Tool profile
Tolgee: cost, fit and limits
Tolgee is an open source localization platform made by Tolgee s.r.o. that lets developers, writers and translators edit app strings in context, with an AI translator that uses UI context and brand prompts, for software teams shipping web and mobile products.
What to know first
Tolgee sells a free Cloud plan with 30,000 words and 3 seats, then Translate, Optimise and Manage tiers at €58, €133 and €373 a month billed annually, plus a quote-based Enterprise and self-hosted plan. The SDKs capture keys and screenshots from the running app, so translators see where a string appears. Exceeding a word limit moves a team to the next tier, because the pricing page lists no pay-as-you-go overage.
Tolgee at a glance
| Maker | Tolgee s.r.o., Czech Republic |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | €58 per month billed annually (Translate); Free plan at €0 |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Localization Software in 2026, rank 1 of 12 |
| Website | tolgee.io |
Who Tolgee is best for
Front-end teams on React, Vue or Angular
The SDKs add keys and screenshots straight from the running app, so a developer does not have to maintain a separate key list or paste strings into spreadsheets.
Teams that want writers to fix copy themselves
In-context editing lets a non-developer change text inside the app itself, which removes the ticket loop for typo fixes and wording changes.
Organizations with data control rules
An on-premises licence with full data control is offered, and the cloud servers are listed in Germany, the Czech Republic and the United States.
Tolgee plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Cloud) | €0 | 30,000 words, 3 seats, standard features and all integrations, with no credit card required at signup. |
| Translate | €58 per month, billed annually | Standard features plus the AI translator; the page shows annual billing with two months free. |
| Optimise | €133 per month, billed annually | The AI translator and multiple Content Delivery configurations for teams with several environments. Monthly billing is not shown on the captured page. |
| Manage | €373 per month, billed annually | The AI translator and multiple Content Delivery configurations at the largest published volume tier. The page lists no seat or word figures for this tier in the captured text. |
| Enterprise / Self-hosted | Contact us | Premium support, SSO, an account manager and an on-premises licence with full data control. Pricing is by quote, and the page gives no seat or word figures. |
Checked November 2026.
What Tolgee does
- In-app editing and SDKs
- Tolgee SDKs add keys and screenshots and let anyone translate directly from the running app. Dev tools extract the context of each UI element, so translators see what a string belongs to.
- Tolgee AI translator
- The AI translator draws on extracted UI context, brand context and custom prompts, and an AI playground lets a team try prompts. New strings can be translated autonomously, with optional human review before release.
- Machine translation credits
- MT credits are calculated from LLM token use, and they apply only to Tolgee-supplied providers. A team that prefers its own provider can use its own API keys instead of spending credits.
- Import and export paths
- Translations move in and out through the CLI, the REST API or the web UI, which gives developers a scripted route and gives non-developers a button for one-off file jobs.
- Self-hosting option
- A licensed on-premises plan is priced on request and gives full data control. It suits teams that cannot place source text on a third-party cloud, at the cost of running the system.
How Tolgee handles your data
The privacy policy lists servers in Germany, the Czech Republic and the United States, keeps data only as long as necessary and deletes or anonymizes it afterward, with backup archives isolated until deletion. It names no security certification; a footer link to an ISO 27001 page was seen but not opened, so we do not rely on it. The policy does not say whether customer content is used to train models, and the MT credit system routes text to Tolgee-supplied providers unless you bring your own keys. Ask which sub-processors handle AI requests before sending unreleased copy.
Where Tolgee falls short in practice
- Word limits are vague. Only the free plan limit of 30,000 words is printed. Paid word limits are absent from the captured page, and going over moves a team up a tier, so budget forecasting needs a sales answer.
- Credits cover Tolgee providers only. MT credits apply to providers that Tolgee supplies. A team that wants a specific engine such as its own LLM account has to use its own API keys, which shifts the cost to another bill.
- Not a document workflow tool. The product is organized around keys, SDKs and app context. Teams that translate manuals or contracts with linguist payment, TM exchange and layout preview need a different class of tool.
Works with
Alternatives to Tolgee
Tolgee: common questions
Does Tolgee have a free plan?
Yes. The Cloud Free plan costs €0, needs no credit card and allows 30,000 words and 3 seats with standard features and all integrations. Paid tiers add the AI translator and more Content Delivery configurations. Check your word count against the cap before relying on it for a production app with several languages.
Can I run Tolgee on my own servers?
Tolgee offers a self-hosted, on-premises licence under the Enterprise plan, priced on request, with full data control. The pricing page does not list the licence price or the feature gap against the cloud tiers, so ask which features the on-premises licence includes before planning a migration.
What does Tolgee's AI translator use as context?
The AI translator uses the context that dev tools extract for each UI element, brand context and custom prompts, and a playground lets teams test settings. The pages do not describe which model providers run behind it, so ask the vendor if you need to name sub-processors.
How does Tolgee charge for machine translation?
MT credits are calculated from LLM token use and apply to Tolgee-supplied providers. Using your own provider API keys is an option, in which case the provider bills you directly. The pricing page lists no pay-as-you-go overage for words, so a team that exceeds its plan limit moves up a tier.
Where does Tolgee store data?
The privacy policy lists servers in Germany, the Czech Republic and the United States. It does not tie a specific plan to a specific region in the text we read, so a buyer with residency requirements should ask which region hosts a given workspace, or consider the self-hosted licence.