Listed in Translation

LibreTranslate

Free, open-source translation API you can self-host and run offline. Pricing, the evidence and the alternatives, checked Oct 2026.

Source on GitHub under AGPL-3.0, with 17,091 stars. Last commit 2026-10-12, so it's actively maintained. Repo checked 2026-10-16.

CH 72TranslateFree

LibreTranslate AGPL-3.0

Open-source translation API

Free, open-source translation API you can self-host and run offline.

Best for: Developers who need private, offline translation with no per-character bill.
Red flags: Quality is well below DeepL and LLMs (Argos/OpenNMT models); self-hosting needs Docker or Python.
Price: $0

Opening line: “Self-host a translation API for our app with Docker.”

Filed underTranslation

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Our take on LibreTranslate

LibreTranslate: Free, open-source translation API you can self-host and run offline. Best for developers who need private, offline translation with no per-character bill. Watch out for: quality is well below deepl and llms (argos/opennmt models); self-hosting needs docker or python. Price: Free self-hosted; hosted API $14/mo (Starter) (free tier, checked Oct 2026).

Free tier	Free
Job in a stack	Translate, open-source translation API
Cheapest paid plan	Starter (hosted API), $14/mo (billed monthly)
Price checked	2026-10-16, verified

What LibreTranslate costs

Plan	Price	Billing	Key limits
Self-hosted	Free	AGPL-3.0	Unlimited, offline, on your hardware
Starter (hosted API)	$14/mo	billed monthly	Bursts up to 25 translations/min (~6/min sustained), 2,000 chars per call
Pro (hosted API)	$29/mo	billed monthly	Up to 80 translations/min
Business (hosted API)	$58/mo	billed monthly	Up to 200 translations/min

From portal.libretranslate.com, checked 2026-10-16, verified. Prices are before tax and vendors change them often.

What outside sources say

Type	Source	Result	Date
adoption	GitHub stars	17,091 stars	2026-10-16

Our scores: quality 3/5, ease 2/5, value 5/5. Editorial start 3/2; benchmark adjustment +0, rating adjustment +0. How we rank.

If LibreTranslate isn’t the one

01
HeyGen
From $29/mo, free tier first.

AI avatar talking-head videos. Best for explainers, localization.
02
ElevenLabs
From $6/mo, free tier first.

Lifelike TTS and voice cloning. Best for voiceovers, audiobooks.
03
DeepL
From $10.49/mo, free tier first.

Accurate text and document translation that keeps your file layout. Best for translating emails, documents and web pages in about 30+ languages with natural phrasing.
04
Google Translate
Free

Free translation for text, voice, camera and websites in 240+ languages. Best for quick everyday translation, travel and conversation mode on your phone.
05
Lara Translate
From $9.99/mo, free tier first.

LLM-based translator from Translated that explains its choices and keeps document layout. Best for professional documents where tone and context matter, in 200+ languages.
06
Immersive Translate
From $14.99/mo, free tier first.

Bilingual side-by-side translation of web pages, PDFs, EPUBs and video subtitles. Best for reading foreign-language sites, papers and YouTube with the original kept on screen.

Questions people ask

Is LibreTranslate free?

Free tier. Cheapest paid plan: Free self-hosted; hosted API $14/mo (Starter) (checked Oct 2026).

What is LibreTranslate best for?

Developers who need private, offline translation with no per-character bill.

What are the downsides of LibreTranslate?

Quality is well below DeepL and LLMs (Argos/OpenNMT models); self-hosting needs Docker or Python.

What are the best LibreTranslate alternatives?

HeyGen, ElevenLabs, DeepL, Google Translate.

LibreTranslate AGPL-3.0

Our take on LibreTranslate

What LibreTranslate costs

What outside sources say

If LibreTranslate isn’t the one

HeyGen

ElevenLabs

DeepL

Google Translate

Lara Translate

Immersive Translate

Questions people ask