Other than Google: 10 The Best Online Translators

Tori TornRevisado porIryna Andrus / más sobre Proceso editorial17 min
Creado: Mar 20, 2023Última actualización: Aug 8, 2024
The Best Online Translators

Let's all confess. Do you open Google Translate when you need to translate something online? Yeah, we've all in the same boat. But the truth is that there are much better translators available online. 

Don't get us wrong. We have nothing against Google Translate (we love you, Google). However, when you are in need of accurate and precise translation, we recommend you tap into other best translation websites. We've created a list of the best translation tools online that will benefit your translation. So, please, go through it and pick your new favorite one. 

How Does the Best Online Translator Work?

Have you ever thought about how Google Translate or any other translation website picks and matches the words from one language to another giving you the translation you need? While it might be obvious for people from the tech industry, average users stay in the dark. As active users of the best translation websites, we know that platforms use automated or human translation to translate texts. And while how human translation works is pretty clear, the MT is covered in mystery. So, what is really behind machine translation?

Machine translation (MT) works by splitting the original text into smaller segments (words and phrases) that are easier to recognize, finding and replacing them with segments from another language. The matching is possible due to various algorithms, patterns, and large databases of existing translations. The quality of machine translation depends on the unique algorithms for every translation tool. That is why the translation on different websites might differ. 

Today the best translation websites and tools tap into AI translation that allows machines to mimic human intelligence. It helps to translate the text more accurately, considering the tone of voice, complicated sentence structures, slang, and even jokes. The technology that uses AI to train machine translation engines is called Neural Machine Translation (NMT). In 2016 Google became the first translator who adapted NMT. Other best online translators, such as Microsoft and DeepL, followed their lead and switched to Neural Machine Translation as well. Implementing NMT increased translation accuracy and speed without involving additional engineering and design human resources. 

Neural machine translation literally learns to translate to different languages using neural networks. They compare output to the expected translation, correct the set parameters automatically, and then make adjustments if necessary. This means that they require to be trained by humans to work. The artificial neural network predicts the likely sequence of long phrases and sentences, which helps to minimize mistakes and maximize the quality of the translation. 

The List Of 10 Best Translation Websites

If you can detect that Google Translate makes a lot of mistakes or can't translate the idiom correctly, it means you already know the language better than this trusted translator. Regardless, if that's the case or you just want to find a better translator, you should look at other translation websites in the online market. As usual, we've done the hard work for you and created a list of the 10 best translation websites for you to choose from. 

1. Bing translator

Languages supported: 112

Bing is Microsoft's online translator that supports text input of up to 5,000 characters. The simple interface makes it easy to use. It's one of the best website translators that provide instant translations into various languages and dialects. You can choose a language to translate from manually or copy the text into the translator to auto-detect the source text's language. Then, you can type the URL into the translator's search engine to translate the whole website page. Bing also has a built-in microphone that allows you to speak the text you need to translate. It's very convenient when you need to have a simple conversation in a language you don't know. 

Thanks to the text-to-speech feature (TTS), the user can listen to the translated text in its native accent - in a male or female voice. Bing is a perfect translator for those who need to translate the text from the images. It recognizes it easily and provides the translation like you typed the source text manually. Another positive aspect is that you can give feedback on the translation by clicking the thumbs-up or thumbs-down button. It will help the translation engine improve in real time.

Moreover, there is a possibility to suggest a translation if you come up with a better option. For example, Android smartphone owners can use Bing offline. All they need to do is download offline translation packs to tap into them without a connection. 

2. Reverso

Languages supported: 26

Reverso is another language translator on the market. It is so user-friendly that you don't even need to click a button to translate a text. Once you start typing, the translation engine begins to work automatically. This translation tool is powered by AI with the latest technology - Neural Machine Translation (NMT). And, even though the range of supported languages is more limited than in Google Translate, for instance, it is more accurate because of the context translation feature. That is why translating idiomatic phrases, and intriguing terms will be correct, not word-for-word. 

You can implement Reverso into Safari, Google, or Firefox browsers to translate any word or expression directly on your webpage. It also allows you to translate documents while keeping their layout. It supports Word, PDF, PowerPoint, and Excel formats. A big plus is that translation will convert PDF into Word, so you can correct the text in any way you need. Also, this trusted translator has a free built-in grammar checker to remove all grammar and spelling errors from your text. 

This other best online translation service allows you to listen to the source and translate text to improve your oral language skills. The texts are always pronounced by native speakers, so you will know how to repeat the words correctly. Another essential feature of Reverso is that it conjugates verbs in all modes and tenses in 13 languages and offers synonyms in one click. 

With the free version of Reverso, users can translate only 2000 characters at a time. So if you are interested in the unlimited text translation, you should get a Premium. 

3. DeepL

Languages supported: 31

The DeepL Translator claims to be one of the most accurate online translators. According to the official website, this translation tool is more than 3 times more precise than other online translators (depending on the language, the accuracy rate might be higher). People actively choose DeepL because it understands the context of the texts and lets you choose more options in a dropdown box when you click on the word. In addition, it comes with other handful features, such as automatic sentence completion, a definition lookup, and pronunciation of words. 

DeepL is based on machine translation, automatically detecting text and what language it is written in. Therefore, it allows this tool to translate texts instantly without any delays. Moreover, you can always rate the translation with a simple like or dislike. 

Another great thing about DeepL is that it allows you to download Pdf, Word, and PowerPoint files for translation. However, the free plan has a limitation of 5000 characters at once. That is why you might get interested in one of the paid subscriptions that, on top of unlimited text translation, offer maximum data security, translation of whole files, team administration, CAT tool integration, and expanded customization options such as formal and informal translation. In addition, DeepL offers extensions for Chrome and Edge and iOS and Android applications. 

Nonetheless, this one of the top online translators doesn't have a voice recognition feature. So, either you are okay with manual typing and uploading texts, or you must look for another translation website. This might be crucial for those who aim to conduct simple conversations through the translation tools or are always on the go. 

4. TranslateDict

Languages supported: 51

TranslateDict is another trusted translator on the Internet. Some people may find its interface primitive and outdated, but it might be convenient for those who dislike changes. The instruction of exploitation is a piece of cake. You type the text or download the document and click the translate button. The platform should detect the input language automatically, but if it doesn't happen, you must manually choose one of over 50 languages. 

While it's true that TranslateDict is packed with few supported languages, this translator still can brag about the language that other best translation websites don't cover. And that is Klingon, a language from the Star Trek franchise. The fans of the iconic tv series will definitely check out the possibility of learning and playing with Klingon. 

Speaking about other positive features of TranslateDict, we can't forget to mention voice translation and text-to-speech conversion with the option to download audio in the original and target languages available on the website. Also, there is a word and character count feature at the bottom, which is very convenient. Finally, as a bonus, this translation tool has a Chrome extension. 

The platform also offers a high-quality professional translation made by language professionals for an additional fee. You can always order a more accurate version if the free machine-based online translation is not good enough. Instead of word-to-word translation, Linguists will provide you with context translation, which requires all-rounded knowledge of grammar, sentence structuring, and cultural nuances. 

5. Babylon Translator

Languages supported: 77

Babylon is a trusted translator and dictionary software in the world with almost two decades of experience in the market. It's an all-in-one platform that allows you to translate single words, complete sentences, and find synonyms. In addition, this tool delivers accurate translation because it has 1600 glossaries, dictionaries, thesauri, lexicons, and encyclopedias in many languages. 

This translation application is available for both Windows and Mac. The download and translation of words that appear on your screen are free. However, more features such as translating paragraphs and entire documents, automatic translation of emails, and text-to-speech are available only for the Premium version. Babylon covers both private and corporate users, so you will get a good translation for different purposes. Also, it has an easy-to-use interface which makes the user experience stress-free. 

6. MyMemory

Languages supported: 153

MyMemory is the storage of human translations created by Translated Labs. It collects translation memories from the European Union and United Nations and aligns the best domain-specific multilingual websites. When you translate single words, phrases, sentences, and even texts at MyMemory, you can receive translation suggestions from human contributors such as professional translators, enterprises, LSPs, customers, web pages, and freely available translation repositories. An advanced matching algorithm provides the most accurate translation possible for your input text. As for the beginning of 2023, MyMemory stores 6,709,554,204 professionally translated segments. However, if this tool can't provide a human translation, it will tap into Machine Translation technology. The translation results always show if you were given a human or MT suggestion. The best part is this world's largest Translation Memory is totally free. Another exciting detail for more advanced language learners is that you can contribute by sharing your memories in a text format. 

7. Translate

Languages supported: 90 pairs

Translate is one of the best online translators that offers free machine and paid human translation for any text in various languages. The machine translation engine allows you to translate up to 15000 characters a day for free. You can either type the text or use your voice to enter it. Unfortunately, the automatic recognition of the source language isn't available, so you have to choose the language manually.  

In addition, Translate offers services of more than 30,000 expert translators who can proofread and check the text of the post-machine translation to ensure you get the best experience and results after using the tool. It is also a perfect translator for ordering a professional translation from scratch. Translate gives you a great pool of language professionals who can translate anything – from work emails and documents to technical and medical stuff. You will always receive higher quality and, if necessary, SEO-friendly translations. Another big plus is that all human translators at Translate sign NDA, so you don't need to worry that some private or company information will leak. Human translation is available in different types of paid plans that also include unlimited MT characters translation. 

8. Collins Dictionary Translator

Languages supported: 60

If you are a language learner with some learning experience and background, you've probably heard about Collins Publisher and Collins Dictionary. Collins is one of the major publishers of Educational, Language, and Geographic content with a history of over 200 years. People worldwide use its books to learn foreign languages and its online dictionary to look up definitions of new words in 10 languages. However, not everyone knows that Collins also has an online translator. It is totally free, thanks to Microsoft, which provides translations. 

Collins Dictionary Translator is a powerful and trusted translator. The tool looks extremely simple - the user experience is well-rated. To translate a word, phrase, or sentence, you just need to type it or use a feature of voice recognition. The translator will automatically detect the source language and translate text into the selected language after you click the button. You can listen to both input and output texts in native accents by clicking on the speaker icon. At a time, you can translate up to 5000 characters. A character count is built into the translator, so you don't need to count it manually. The best thing about this reliable translator is that it gives sentence examples from Collins Dictionaries for each word of the output language. You can also click on the word and go to Collins Dictionary to learn more about it. 

9. The PONS translator

Languages supported: 38

First, PONS is a German publisher of physical dictionaries and language learning materials. It came up with an online dictionary and translator years later as the industry switched to the web. The PONS translator is powered by Bing, so translations are pretty much accurate. 

The tool offers translation into various popular languages, primarily European. Even though the language range isn't that wide compared to other best translation websites, it has different features implemented to meet users' needs. The PONS translator always listens to their clients to improve their user experience. Due to the multiple requests, the tool added the copying feature for the translated text. Now it's much easier to insert the translation results where you need them. The PONS translator is convenient for those seeking voice input and output possibilities. Also, it's connected to the PONS online dictionary. So, if you want to learn more about the meaning of the outcome word, you just need to click on the single words in the output text box. 

10. Translator.eu

Languages supported: 42

Translator.eu is definitely not the first and immediate choice for people who need to translate text. However, many people might have never heard about it, so we are here to change that. Translator.eu is a reliable website translator that uses the services of a quality vocabulary supplier, Microsoft. The tool prioritizes the highest quality translation, so they constantly work on expanding vocabulary in all represented languages. 

This tool has clear, attractive, and functional design pages, which makes it easy to use. You can translate texts for both personal and business matters free of charge. You can translate up to 1000 characters at a time. So, if you need to work with larger text, you must break it down into smaller pieces. Just type or paste your text into the upper box and click the translate button. We will give Translator.eu an additional star for secure coding that protects the users and their translations. 

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Why Even the Best Translator Can't Replace Language Learning

With the growing development of the best translation websites, online tools, and applications, some people start questioning if they really need to learn foreign languages. When users read that online translators get better and better at understanding context, they begin to think that the most accurate translator can replace language learning. But that is simply not true. 

Let us ask you a question. Do you trust a stranger? Most likely, the answer is no. So why do you have so much trust in online translators? Of course, we won't deny that they are sometimes very helpful. But you know what is even more helpful? To learn the foreign language yourself to be able to operate it fluently. 

Of course, you can't learn all the languages that exist in the world. Nonetheless, you can at least learn English since it's an international language. 

Why learn foreign languages instead of using online translators?

1. Translation websites and the tool can't keep up with the language evolving. Even the best online translators that use AI can't always translate slang, idioms, and manners of speech in different areas correctly. They will keep letting you down and betray your trust when you least expect that. And when you can't say a word in the target language, you can't even nearly check the relevancy of the translation. That is why politicians, for instance, either speak in English among themselves or use the help of professional human translators. Plus, there are some English words that don't translate. You've read that right. Such terms exist in every language, so you should be able to express yourself by paraphrasing. And online translators are not that smart.

2. Learning languages rewards you with social and work benefits. Being bilingual will definitely broaden the range of your work opportunities and social interactions. You must learn at least English to get a job in a foreign or international company. And the level must be solid enough to communicate effectively with colleagues, clients, and partners. When you go to another country, English will help you to get around. If you need to book a flight or rent a car in English, you should be able to do it without a translator. Otherwise, you risk messing up big times. 

3. Being bilingual has a variety of cognitive benefits. Simply, learning languages does a good thing for your brain. When we learn something new, it helps our brain to function better. For instance, children raised bilingual are proven to have a better memory and vocabulary range than monolingual kids. At an older age, their brains show improvement in focus and information processing. A lot of people start to learn a new foreign language after 60. It helps them to fight age-related cognitive decline and hold off the effects of Alzheimers.  

Forget About Translation Tools - Learn English with Promova

Since we've already wrapped our heads around that even the most accurate translator can't replace language learning, it's time to suggest Promova. 

Promova is a one-stop solution for language learning for people all around the world. We are a language learning multitool with an interactive mobile application, various English tutoring programs, a free Conversation Club, an educational blog, and fun social media. 

2 When you sign up for 1-to-1 tutoring at Promova, the question, how long does it take to learn English, doesn't even occur. Instead, we determine your English proficiency with a test, evaluate how much time you will need to improve your skills, and create a personalized plan considering all your interests, needs, strengths, and weaknesses. Once you sign up for individual lessons at Promova, you receive a free trial lesson to check out how our certified English teachers work. Then, you can choose a subscription plan that meets your needs the most. 

Working with our mobile application, you will improve your grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and even speaking. We use dialogue imitation in our lessons to improve the most handful skill for every learner – speaking! When you feel like talking to other English learners on different matters, join our free Conversation Club every Saturday. And, of course, don't forget to read the Promova blog and follow us on Instagram and TikTok. Combining all the Promova features for learning English will give you the best results in no time!

Conclusion

After reading this article, you will know how the best translation websites work, what they are, which one to choose, and why they can't replace language learning. You can use a trusted translator when you don't know the language. Obviously, it's impossible to know all the languages. However, you should understand that learning languages is a valuable asset that can drastically change your life in the best direction possible. So, please, find some time to learn that English, at least. 

FAQ

What is the most accurate translator?

Determining the most accurate translator is a challenging task for an average user. If you don't really know the language you translate from or to, you might not even understand that one of the top online translators played a bad joke on you. That is why people keep asking Google, what is the most accurate translator online? According to the Weglot comparative study, ModernMT shows the highest rate of perfect translations and the lowest edit distance. However, DeepL demonstrated the lowest rate of not acceptable translations. Plus, on the official website of DeepL, creators claim their product to be more than 3 times more accurate translator than other online translating tools. Moreover, in blind tests, where professional translators select the most precise translation without knowing which company produced it, they choose DeepL 3 times more often. Such results are possible because this reliable translator uses Linguee's extensive database of manually translated phrases, sentences, expressions, and excerpts since the same businesses developed them.

Even the most trustworthy American online newspaper about tech and startups companies, TechCrunch agrees that DeepL is a more accurate translator compared to competitors: "Tech giants Google, Microsoft, and Facebook are all applying the lessons of machine learning to translation, but a small company called DeepL has outdone them all and raised the bar for the field. Its translation tool is just as quick as the outsized competition but more accurate and nuanced than any we've tried." 

Why is Google the top trusted translator on the market?

Over the years, Google Translate became a household name. Many people see it as their first choice when translating something online on the go. At the same time, many Google Translate users complain about the accuracy of this online translation tool. So, the question of why Google Translate is so popular arises naturally. The answer is the time and place this trusted translator was introduced to the public. Google came up with its own online translator in 2006. It changed the game's rules because that launch made free online translation available for everyone. Google has constantly improved its translation algorithms, so people kept using it. People created a habit and already had trust in this online website, so they continued to use it even when some better analogs entered the market. 

How do I choose the best translation website?

First, you must understand that different translation websites support different sets of languages. So, the first circle of elimination is about supported languages. Then, you need to decide whether you are ready to pay for translation. Most online translators are free but might not be accurate enough for your tasks. Many people share the thought that the best free online translator is Google Translate. But for the most common languages, you can pick a better one from the list that we gave you. And last but not least, narrow your search to 3 options and test them all. Give chosen online translators the same sentence and see what you get from each. 

What is better for translation – an actual linguist or an online tool?

Based on our own experience, we recommend an actual linguist as the best option for translation. A real person understands contexts better and can convey them in other words while maintaining the idea. Most online tools translate word-for-word, which is the biggest problem with artificial online translation. For instance, translating idioms or expressions is about more than just language. The cultural aspect plays a significant role in the correct translation here. That is why you should learn languages yourself – outsmart the machines. 

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