory, documentation, and pricing sources checked October 13, 2026. It does not claim measured translation accuracy, traffic gains, or hands-on speed results.
Three ways to manage translated content
For a small brochure site, editing translated strings on a preview may be enough. For a publication with different stories or publication dates per language, separate WordPress posts can be useful. For a large catalog needing rapid automatic coverage, a connected service may reduce initial editorial effort while creating ongoing quota and subscription obligations.
Start with the content model: do your languages need equivalent pages, or independent editorial calendars? Then count the content to translate, identify who reviews it, and check SEO metadata, URL behavior, and store integrations. Machine translation should enter a review workflow; it does not establish that names, technical instructions, or contractual wording are correct.
Three-plugin comparison
| Plugin | Editing model | Free boundary | Paid cost and dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| TranslatePress | Visual translation of rendered page strings | Default language plus one translation language; limited AI allowance | €99/year for one site; extra languages and SEO tools in paid plans; AI quotas apply |
| Polylang | Linked WordPress posts and language taxonomies | Multiple languages and core content translation | Pro from €99/year; WooCommerce integration separate; timely renewal discount published |
| Weglot | Hosted automatic translation with review dashboard | 2,000 translated words and one translated language | Starter €15/month or €150/year; word, language, request, and site limits matter |
TranslatePress
TranslatePress is attractive when an editor wants to work with the page visitors actually see. Its visual interface handles rendered content, including output from shortcodes and page builders. The directory also describes dynamic gettext strings and image translation. This can reduce the need to hunt through separate settings screens for every visible phrase.
The free plugin supports a default language and one translation language. It supports manual editing and includes a limited 2,000-word TranslatePress AI allowance. You can alternatively connect your own Google Translate API key, but provider billing is separate from installing a free WordPress plugin. Automatic translation sends content to the selected service; review that arrangement for material you should not transmit externally.
The paid SEO Pack handles translated metadata and URL-related elements, while the Multiple Languages add-on removes the free bilingual boundary. The current annual plans list Personal at €99 for one site with 50,000 AI words, Business at €199 for three sites with 200,000, and Developer at €349 for unlimited sites with 500,000. These are annual charges, even where the page presents a monthly equivalent.
Included AI words replenish on license renewal; additional packs are a separate purchase. The vendor lists a 100,000-word pack at €24 and larger discounted packs. Budget by content and target languages rather than simply by page count. A large product catalog with frequent revisions may consume a different workload from a static brochure with the same number of URLs.
Business and Developer include additional translator and workflow tools. Confirm the exact tier if editors need translator accounts, role-specific previews, or automatic language detection. Translations are stored in your own database, and the vendor says you keep them if you do not renew. Updates, premium support, and replenished services still depend on the active entitlement.
Strength: contextual editing with local translation storage. Limitation: language coverage, SEO capabilities, and automatic-translation capacity have separate boundaries. Check dynamic account pages and strings shown only to particular users, not just the public homepage.
Polylang
Polylang fits a WordPress editorial workflow built around posts, pages, terms, and media. Editors create linked language versions rather than treating every page solely as translated output. That can help when one market needs an adapted introduction, different media, or a later publication date. It also means your team must manage those relationships consistently.
The free plugin supports multiple languages without a fixed language-count cap. Its directory lists posts, pages, media, categories, tags, custom post types, taxonomies, RSS, classic menus, and widgets. Language URLs can use directories, subdomains, or domains. Polylang also declares compatibility with Yoast SEO, but the exact combination of your theme, SEO settings, and other extensions still needs validation.
Pro adds workflow features such as content duplication or synchronization, improved block-editor and site-editor integration, translated URL bases, XLIFF import/export, and DeepL machine translation. Do not interpret the presence of DeepL integration as an unlimited prepaid translation service. Confirm the relevant provider account and usage charges before enabling automation.
The official price table lists Pro from €99/year excluding VAT and Polylang for WooCommerce from €99/year. The Business Pack combines them and currently displays a starting €139 annual offer alongside €198. Multiple-site license options exist, but the inspected general table does not provide a full site-count price schedule. Confirm the exact allowance in the selected license rather than treating “from” as an agency-wide price.
The vendor states that renewals made before expiry currently receive 50% off the new-license price. If the key expires, the plugin continues operating, but automatic updates and helpdesk access stop. That is a published renewal rule, not a promise that today’s new-license price will never change. WooCommerce requires its specific integration add-on; buying Pro alone does not supply the whole store workflow.
Strength: native content ownership and independent editorial control across languages. Limitation: linked content requires ongoing editorial discipline, and store compatibility adds a separate entitlement. Check synchronized product data, menus, template parts, and your translation team’s access rights.
Weglot
Weglot connects WordPress to a hosted translation service. The plugin detects site content, and the service provides automatic translations, a visual editor, and a translation list for review. Its current directory describes language-specific URLs, hreflang, translated metadata, and publishing controls. That can suit a team seeking broad initial coverage with a centralized review process.
The free plan is limited to 2,000 translated words and one translated language. A 14-day trial is different from an indefinitely usable paid capacity: the pricing FAQ says projects over the free word allowance need an upgrade after the trial. Count all target languages because the word allowance is a total across translations, not a fresh allowance for every language.
The current euro prices show Starter at €15/month or €150/year for 10,000 words and one translated language. Business is €29/month or €290/year for 50,000 words and three languages. Pro is €79/month or €790/year for 200,000 words and five languages. Prices exclude VAT; displayed USD equivalents are estimates, while the FAQ says standard charges are in euros.
Word allowance, monthly translation requests, and project count are separate limits. The service describes requests as approximately translated pageviews and reserves multi-site management for Pro and above. The directory’s broad wording about premium capabilities should therefore be read alongside the numeric plan table; do not assume every paid plan allows unlimited languages or multiple websites.
Translations live on Weglot’s servers. Its directory explicitly states that translated delivery stops if you stop using the service. Export availability is plan-sensitive; if you lack access, the vendor says to contact support before leaving. Consider that exit workflow when comparing its recurring charge with plugins that keep translations in your WordPress database.
Strength: automated content discovery and centralized translation review. Limitation: continued translated delivery depends on a hosted service, capacity limits, and an active plan. Verify catalog changes, checkout content, and the ability to preserve your editorial work before committing.
Compatibility and budget checks
All three directories declared testing through WordPress 7.1.3 on the research date and PHP 7.4 minimum. Their WordPress minimums differ: TranslatePress lists 3.1.0, Polylang 6.5, and Weglot 5.9. These declarations do not prove every custom theme or checkout works. Use a maintained WordPress/PHP stack and check language URLs, canonical tags, hreflang, search, forms, and cached pages in each language.
Our SEO comparison helps frame metadata responsibilities, while the forms comparison covers a common source of overlooked strings. Agree who owns new translations and what happens when a subscription or API quota expires.
Choose the model your editors can sustain
Choose TranslatePress for visual editing and locally stored translations. Choose Polylang for linked WordPress content and flexible editorial differences. Choose Weglot for hosted automatic coverage and centralized review when its quotas and ongoing delivery dependency fit your budget. The best choice is the one that keeps future content accurate and maintainable, not merely the one that translates the first page quickly.
Official sources
Checked October 13, 2026: TranslatePress directory, Polylang directory, and Weglot directory, with the official pricing pages linked above. Product capabilities are source-based; selection recommendations are editorial analysis.