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Translation & Localization

Locize

UK / wider Europe Report an error

Panel rating · 6 judges · How to read the stars

Category median

Sovereignty: not determined

0–5 in half steps. 5 means the rubric's top anchor is met on the evidence.

by inweso GmbH · www.locize.com

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Locize: AI-assisted analysis on whats-best.ai Locize: AI-assisted analysis on whats-best.ai (dark)

Add ?theme=dark to the image address for dark backgrounds. The badge shows the category and the month of the latest evaluation, and EU-Made where that is the product’s provenance. It never shows a score.

Locize at a glance

Vendor
inweso GmbH
Headquarters
Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026
Data hosting
Default not stated; pages mention Ireland source, captured 1 Nov 2026
Free plan
Yes, per the vendor’s own page source, captured 1 Nov 2026
Starting price
“STARTER $7 /mo billed monthly” (vendor’s words) source, captured 1 Nov 2026
Panel verdict
The AI panel rates Locize 3/5, the mean of 6 judges. Locize, a Swiss translation management platform from inweso GmbH, earned persona-weighted totals of 6.7 to 6.9 from five judges, while the in-house document translator came in at 0.0 — the bench's sharpest split. how scores are made
As of
Vendor pages captured 1 Nov 2026; evaluated by the panel 2 Nov 2026. all sources

Locize alternatives, European ones first →

Read this page as one judge. Each weighs the same scores by what they care about.

The Localization Manager

Weighted verdict

Runs localization for a Hamburg software company whose product, help centre and marketing site ship in fourteen languages, with two agencies and a pool of freelancers. Every release brings a few thousand new strings and a deadline. Wants one translation memory and termbase across all content, machine translation that respects the glossary, review steps per language, QA checks that stop a broken placeholder before it ships, and cost and progress per vendor in one view.

Same scores as the panel view — this lens weights them the way this judge cares.

Scored by The Localization Manager

Panel median The Localization Manager This judge’s scores over the panel median. Each label opens its reasoning below.
Scores per criterion, in stars out of 5
Criterion Panel median The Localization Manager
Machine translation & AI quality 3.5 of 5 3.5 of 5
Translation memory, terminology & review workflow 3.5 of 5 3.5 of 5
Integrations, file formats & developer tools 3.5 of 5 3.5 of 5
Confidentiality of translated content 3.5 of 5 3.5 of 5
Data export, portability & self-hosting 3 of 5 3 of 5
European sovereignty 3.5 of 5 3.5 of 5
Pricing transparency 3 of 5 3 of 5

Machine translation & AI quality

How this is scored

What the machine translation does and how well it is controlled: the languages and language pairs covered, the engine (own neural or LLM model, or a choice of third-party engines such as DeepL, Google, Microsoft or an LLM), glossaries and formality applied during translation, document translation that keeps the layout (Word, PowerPoint, PDF, InDesign), custom or adaptive models trained on the customer's own translations, automatic quality estimation or scoring, and published evaluations of translation quality.

0 — No machine translation of any kind, and no way to connect an engine.

3 — Machine translation is offered or one engine can be connected; languages, glossary use and quality controls are basic or not described.

5 — Machine translation for the major European and world languages with the list published, glossaries applied during translation, a formality or tone setting, document translation that keeps formatting for common office formats, and either an own engine or a choice of several named engines.

8 — Custom or adaptive models that learn from the customer's translation memory or corrections, automatic quality estimation per segment with a threshold that routes weak segments to human review, LLM-based translation with style guides and context, engine selection per language pair stated, and a published quality evaluation with its method.

10 — Translation quality that an organisation can measure and steer: evaluations against named benchmarks or blind human review published with their method, quality estimation calibrated and explained, custom models with their training data and isolation documented, and every machine-translated segment traceable to the engine, model version and glossary that produced it.

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The Localization Manager

AI and machine pre-translation covers 150+ languages with a genuine choice of engines — Google, DeepL, OpenAI, Gemini, Mistral, Anthropic, Lara — plus my own keys and even a self-hosted OpenAI-compatible endpoint, which keeps the data flow under my contract. Glossary terms are injected into every AI request and checked on every save, and a style guide sets tone and formality per language — exactly what I demand. Quality estimation scores every AI translation with a reason and routes low-confidence output into human review, but plain machine translation gets no score, the review threshold is fixed at 0.7, and we found no public information on custom models trained on the customer's own translations or a published quality evaluation. 1 7 10 11

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Translation memory, terminology & review workflow

How this is scored

How translation is managed as an ongoing process: translation memory with fuzzy matches, a termbase or glossary managed centrally, style guides, review and approval stages, automated QA checks (placeholders, tags, length, terminology, punctuation), an in-context or visual editor, screenshots and context for translators, tasks and deadlines, roles per language, and ordering or inviting human translators and agencies inside the product.

0 — No management of translations at all; text goes in and comes out with nothing stored or reviewed.

3 — Translations can be edited or a glossary kept; translation memory, review stages and QA checks are basic or not described.

5 — A translation memory reused across projects, a central glossary, at least one review or approval stage, automated QA checks for placeholders and terminology, comments and screenshots for context, and roles that limit translators to their languages.

8 — Configurable multi-step workflows with automation rules, an in-context or visual editor for apps or websites, QA checks configurable per project with blocking rules, style guides applied by the AI, translation memory and termbase shared across projects with penalties and priorities, vendor or agency management with ordering inside the product, and progress and cost reporting per language.

10 — A translation process an enterprise runs on: workflows per content type with conditional routing on quality scores, linguistic quality assessment with a named framework (MQM or similar), termbase with approval workflow and forbidden terms, full revision history per segment, and productivity and quality metrics per translator and vendor.

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The Localization Manager

The translation memory spans multiple projects with fuzzy and same-family-language matches, the termbase imports and exports TBX and UTX with approved and forbidden terms surfaced in the editor, review runs per language with proposals and marked values, and placeholders, plurals and markup are protected with checks that flag issues — most of what my team runs daily, down to screenshots and per-language review permissions. We found no public information on configurable multi-step workflows, blocking QA rules per project, or cost and productivity reporting per vendor, and the vendor itself states quality estimation is not MQM. 3 4 11 12 13 18

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Integrations, file formats & developer tools

How this is scored

How content gets in and out: the file formats supported (XLIFF, PO, JSON, YAML, Android XML, iOS strings and xcstrings, Office documents, InDesign), a REST API and CLI, SDKs and over-the-air updates for apps, Git repository sync (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) and CI pipelines, connectors for CMS, shop and design tools (WordPress, Contentful, Shopify, Figma), browser and office add-ins, webhooks, and a JavaScript snippet or proxy for website translation.

0 — No documented way to get content in or out except typing or pasting by hand.

3 — File upload and download or a basic API; formats, repository sync and connectors are basic or not described.

5 — A documented REST API, a list of supported file formats covering the common software and document formats, sync with at least one Git host or CI, and connectors or plugins for several named CMS, shop or design tools.

8 — A CLI and SDKs for named platforms, over-the-air updates for mobile or web apps, Git sync with branching, webhooks, connectors for the main CMS, shop, design and support tools, office or browser add-ins, a public status page, and API limits documented.

10 — Integration that scales across an organisation: an API covering every function of the product with versioning and SDKs, an app or connector framework third parties build on, continuous localization in CI with pull requests opened automatically, and every connector documented with its limits and the fields it syncs.

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The Localization Manager

XLIFF 1.2 through 2.2, gettext with fuzzy mapping both directions, Android strings, Apple strings and string catalogs, resx, properties, Laravel, Fluent, YAML, JSON, CSV and TMX cover every format my developers touch, backed by a CLI, a REST API with token permission control, GitHub Actions and repository dispatch, webhooks, Slack and Teams notifications, a Figma plugin, real-time CDN delivery and a 28-tool MCP server for AI coding agents. The gaps are office and CMS territory: we found no public information on Word, PowerPoint or InDesign with layout kept, on WordPress, Contentful or Shopify connectors, on browser or office add-ins, a public status page or documented API limits. 1 4 9 14 15

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Confidentiality of translated content

How this is scored

What happens to the text a customer translates: whether source and target texts are stored and for how long, deletion after translation, whether customer content is used to train the vendor's or a third party's models, which machine translation and LLM providers a TMS sends text to and whether that can be restricted or switched off, encryption in transit and at rest, single sign-on, roles and audit logs, and certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2) with their scope. Where the text is processed is scored under sovereignty.

0 — Customer texts are stored indefinitely and used for the vendor's own purposes, or no statement on data handling exists at all.

3 — The product is described as secure or GDPR-compliant and a privacy policy exists; retention of translated texts, model training and third-party engines are basic or not described.

5 — A documented statement that customer texts are not used to train models, retention or deletion of translated texts stated, the third-party engines or LLM providers named, encryption in transit and at rest, single sign-on on a business tier, and a data processing agreement offered.

8 — Texts deleted immediately after translation or after a retention period the customer sets, third-party AI processing switchable per project or account, zero-retention terms with the named LLM providers, audit logs, granular roles, ISO 27001 or SOC 2 certification stated with its scope, and a private or dedicated deployment option.

10 — Confidentiality that can be verified: an on-premise or customer-controlled deployment, customer-managed encryption keys, every subprocessor that sees content listed with its role, independent audit reports available, and every data flow of a translation request documented end to end.

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The Localization Manager

The privacy policy names the AI and machine translation providers the service can call, says machine translation can be switched off entirely so nothing leaves the network, and lets me run my own keys or a self-hosted endpoint instead — the right answer for confidential strings. Data is TLS-encrypted in transit and encrypted at rest, SAML single sign-on, granular roles and a one-year audit trail exist, and the DPA deletes all data within 20 business days of termination. We found no public information on the vendor's own ISO 27001 or SOC 2 certification — the ISO 27001 list shown refers to AWS — and zero-retention terms with the LLM providers are only partially documented. 7 8 9 11 16 17

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Data export, portability & self-hosting

How this is scored

Whether translation assets stay the customer's and can leave with them: export of translation memory and termbase in open formats (TMX, TBX, XLIFF, CSV), export of all projects and files, import from another TMS, an API that can read every asset, the return or deletion of data on termination, open-source code and a self-hosted or on-premise edition.

0 — Translations cannot be exported; they exist only in the vendor's interface or engine.

3 — Translated files can be downloaded; export of translation memory and glossary, import and termination terms are basic or not described.

5 — Translation memory exportable as TMX and glossary as TBX or CSV, all project files downloadable, import of translation memory and glossaries from another tool, and an API that reads translations and keys.

8 — Complete export of every asset (memory, termbase, files, comments, history) in open formats, a documented migration path from named competitors, the data returned or deleted on termination under stated terms, and a self-hosted or on-premise edition with its own documentation.

10 — The customer owns the assets end to end: open-source code under a named licence that runs fully self-hosted with feature parity stated, a complete export another tool can import without loss, and the deletion of every copy on termination documented.

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The Localization Manager

My assets can leave: translation memory exports as TMX, the glossary as TBX or UTX on demand, whole projects as a zip or an "all" format carrying namespace, tags, context and character limits, and the DPA returns or deletes data within 20 business days of termination — though the customer is responsible for exporting before deleted projects vanish. We found no public information on a documented migration path from named competitors or on a self-hosted edition of the platform itself; self-hosting and bundling cover only the delivered translation files. 6 8 14 16 18

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European sovereignty

How this is scored

Who the contracting entity and the parent company are, where texts are translated, stored and processed, and who the subprocessors are (hosting, machine translation engines, LLM providers, CDN for over-the-air delivery, support and payment tools). Independently sourced by the sovereignty pipeline; translated texts often hold personal data and trade secrets, so the whole chain counts, including the engines a TMS calls. A self-hosted edition the customer runs on its own European servers counts as the customer's chain, whatever the vendor's seat.

0 — Non-EU vendor and contracting entity, hosting unstated, subprocessors unnamed, and no data processing agreement offered.

3 — A privacy policy and a data processing agreement exist, but hosting location is unstated or non-EU and the subprocessors are not listed.

5 — EU hosting available and an EU contracting entity or EU representative, but parts of the chain (machine translation or LLM providers, CDN, support, payment) run through non-EU providers without a stated safeguard.

8 — EU hosting on named infrastructure, EU contracting entity, subprocessors listed with their locations including the engines and LLM providers, a data processing agreement published, and security certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2) stated — or a self-hosted edition documented that keeps every text on the customer's own servers.

10 — Sovereign end to end and evidenced: European ownership, entity, hosting, engine and every subprocessor, or a self-hosted open-source edition with no call home, data export and deletion documented, and certifications published with their scope rather than implied.

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The Localization Manager

The contracting entity is inweso GmbH in Switzerland, translations are hosted on AWS in Ireland with encrypted disaster-recovery copies on BunnyCDN Storage in the EU, business mail runs on Hostpoint in Switzerland, and the privacy policy lists the subprocessors including the AI providers — with Claude running through Amazon Bedrock in AWS Ireland under a contract with Anthropic Ireland and EU standard contractual clauses published in the DPA. Two caveats for my compliance colleagues: the Pro CDN delivers published translations through AWS CloudFront with edge locations in the United States, and the certifications shown are the hosting provider's, not the vendor's own. 2 7 8 9 16

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Pricing transparency

How this is scored

Whether a buyer can compute the real annual cost from public pages alone: price per tier by characters, words, keys, hosted words or seats, what happens when the volume exceeds the tier, the number of users, projects and languages included, which features (machine translation volume, AI credits, SSO, integrations, API access) cost extra, the free tier and its limits, the self-hosted edition and its support, minimum term and setup.

0 — No public prices at all; every customer is a sales call.

3 — A starting price or a free tier exists, but how cost scales with volume, seats or features is unclear.

5 — Tiers are public with their price per volume band and main inclusions, but at least one commonly needed piece (overage, extra seats, machine translation or AI volume, SSO, connectors) is unpriced or "on request".

8 — Every tier priced publicly with its scaling rule (characters, words, keys, seats), overage handling stated, add-ons and AI credits priced, the self-hosted edition's cost or licence stated, minimum term and VAT treatment stated.

10 — Complete price computability: annual cost derivable for a given volume, seat count and feature set, with every add-on, setup, support and overage fee and the cancellation and data-return terms published.

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The Localization Manager

Every tier is public and flat monthly — Free at $0/mo, Starter at $7/mo up to Enterprise at $199/mo — with no per-seat or per-word fees, a free tier with stated word, language and CDN download limits, AI credits included in paid plans and backups sold as a fixed monthly add-on, so the base annual cost is simple arithmetic. The pricing page details only the Free plan's limits though, and we found no public information on the paid tiers' word or download limits, on overage handling, or on the actual price of the backup add-on. 1 5 6 11 17

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European sovereignty — proven facts

0 of 6 dimensions proven

Built only from facts shown on the vendor's own pages. A dimension we could not prove is left open, not scored as zero.

Hosting location Not determined ⚠ unverified — uncited Report an error
Hosting options Not determined — uncited Report an error
Open source Not determined — uncited Report an error
Data processing agreement Not determined ⚠ unverified — uncited Report an error
Transfer impact assessment Not determined — uncited Report an error

Questions about Locize

Is Locize European?

Yes, though not from the EU. whats-best.ai classifies Locize as UK / wider Europe.

Where does Locize store data?

The default storage location for customer data is not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026. The vendor’s pages mention Ireland as hosting location, per the vendor’s page captured 1 Nov 2026.

Does Locize have a free plan?

Yes. Locize has a free plan, per the vendor’s page captured 1 Nov 2026.

What are the best alternatives to Locize?

As of 2 Nov 2026, the panel rates SimpleLocalize (3.5/5), LILT (3.5/5) and Phrase Localization Platform (3.5/5) highest among the other 12 Translation & Localization products evaluated. Ratings that look equal are rounded to half stars; the order uses the unrounded rating, then the name. The highest-rated European alternative is SimpleLocalize (EU-Made). Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: how scores are made. The full list, with European products first: Locize alternatives.

Where this could be wrong

What we left out

A claim that does not survive our checks costs us the claim, not the page. This is what was taken off this one.

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Sources (18)

The pages every claim on this page was read from — each one checked, dated, and kept verifiable.

  1. 1 Vendor homepage www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  2. 2 Company page (Swiss ownership) www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  3. 3 Documentation www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  4. 4 Documentation (MCP integration) www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  5. 5 Pricing page www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  6. 6 Terms of service www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  7. 7 Privacy policy www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  8. 8 Data processing agreement (dpa) www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  9. 9 Security / trust page www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  10. 10 Machine translation & AI quality — found from sitemap www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  11. 11 Machine translation & AI quality — found from sitemap www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  12. 12 Translation memory, terminology & review workflow — found from sitemap www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  13. 13 Translation memory, terminology & review workflow — found from sitemap www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  14. 14 Integrations, file formats & developer tools — found from sitemap www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  15. 15 Integrations, file formats & developer tools — found from sitemap www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  16. 16 Confidentiality of translated content — found from sitemap www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  17. 17 Data export, portability & self-hosting — found from sitemap www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
  18. 18 Data export, portability & self-hosting — found from sitemap www.locize.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →