Which is better, Smartcat or Lokalise?

Lokalise edges out Smartcat based on user ratings across 753 reviews. That said, the best pick depends on your workflow — Smartcat may be a stronger fit for specific team sizes or use cases. Review the full comparison to decide.

What are the main differences between Smartcat and Lokalise?

Key differences between Smartcat and Lokalise include pricing (Smartcat starts at undisclosed vs Lokalise at $120); target audience (Smartcat targets Large Enterprises while Lokalise serves Freelancers / Consultants); free trial availability (Lokalise offers one, Smartcat does not). Use the Spotsaas comparison table to evaluate each dimension before deciding.

Do both Smartcat and Lokalise offer a Free trial?

Lokalise offers Free Trial, but Smartcat does not.

Who are the typical users of Smartcat?

Smartcat is designed for Large Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business.

Who are the typical users of Lokalise?

Lokalise is designed for Freelancers / Consultants, Large Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business.

What is the starting price of Smartcat and Lokalise?

The starting price of Lokalise is $120/Month. Pricing for Smartcat is unavailable.

What are the best alternatives to Smartcat?

Some top alternatives to Smartcat include XTM Cloud, Lingotek, Lokalise, memoQ server, memoQ translator pro.

What are the best alternatives to Lokalise?

Some top alternatives to Lokalise include Smartling, Crowdin, Lingotek, Lokapp, Localazy.

Smartcat vs Lokalise Comparison

Last updated: May 19, 2026

Smartcat

4.3(308 reviews)

Starting at Contact for pricing

Large Enterprises
Medium Business

Smartcat offers professionals from a variety of industries an easy way to manage their business. Get seamless localization, vendor networks, automated workflows, and payments all in a single platform. You can also use th…

View Pricing Read Reviews

Lokalise

4.6(753 reviews)

Starting at $120 /Month

Free Trial
Freelancers / Consultants
Large Enterprises

Lokalise is a comprehensive translation management system designed to make app localisation and internationalisation effortless. Featuring powerful API, CLI tool, mobile SDKs and clear documentation, the platform integra…

View Pricing Read Reviews

Lokalise leads on user satisfaction with a 4.6-star rating across 753 reviews.

Smartcat vs Lokalise — at a glance

Feature	Smartcat	Lokalise
Rating	4.3 / 5	4.6 / 5
Reviews	308	753
Starting price	Contact for pricing	$120 /Month
Free trial	No	Yes
Free version	No	No
Best for	Large Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business	Freelancers / Consultants, Large Enterprises, Medium Business
Category	Translation Management System	Translation Management System
Platforms	SaaS/Web/Cloud	SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS
API	Available	Available
Support modes	24/7 (Live rep)	24/7 (Live rep), Business Hours, Online
Certifications	GDPR	SOC 2, GDPR, ISO 27001
Data residency	US	Global

Key differences between Smartcat and Lokalise

Pricing: Lokalise starts at $120 /Month. Smartcat pricing is not publicly listed.
Free trial: Lokalise offers a free trial; Smartcat does not.
Target audience: Smartcat is built for Large Enterprises and Medium Business, while Lokalise targets Freelancers / Consultants and Large Enterprises.
User satisfaction: Lokalise scores higher with a 4.6-star average.
Deployment: Smartcat supports SaaS/Web/Cloud; Lokalise supports SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS.

Smartcat vs Lokalise — find the better fit before you commit.

Which tool fits your team best

Which is actually cheaper for your team size

Where each product wins, per real buyers

Most Translation Management System tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.

Biggest differences

Features

Pricing

Buying details

Security

Buyer feedback

Integrations

Product tour

Other options

	Smartcat (152) Talk to an expert Talk to an expert	Lokalise (580) Talk to an expert Talk to an expert

Biggest differences

Affiliate Disclosure

Start here before you go deeper into features.

Smartcat

Best for managing complex localization workflows with integrated vendor and payment tools.

Choose if

You need an all-in-one platform combining localization, vendor networks, and payments.
Your team requires built-in reporting on income and performance for data-driven decisions.
You want flexible, configurable workflows that integrate with CI/CD processes.

Consider alternatives if

You are a small team needing only basic translation tools with minimal complexity.
You require clear, upfront pricing and have a limited budget for translation management.

Lokalise

Best for software teams needing robust localization with developer tool integrations.

Choose if

You require seamless integration with GitHub, Bitbucket, Jira, and Slack for localization workflows.
Your team needs support for multiple file formats and automation via API and CLI tools.
You want improved translation accuracy through Visual Context and SDKs for mobile apps.

Consider alternatives if

Your company has minimal or no localization needs and only requires basic translation.
Your team lacks technical expertise and prefers a simpler, more user-friendly onboarding process.

Smartcat: Best for managing complex localization workflows with integrated vendor and payment tools. Lokalise: Best for software teams needing robust localization with developer tool integrations.

Description	Smartcat offers professionals from a variety of industries an easy way to manage their business. Get seamless localization, vendor networks, automated workflows, and payments all in a ... Read More about Smartcat	Lokalise is a comprehensive translation management system designed to make app localisation and internationalisation effortless. Featuring powerful API, CLI tool, mobile SDKs and clear ... Read More about Lokalise
Entry Level Pricing	Not Available	Starts from $120 , Billed Yearly
Free Trial Availability	No free trial	Get Free Trial
User Ratings Based on verified Spotsaas reviews	4.3 (308)	4.6 (753)
Best Company Size	51-500 employees500+ employees	51-500 employees500+ employees
	Get pricing help	Get pricing help

Software Demo

Demo

Need a second opinion?

Get shortlist help from a software advisor

Share your priorities, budget, and team needs, and we’ll help you narrow the options and understand the tradeoffs before you talk to vendors.

Compare Smartcat and Lokalise on pricing

Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.

Pricing Option
Starting From	Not Available	$120 , Billed Yearly
Pricing Plans	Not Available	Start Get Started Unlimited projects Collaborative web-based editor Tasks Show more + Essential Get Started Includes features of Start plan, plus Glossary Screenshots Show more + Pro Get Started Includes features of Essential plan, plus Branching Two-way Adobe XD, Sketch, and Figma plugins Show more + Browse all pricing plans
Pricing Page
	View detailed pricing	View detailed pricing

Other Details

Organization Types supported	Large Enterprises Medium Business Small Business Individuals Freelancers	Large Enterprises Medium Business Small Business Individuals Freelancers
Platforms Supported	Browser Based (Cloud) Installed - Windows Installed - Mac Mobile - iOS Mobile - Android Browser Based (Cloud)	Browser Based (Cloud) Installed - Windows Installed - Mac Mobile - iOS Mobile - Android Browser Based (Cloud)
Modes of support	24/7 (Live rep) Business Hours Online	24/7 (Live rep) Business Hours Online
API Support	Available	Available
	Get help choosing	Get help choosing

Security & Compliance

Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.

SOC 2	—	✓ Yes
HIPAA	✗ No	✗ No
GDPR	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
ISO 27001	—	✓ Yes
Single Sign-On (SSO)	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Multi-Factor Auth (MFA)	—	✓ Yes
Data Encryption	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Audit Logs	—	✓ Yes
Data Residency	🇺🇸 US	🌐 Global

Smartcat User Reviews & Rating Comparison

User Ratings	4.3 (based on 308 reviews)	4.6 (based on 753 reviews)
Rating Distribution	120 20 0 0 12	510 63 2 0 5
Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI	Buyer sentiment Users generally appreciate Smartcat's comprehensive platform and integration capabilities but note some complexity and pricing transparency issues. What buyers like Integration of multiple localization functions Reporting and analytics features Vendor and payment management Common complaints Pricing transparency Learning curve for advanced features	Buyer sentiment Users generally praise Lokalise for its powerful integrations and translation accuracy, though some find pricing and onboarding challenging. What buyers like Integration capabilities Translation quality Automation features Common complaints Pricing transparency User onboarding complexity
Pros and Cons	Seamless integration of localization, vendor management, and payments in one platform Built-in reporting on income and team performance for informed decision-making Integration capabilities with CI/CD processes Limited publicly available pricing details Potential complexity for very small teams or simple projects	Robust integration with developer tools like GitHub, Bitbucket, and Jira Visual Context feature that improves translation accuracy Support for multiple file formats and automation via API and CLI Pricing details are not publicly available, requiring sales contact Potentially steep learning curve for non-technical users
Positive Reviews	No reviews available for the product	No reviews available for the product
Negative Reviews	No reviews available for the product	No reviews available for the product
	Read reviews	Read reviews

List of Customers

Customers	Tomedes Faust Translations Lichi Translations	MasterCard Starbucks Arduino

Media and Screenshots

Screenshots	4 Screenshots	2 Screenshots
Videos	1 Videos	1 Videos

Top Alternatives to Smartcat and Lokalise in 2026

Alternatives	XTM Cloud 4.5 Lingotek 4.7 Lokalise 4.6	Smartling 4.3 Crowdin 3.6 Lingotek 4.7

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, Smartcat or Lokalise?: Lokalise edges out the other on user ratings (4.6 vs 4.3). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
Do Smartcat and Lokalise offer a free trial?: Lokalise offers a free trial. Smartcat does not.
What is the starting price of Smartcat vs Lokalise?: Smartcat starts at Contact for pricing. Lokalise starts at $120 /Month.
What are the top alternatives to Smartcat?: Top alternatives to Smartcat include XTM Cloud, Lingotek, Lokalise, memoQ server, memoQ translator pro.
What are the top alternatives to Lokalise?: Top alternatives to Lokalise include Smartling, Crowdin, Lingotek, Lokapp, Localazy.

Smartcat vs Lokalise Comparison

Smartcat

Lokalise

Smartcat vs Lokalise — at a glance

Key differences between Smartcat and Lokalise

Smartcat vs Lokalise — find the better fit before you commit.

Smartcat

Lokalise

Biggest differences

Description

Entry Level Pricing

Free Trial Availability

User Ratings

Best Company Size

Software Demo

Demo

Get shortlist help from a software advisor

Compare Smartcat and Lokalise on pricing

Other Details

Organization Types supported

Platforms Supported

Modes of support

API Support

Security & Compliance

Smartcat User Reviews & Rating Comparison

List of Customers

Customers

Media and Screenshots

Screenshots

Videos

Top Alternatives to Smartcat and Lokalise in 2026

Frequently asked questions