Regarding the translation of a text from one language to another, it is recommended to call on an experienced translator to ensure a translation close to perfection. When this option is not possible, given a limited budget, consider using online translation tools. If the latter are not as efficient as a professional translator, they nevertheless offer an appreciable service. Despite some shortcomings, online translation tools have seen great improvements to offer more relevant translations. We have therefore tried to evaluate the best online translation tools to get an idea of their quality and to make a quick comparison.
DeepL Translator: the best online tool for translating text
DeepL is an intelligent automatic translator and without a doubt the best free online translator. The translations he offers far surpass those of other online translators. Its use is simple and comparable to other online translation tools. Simply type or paste the text to be translated into the site form and choose the target language to obtain the translation.
DeepL Translator currently offers only a limited number of languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch and Polish. But, it is still under design and soon, it should be able to translate into other languages like Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, etc. Nevertheless, it offers an almost perfect translation and a more humane quality than other translation tools.
After a few tests of English to French or another language on DeepL, we quickly realize how good it is. It is original and does not make literal translations unrelated to the context. DeepL Translator has a feature that allows you to click on a word in the translation and get suggestions for synonyms.
This feature is useful and practical in case of translation errors, so you can add or delete words in the translated text. Whether it's poetry, technical documentation, newspaper articles or other types of documents, DeepL is the best free online translator and gets great results.
Google Translate, the most used translation tool
Google Translate is one of the most popular online translation tools for people to use. It is a multilingual translation tool with a quality of translated texts at the height of its means, but not as good as that of DeepL. Google Translate offers more than 100 languages and is able to translate up to 30 000 signs at once.
If in the past this multilingual translation tool offered very low quality translations, it has evolved a lot in recent times to become a reliable translation site and the most used site in the world. Once on the platform, simply enter a text choice and the translation tool automatically detects the language. You can translate a web page by indicating the URL of the site.
Thus, we can automatically translate web pages by adding a Google Translate extension to the Google Chrome search engine. It is easy to translate documents from your PC or smartphone. You can translate several types of formats such as PDFs, Word files and you can also translate words present on a photo in an instant.
True to the spirit of Google, this translator is very easy to use and visually simple, it does not impose advertisements or other distractions. The translation of documents from English to French and into other languages is extremely fast and is done as the text is entered. An available loudspeaker makes it possible to listen to the source text or that translated in excellent phrasing. Google Translate allows Internet users to click on certain words in the translated text and benefit from other translations.
A spelling and grammar checker is associated to correct misspelled words in the text to be translated. With a database of hundreds of thousands of translations, Google Translate always manages to offer the most adequate translation. It is possible to improve it every day thanks to the Feedback, which makes it possible to obtain even more powerful translations.
Microsoft Translator
Microsoft Translator which, as its name suggests, is offered by the firm of Bill GATES. Its ambition is to become an essential tool and to dethrone other translation software on the Internet. This translator is extremely powerful and translated into more than forty languages. Microsoft Translator differentiates itself by offering a live chat function and allows you to chat live with interlocutors speaking other languages.
This original function is very convenient and makes conversations with people who speak other languages, very fluent. The Microsoft Translator is available as an application on Android and iOS. An offline function allows users to translate texts without a connection. This offline mode of the application is just as good as if it were connected to the Internet and offers language packs to download for free.
It is therefore possible to continue using the application during a trip to a foreign country with the Smartphone in airplane mode. Microsoft Translator also includes a write recognition engine on iOS that allows you to translate any text or document into a foreign language.
This software offers a graphic design that is both simple and uncluttered. The good quality of its translations is certainly due to the possibility of giving feedback. Just like Google Translator, it can detect the source language and give the possibility to listen to the proposed translations.
Reverso for French translation
To easily translate an online text from French to a foreign language or from a foreign language to French, Reverso is the translation tool that must be used first. This online translation service is mainly based on French and allows to translate a text in French to another of the eight languages offered and vis and versa. Although Reverso only translates online text in nine languages, it is as efficient as other Internet-based translation software and is even more efficient at translating idiomatic expressions with its integrated collaborative dictionary.
On the other hand, Reverso offers a not very attractive page that lacks ergonomics and the incessant advertisements tend to distract the user. It nevertheless remains a quality translator, the translated texts appear instantly and the site offers the possibility of listening to the translation obtained. The user can contribute to the improvement of the translation by posting a comment and expressing his opinion on the translations obtained.
WorldLingo
WorldLingo is a tool for translating texts online in more than thirty languages and is a serious competitor of the best online translation sites. Even if it presents a correct translation, it still has a lot of leeway to compete with the best. WorldLingo has a clear design and automatically detects the source language.
The site also offers interesting phrases with an average translation quality. It can translate any type of documents, web pages and emails. It can translate web pages in 13 different languages from the link of these. To translate the mails, it is enough to give the address of the sender and WorldLingo is in charge of sending directly the translated text.
This translation tool is easy to use, includes several features and supports multiple files. But in its free version, one can only translate 500 words to the maximum.
Yahoo to Babylon Translation
Yahoo's online translation tool has been replaced by Babylon software. This software offers translation in nearly 77 languages. It is renowned as an excellent point dictionary for translating words rather than long texts. Basically, it does not stand out for the quality of its translations and is quite slow. In addition, we deplore the plethoric number of invasive advertisements which diminish the ergonomics of the site. Babylon Translator integrates on Smartphone and other digital device. It also allows you to select a word or a sentence on a document, a website, an email to be translated while offering an instant translation. The application uses many online dictionaries and cannot be used offline. It can only be used if you are connected to a 3G, 4G or Wifi network.
Systran, online translation tool
This online translation software counts 15 languages in its stock and has a 10 000 sign capability. It offers a pleasant ergonomics without advertising. The software has the ability to render the general meaning of a text in a target language with a very average translation quality. Like all other online translation tools, Systran offers several features like webpage translation.
But, it limits its translation to 150 words of a text or a web page. To go beyond this limit, you have to invest in a paid version. The software integrates with Office and Internet Explorer applications as a toolbar. Online text, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and less than 5 MB can be translated, and texts already translated by up to a megabyte can be easily edited.
This tool is in competition with Babylon and is at the bottom of the ranking, the two software offering almost all identical features. We can deplore the automatic elimination of spaces between certain words, especially if it is a copy and paste of a text to translate. It sometimes happens that words stick together, Systran will not very often recognize the word in this hypothesis and leave it as it is without trying to translate it. As a result, the user is required to add spaces manually and then start the translation.
Prompt Translator
Prompt Translator is a good reliable translation site with a translation quality slightly above average. It allows to translate automatically from English and into 15 other languages. This translator was originally designed for professionals, businesses and private users. The ergonomics of the site's page are practical and easy to use with few ads on the page and action buttons clear, well positioned and well highlighted.
When he encounters a word he does not recognize, Prompt Translator spontaneously emphasizes it in red and offers suggestions for correction. Prompt Translator is a multilingual translation tool developed for Windows that can translate texts, web pages, PDF files, etc. It is compatible with Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint or FrontPage. It is convenient to modify the translation settings according to its needs.
