Google Language Translator vs WPML String Translation
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Google Language Translator v7.0.2 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.7/5 Visit Details | WPML String Translation v3.5.4 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Paid Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 100,000+ | — |
| Last updated | October 23, 2026 | — |
| Editions | Google Language Translator | WPML String Translation ($) |
| Pros | Language selector, widget and menu flags with no setup of translations; Machine translation covers a long list of languages; Simple shortcodes for placing the selector | Scans theme and plugin files for translatable strings; Translates strings, PO and MO files and post slugs in one place; Provides a wpml-string shortcode for inline translation |
| Cons | Free use is limited to non-commercial purposes under the vendor terms; Free version gives no SEO benefit and does not keep translations; Indexing, URL translation and in-context editing need a paid plan | Needs WPML core installed and active; Sold with the WPML subscription, no free edition; Scanning large themes or plugin sets can be slow |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | — |
| Features (Translation plugins checklist) | ||
| Machine translation | Yes | No |
| Visual editor | Paid | No |
| SEO-friendly URLs | Paid | Yes |
| WooCommerce | Yes | — |
| Languages limit | 104 | — |
| Free version | Yes | No |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Floating language selector loaded from the vendor CDN, Language selector widget, Shortcodes for the translator and language menu, Language flags in navigation menus, Shortcodes run inside text widgets, Search engine indexing of translated pages ($), Translated URL slugs ($) | Scan theme and plugin files for translatable strings ($), Import PO strings into the string table ($), Translation memory for reusing earlier translations ($), Track where each string appears on the front end ($), Batch translation of registered strings ($), wpml-string shortcode for inline translated text ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| E-commerce | WooCommerce | — |
| Plugins | — | WPML ($) |
| Other | GTranslate translation service, Intercom support chat | — |
| Requires WordPress | 4.5 | — |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | — |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | cdn.gtranslate.net, widget.intercom.io | — |
| Shortcodes | 2 | 1 |