Head-to-head
Lokalise vs Crowdin: which one in 2026?
Lokalise is a translation management platform from Lokalise, Inc. with published monthly plans, and Crowdin is a localization platform from Crowdin OÜ of Estonia that publishes no plan prices. Lokalise sells automation that routes jobs to language models; Crowdin sells breadth of formats, engines and integrations.
Verdict
Lokalise ranks above Crowdin in the category, mainly because a buyer can read its prices and its AI workflow without a sales call. Crowdin is the stronger fit for odd file types, many integrations, open source projects and teams that want to plug in their own AI keys. Crowdin also names its hosting regions and holds ISO 27001. Run the trials of both on one real repository before signing.
Lokalise and Crowdin side by side
| Lokalise | Crowdin | |
|---|---|---|
| Price entry | $149 per month (Explorer) | $50 per month (Pro) |
| What does it cost to start? | Explorer is $149 per month on monthly billing, Growth $379 and Advanced $1,049, with Enterprise on request. No free plan, but a 14-day trial. | No plan prices appear on the pricing page, so a budget needs a quote or a trial. Crowdin offers 14 days of Team and 30 days of Enterprise. |
| Where is the data hosted? | The privacy policy does not name a hosting region for the platform and says data may be processed in any country where it has operations. | Section 13 of the privacy policy names data centers in the United States and Ireland, with the region depending on service options. |
| Which certifications are stated? | SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR compliance and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. ISO 27001 is not stated on the pages opened. | ISO/IEC 27001 certified ISMS and GDPR compliance. SOC 2 is not stated for Crowdin itself, and a HIPAA BAA is available. |
| How does AI translation work? | Custom AI Profiles and AI Scoring route each job to a best-fit model, and only low-confidence output goes to human review. | A suite built on OpenAI, Anthropic and Azure AI, with 40+ machine translation engines and bring-your-own keys for your own LLM. |
| File and integration coverage | 30+ file formats and 60+ integrations including Figma, GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Contentful, Webflow and WordPress, plus 95 API endpoints. | 100+ file formats and 700+ apps and integrations, with source sync from GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket repositories. |
| Quality checks | Automated QA checks and role-based approvals, plus quality and performance monitoring shown on the homepage. | 50+ built-in QA checks for consistency, length limits and placeholders, plus AI proofreading and glossaries. |
| Mobile and release flow | Over-the-air updates for mobile apps, described as real-time on the homepage, and 10 pre-built SDKs, including iOS and Android. | Over-the-air updates too, with branch-based management for parallel releases and an Appetize.io emulator for mobile testing. |
| Open source and academic use | The pages opened mention no free tier for open source or academic projects, only the trial. | Free licenses for open source and academic use, with unlimited projects, strings and members on the academic licenses. |
Where each one wins
Lokalise wins on
- Plan prices are published, so a team can budget before talking to sales.
- The AI routing and confidence scoring is spelled out, with human review reserved for low-confidence results.
- SOC 2 Type 2 is stated, which many security questionnaires ask for by name.
Crowdin wins on
- Hosting locations are named (United States and Ireland), and ISO/IEC 27001 is stated.
- Far wider format and integration coverage, with bring-your-own AI keys and 40+ machine translation engines.
- Free licenses exist for open source and academic projects, which Lokalise does not mention.
Which to pick
Pick Lokalise if
You want to see a price before any sales call and prefer automated routing between models with human review only where confidence is low.
Pick Crowdin if
You need ISO 27001, named hosting regions, many file formats or your own LLM keys, and you accept that a quote sets the price.
Each tool in context: Lokalise profile, Crowdin profile, and the full Best AI Localization Software in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does Lokalise or Crowdin train AI models on my content?
Lokalise's privacy policy says customer data submitted through its AI features is not used to train general-purpose AI models, unless disclosed otherwise and authorized. Crowdin states it does not train models on such data, and its AI sub-processors are contractually barred from doing so, subject to commercially reasonable efforts.
Which is cheaper, Lokalise or Crowdin?
That cannot be answered from published numbers. Lokalise shows $149, $379 and $1,049 per month on monthly billing for three plans, while Crowdin shows no prices and bills by hosted words, which are source words times target languages. Get a Crowdin quote for your word volume.
Can I try both before paying?
Yes. Lokalise states all plans come with a free 14-day trial without a credit card. Crowdin offers 14 days of the Team plan, started by creating a first project, and 30 days of Enterprise. Crowdin also allows a refund if you cancel within 30 days of signup.
Which one supports mobile app translation updates?
Both. Lokalise lists over-the-air updates and iOS and Android SDKs, while Crowdin lists over-the-air updates, in-context UI preview and an Appetize.io emulator to test translated mobile builds. Neither pricing page opened gave per-plan limits for these features, so check what your tier includes before relying on them.