# Phrase Localization Platform — Translation & Localization

Phrase Localization Platform by Phrase a.s. holds a panel rating of 3.5/5 from 6 AI judges (category median 3/5), as of 2026-11-02. Provenance: EU-Made; sovereignty: not determined.

- Vendor: Phrase a.s. (https://phrase.com/)
- Category: [Translation & Localization](https://whats-best.ai/software/translation.md)
- Provenance (editorial classification): EU-Made
- Canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/phrase
- Alternatives: https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/phrase/alternatives ([markdown](https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/phrase/alternatives.md))
- Data as of: 2026-11-06 · evaluated 2026-11-02 · oldest source captured 2026-11-01

**AI-generated.** Every score, rationale and verdict here is written by a panel of AI judges from public evidence — an analysis, not a hands-on test. Every fact quotes the vendor page it was read from. No score can be bought. How scores are made: https://whats-best.ai/methodology

## At a glance

- Vendor: Phrase a.s.
- Headquarters: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026
- Data hosting: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026
- Free plan: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026

## The panel's verdict

Phrase (Phrase a.s. of Prague, formerly Memsource) is a translation management and software localization platform that scores highest on machinery: machine translation, workflow and review, and integrations and formats each land at 7 to 8, on 30-plus machine translation engines with automatic selection, a CAT editor with in-context preview, real-time translation memory, nine versioned APIs and over 50 integrations. The weak side is what the pages leave unverifiable: pricing transparency is lowest at 5 to 6, since only the Team tier is public — 1,195 per month billed annually with unlimited TMS seats and 20 Strings seats — while Business and Enterprise read 'Custom' and the Studio add-on has no published price; content confidentiality and portability and exit follow at 5 to 7. That two-point spread is the closest the panel came to splitting: judges crediting ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type I and a complete subprocessor list scored top of the range; those wanting a written commitment that translated texts are not used to train models, or a documented import path, scored at the bottom — a difference in requirements, not evidence.

**Speaks for it:**
- Workflow and review scores of 7 to 8, for a CAT editor with in-context preview, real-time translation memory, term bases and linguistic quality assessment profiles assignable per workflow step
- Integrations and formats scores of 7 to 8, for nine versioned APIs, CLI and client libraries, over-the-air updates with a cache-then-bundle fallback, and over 50 integrations including GitHub, Figma and WordPress
- Machine translation scores of 7 to 8, for 30-plus engines including DeepL and Amazon Translate, automatic engine selection, MT glossaries and a bring-your-own-engine route
- Translation memory exports as TMX or XLSX and term bases as TBX or XLSX through documented API endpoints, with customer content deleted within 60 days of permanent deletion or termination
- Security documentation covers ISO 27001 for Phrase a.s., SOC 2 Type I with the report on request, TLS 1.2 in transit, encryption at rest, and a subprocessor list naming the machine translation and AI providers

**Held against it:**
- Pricing transparency is the weakest criterion at 5 to 6 — Business and Enterprise are 'Custom — Get in touch', the Phrase Studio add-on has no published price, and we found no public information on overage handling
- We found no public information on whether translated texts are used to train models, on zero-retention terms with the named LLM providers, or on restricting third-party AI processing per project
- The exit is export-only — we found no public information on importing translation memory or glossaries from another tool, on a migration path from named competitors, or on a self-hosted edition
- The stated architecture is public cloud and multi-tenant, the security page names AWS and Google Cloud data centers without a region, and we found no public information on a published customer data processing agreement
- Vendor-reported outcomes such as the 45% drop in post-editing and 40% less spend appear without a published translation-quality evaluation or its method

**Best for:**
- You ship multilingual software and need GitHub and Bitbucket sync, key-based strings and over-the-air updates with a cache fallback so an outage cannot break the app
- You coordinate agencies and freelancers and need vendor management, cost tracking and per-step linguistic quality assessment in one platform
- You translate high volumes machine-translation-first and want 30-plus engines, automatic selection and glossaries governed by your own term bases

**Avoid if:**
- You must compute your full annual cost before committing — only the Team tier is published, at 1,195 per month billed annually, while Business and Enterprise are 'Custom — Get in touch' and the Phrase Studio add-on is unpriced
- You require a private or dedicated deployment — the documented architecture is a public cloud, multi-tenant model
- You cannot have named third-party AI providers process your content — the subprocessor list names Google Ireland and Microsoft as machine translation and generative model providers, with locations and transfer mechanisms
- You need the hosting location confirmed before signing — the security page names AWS and Google Cloud data centers without a region, and the EU-hosted environment appears in the bug bounty scope only as an exclusion

## Scores by judge and criterion

Scores out of 5, each judge scoring independently against the published rubric (v1). "n/r" = not rated: the vendor publishes no price, or the judge found no public information on that criterion.

| Criterion | The Localization Manager | The App Developer | The In-House Document Translator | The Data Protection Officer | The E-Commerce Marketer | The Skeptic |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Machine translation & AI quality | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 4/5 | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Translation memory, terminology & review workflow | 3.5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Integrations, file formats & developer tools | 3.5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Confidentiality of translated content | 3/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Data export, portability & self-hosting | 2.5/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| European sovereignty | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3.5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Pricing transparency | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 |
| **Weighted verdict** | **3/5** | **3.5/5** | **3/5** | **3.5/5** | **3.5/5** | **3/5** |

### The judges

- **The Localization Manager** (v1.0): 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.
- **The App Developer** (v1.0): Lead developer of a web app and two mobile apps at a Vienna start-up, with strings in JSON, xcstrings and Android XML. Has hand-merged translation files once and will not do it again. Wants a CLI and a GitHub sync that opens pull requests, over-the-air updates so a typo fix does not need an app store release, an API that does everything the interface does, and ideally an open-source edition they could run themselves if the vendor changes course.
- **The In-House Document Translator** (v1.0): Works in the legal and export team of a machine builder in Baden-Württemberg with customers in France, Italy, Poland and China. Translates contracts, operating manuals and supplier correspondence every day, with no translation management system and no wish for one. Needs translations that read like the company wrote them, the company's terms kept through a glossary, Word and PDF files back with their layout intact, and a written promise that a draft contract is not kept or used to train anything.
- **The Data Protection Officer** (v1.0): Data protection officer of a health insurer whose staff translate letters to members, HR documents and internal guidelines. Found a free translator in the proxy logs and had to explain to the board what had been pasted into it. Reads the terms before the feature page: how long texts are kept, whether they train a model, which engines and LLM providers a platform passes them to, who the subprocessors are and where, and whether the contract names a European entity.
- **The E-Commerce Marketer** (v1.0): Runs marketing for a Shopify shop selling cycling apparel from Munich, live in German and English and due in French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish before the spring season. Has no developer and no translator on staff. Wants product pages, checkout and emails translated in days, a way to fix a bad product name by hand, multilingual SEO that search engines index, and a monthly price that does not double when the catalogue grows.
- **The Skeptic** (v1.0): Has seen "human quality" on an engine nobody has evaluated in public, "we never store your data" next to a TMS that forwards every segment to three LLM providers, and a translation memory built over six years that could only leave as a spreadsheet. Reads that a product is "enterprise-grade secure" and asks how long the text is kept, which models it reaches, and whether the memory and termbase export as TMX and TBX — and what leaving would cost.

## European sovereignty — proven facts

Built only from facts on the vendor's own pages; a dimension we could not prove is left open, never scored as zero. Headline: not determined.

| Dimension | Finding | Points | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Not determined | — | — |
| Hosting location | Not determined | — | — |
| Hosting options | Not determined | — | — |
| Open source | Not determined | — | — |
| Data processing agreement | Not determined | — | — |
| Transfer impact assessment | Not determined | — | — |

## Key facts

Each fact is the vendor's own statement, cited to the source page it was read from ([S*n*] → Sources).

**Compliance**
- Access principles: least privilege and segregation of duties principles govern access management [S10]
- Antimalware: yes [S10]
- Background checks: yes · yes [S10]
- CCPA: yes [S1]
- CCPA: yes · yes · yes · yes · yes [S3]
- CCPA: CCPA · yes [S2]
- Certifications: yes · yes · yes · yes · yes [S4]
- Certifications: yes · yes · yes · yes [S13]
- Certifications: ISO27001 · GDPR Compliant · AWS Partner · PCI DSS [S14]
- Confidentiality: yes [S10]
- Encryption in transit: 1.2 · yes [S10]
- Frameworks: ISO 27001 · PCI DSS · AWS · CCPA · GDPR [S14]
- GDPR: yes [S1]
- GDPR: yes [S3]
- GDPR: yes [S2]
- ISMS audits: yes · annual [S10]
- ISO 27001: yes [S1]
- ISO 27001: yes [S3]
- ISO 27001: yes · ISO27001 [S2]
- ISO 27001: Phrase a.s. (formerly Memsource a.s.) · yes [S10]
- Payment provider pci: yes [S10]
- Pci dss: yes [S1]
- Pci dss: yes [S3]
- Pci dss: PCI DSS · yes [S2]
- Pentest annual: OWASP ASVS · annual · yes [S10]
- Physical security: yes · yes [S10]
- SOC 2: security@phrase.com · yes · 2026 [S10]
- Standards: ISO 27001 · PCI DSS · AWS · CCPA · GDPR [S13]
- Trust center: yes [S1]
- Vulnerability disclosure: yes · yes [S10]
- Vulnerability scans: automated vulnerability scans · monthly [S10]

**Data**
- Encryption at rest: Linux LUKS (aes-xts-plain64:sha256) · AWS AES256 [S10]
- Marketing retention: legitimate interest · 2 [S9]
- Processor retention: permanent content deletion or agreement termination · 60 [S9]
- Rights: access · correction/deletion · objection · restriction · portability · withdraw consent · complain to data protection authority [S9]

**Hosting**
- Aws partner: yes [S3]
- Aws partner: yes [S2]
- Locations: AWS S3 · Google Cloud Platform data centers · AWS data centers [S10]
- Provider: AWS · SOC 1/ISAE 3402 · SOC 2 · SOC 3 · FISMA · DIACAP · FedRAMP · PCI DSS Level 1 · ISO 9001 · ISO 27001 · ISO 27017 · ISO 27018 [S10]
- Uptime: 99.9 · yes [S1]
- Uptime: 99.9% · yes [S3]
- Uptime: 99.9 · yes [S2]
- Uptime: 99.9 · yes [S4]
- Uptime: 99.9 · yes [S13]
- Zero downtime: 99.9 · yes [S14]

**Integrations**
- API: yes · yes · yes · yes [S3]
- API based connection: yes [S17]
- API token usage: Token obtained from auth/login endpoint passed in the Authorization HTTP header on every API call [S15]
- API versioning: TMS API version can be pinned; Changelog tracks API, SDK, tool changes [S6]
- Categories: Game engine · Terminology management · Code repositories · Content management (CMS) · Customer support · Design tools · Developer tools · Notifications · Marketing automation · Multimedia · Project management · Product Information Manageme… [S5]
- Count: 50 [S2]
- Custom connectors: yes [S2]
- Partner aws: AWS · purchase Phrase through AWS Marketplace [S5]
- Partner braze: Braze · localization for email campaigns [S5]
- Partner contentful: Contentful · Phrase TMS app to manage translations directly in CMS [S5]
- Partner figma: Figma · send work to Phrase from Figma and retrieve translations [S5]
- Partner github: GitHub · automatically send branches and repositories to Phrase for translation [S5]
- Partner google drive: Google Drive · pull documents/videos for translation, subtitling, or dubbing and export files back [S5]
- Partner snap uber: SNAP by UBER AI Solutions · GenAI LQA tool with human validation services [S5]
- Partner storyblok: Storyblok · translation workflows combining AI translation with linguist reviews [S5]
- Partner types: Technology partners · Services partners [S5]
- Partner zendesk: Zendesk · translate categories, dynamic content, articles, sections in Zendesk Guide and Support [S5]
- Product filters: Phrase TMS · Phrase Strings · Phrase Studio [S5]
- Rate limiting: Language AI returns 429 on rate limit; CLI and client libraries may retry [S6]
- Studio purchase: FAQ covers Phrase Studio purchase and pricing [S7]
- Termbase export charset: UTF-8 [S20]
- Termbase export domain filter: yes · domain [S20]
- Termbase export endpoint: /api2/v1/termBases/{termBaseUid}/export · GET · Export term base [S20]
- Termbase export formats: Tbx · Tbx · Xlsx [S20]
- Termbase export glossary not accepted: no [S20]
- Termbase export subdomain filter: yes · subDomain [S20]
- Termbase export term status filter: NEW · APPROVED [S20]
- Termbase export termfields xlsx only: status · forbidden · preferred · strict · caseSensitive · exactMatch · usageExample · part_of_speech · gender · number · note · short_translation · term_type · createdBy · createdAt · modifiedBy · modifiedAt · concept_domain · concept_subd… [S20]

**Legal**
- Address: Praha 1 · Václavské náměstí 2132/47 · Czech Republic · 110 00 [S8]
- Commercial register: Municipal Court in Prague · B 20324 [S8]
- Company id: 247 07 139 [S8]
- Entity name: Phrase a.s. (formerly Memsource a.s.) [S8]
- Other entity: Phrase GmbH [S8]
- VAT id: CZ24707139 [S8]

**Pricing**
- AI units: Custom · 25000 · 100000 [S7]
- Business price: yes [S7]
- Currencies: USD · EUR · GBP · CZK [S7]
- Deployed models: 1 · 3 · Custom [S7]
- Enterprise price: yes [S7]
- Job sync subscription requirement: yes · yes [S16]
- Mtu: Custom · 12000000 · 50000000 [S7]
- Orchestrator workflows: 3 · 3 · Custom [S7]
- Portal users: 20 · Custom · 50 [S7]
- Strings managed words: 1200000 · 3000000 · Custom [S7]
- Strings seats: 20 · 150 · Custom [S7]
- Studio addon: yes [S7]
- Support 247: 24/7 customer support across all plans [S7]
- Team price: per month, billed annually · 1195 [S7]
- Tms processed words: Custom · 2500000 · 12000000 [S7]
- Tms seats: Unlimited · Unlimited · Unlimited [S7]
- Trial: 14 · yes [S7]

**Product**
- Adaptive engine: Adaptive translation engine learns brand using TM, term bases, and context-aware MT [S4]
- AI optimized translations: yes [S13]
- AI orchestration: yes · yes · yes [S1]
- AI recording tool: AI-assisted recording and note-taking on customer calls · yes [S9]
- Amazon translate: Fast, high-quality, affordable MT [S12]
- Analytics: Phrase Analytics · yes [S2]
- Analytics included: yes [S7]
- API count: Phrase exposes nine APIs [S6]
- API endpoint deprecated: deprecated · GET /api2/v1/projects/{projectUid}/accessSettings · GET /api2/v2/projects//accessSettings [S19]
- Approach: MT combined with AI-driven translation and quality checks; humans review only the small portion needing input [S4]
- Approved hostnames: us.phrase.com · api.us.phrase.com [S18]
- Atlas: Conversational setup of projects, workflows and reports [S1]
- Audit logs: yes [S10]
- Auth model: API token exchanged for short-lived Bearer access token [S6]
- Auto adapt: yes [S1]
- Automatic project creation: yes [S17]
- Automation: Import/export, translation jobs, delivery from one platform [S3]
- Backups: AWS S3 · yes · yes [S10]
- Bug bounty scope: US environment only · yes [S18]
- Business features: Custom metadata and branching, Drupal/Zendesk/Kontent.ai integrations, unlimited MT profiles and glossaries, advanced translation memory, single sign-on [S7]
- Byo engine: yes [S6]
- Cat editor: Phrase TMS CAT editor, positioned as the world's most powerful CAT editor [S14]
- Cat tool: CAT tool · yes [S2]
- Change management: yes [S10]
- Cloud based workspace: yes · yes [S2]
- Connectors: Connectors API for custom flows to external systems [S6]
- Content groups: Org-scoped group of style guides and AI Checks linked to a TMS project [S6]
- Content types: Mobile Apps · Video games · Web apps and websites · Other software products [S3]
- Cost reduction: 65% lower translation costs · translation memory reuse [S13]
- Deepl ISO 27001: yes · European [S12]
- Deepl nextgen GDPR: yes [S12]
- Delivery speed: 30% faster delivery · shared translation data [S13]
- Description: SaaS based solutions for localization and translation management [S9]
- Design tools figma: Figma (FAQ topic raised) [S3]
- Document translation: Document translation solution: automated workflows, instant quotes, support for every file format [S13]
- Downloadable platforms: macOS · Linux · Windows [S14]
- Enterprise features: All integrations incl. Adobe Experience Manager and Contentful, Premium Success Plan, tailored onboarding, private channel, workflow audits, business reviews, user role configuration [S7]

**Subprocessors**
- Affiliates note: Phrase Group affiliates may act as sub-processors depending on contract scope and location; full list in Privacy policy [S11]
- Convertapi: ConvertAPI, UAB · PDF conversion provider · EU · DPA [S11]
- Cyangate: CyanGate LLC · OneTeg integration provider · US · DPA [S11]
- Elevenlabs: Eleven Labs Inc. · AI voice model provider · EU · SCCs [S11]
- Google: Google Ireland Limited · hosting of the services and data storage provider, machine translation provider, generative neural network machine learning model provider · Worldwide (depending on user location) · DPA [S11]
- Microsoft: Microsoft Corporation · machine translation provider, internal trend analysis provider, generative neural network machine learning model provider · EU / USA · SCCs [S11]
- Named processors: long enumerated list of controllers' processors including Anthropic Ireland, OpenAI Ireland, HubSpot, Zendesk, Stripe Payments Europe, PayPal (Europe), Twilio, Snowflake Computing Netherlands, Databricks, Datadog, Vanta, Zoom · ActiveCampa… [S9]
- Palabra: Palabra.AI LTD · real-time speech-to-speech translation provider · EU, USA · Adequacy decision [S11]
- Rozetta: Rozetta Corp. · machine translation provider · Japan · Adequacy decision [S11]
- Snowflake: Snowflake Computing Netherlands B.V. · data analytics provider · EU, USA · DPA [S11]

**Support**
- Cat editor hours: 24/7 [S14]
- Cat editor uptime: 99.9 [S14]
- Trial: yes · yes [S3]

113 more facts on the canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/phrase

## Questions

### Is Phrase Localization Platform European?

Yes. whats-best.ai classifies Phrase Localization Platform as EU-Made.

### Where does Phrase Localization Platform store data?

Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026.

### Does Phrase Localization Platform have a free plan?

Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026.

### What are the best alternatives to Phrase Localization Platform?

As of 2 Nov 2026, the panel rates [SimpleLocalize (3.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/simplelocalize), [LILT (3.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/lilt) and [Tolgee (3.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/tolgee) 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](https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/simplelocalize) (EU-Made). Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: [how scores are made](https://whats-best.ai/methodology#ordering). The full list, with European products first: [Phrase Localization Platform alternatives](https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/phrase/alternatives).

## Head-to-head

- [Phrase Localization Platform vs Lokalise](https://whats-best.ai/compare/lokalise-vs-phrase.md)

## What this page leaves out

- 18 product facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 8 integrations facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 7 compliance facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 6 subprocessors facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 3 legal facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 1 hosting fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 2 sovereignty dimensions could not be confirmed on the vendor’s own pages and are shown as unknown.

## Sources

- [S1] Vendor homepage: https://phrase.com/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S2] Features page (translation management): https://phrase.com/platform/tms/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S3] Features page (software localization): https://phrase.com/platform/strings/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S4] Features page (machine translation): https://phrase.com/solutions/machine-translation/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S5] Integrations page: https://phrase.com/integrations/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S6] API documentation: https://developers.phrase.com/en/api/overview (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S7] Pricing page: https://phrase.com/pricing/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S8] Legal notice: https://phrase.com/imprint/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S9] Privacy policy: https://phrase.com/privacy/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S10] Security / trust page: https://phrase.com/security/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S11] Subprocessor list: https://phrase.com/subprocessor-overview/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S12] Machine translation & AI quality — found from sitemap: https://phrase.com/platform/supported-mt-engines/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S13] Machine translation & AI quality — found from sitemap: https://phrase.com/solutions/document-translation/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S14] Translation memory, terminology & review workflow — found from sitemap: https://phrase.com/platform/tms/cat-editor/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S15] Translation memory, terminology & review workflow — found from sitemap: https://developers.phrase.com/en/api/tms/v1/job/get-jobs-workflowstep (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S16] Integrations, file formats & developer tools — found from sitemap: https://phrase.com/phrase-tms-job-sync-connector-figma-github/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S17] Integrations, file formats & developer tools — found from sitemap: https://phrase.com/integrations/wordpress-translation-plugin/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S18] Confidentiality of translated content — found from sitemap: https://phrase.com/security/bug-bounty-program-scope/ (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S19] Confidentiality of translated content — found from sitemap: https://developers.phrase.com/en/api/tms/v1/project/get-access-and-security-settings (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S20] Data export, portability & self-hosting — found from sitemap: https://developers.phrase.com/en/api/tms/v1/term-base/export-term-base (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S21] Data export, portability & self-hosting — found from sitemap: https://developers.phrase.com/en/api/tms/v1/translation-memory/download-export (checked 2026-11-01)

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Cite as: whats-best.ai, "Phrase Localization Platform — Translation & Localization", AI panel analysis, as of 2026-11-06. https://whats-best.ai/software/translation/phrase

Corrections: https://whats-best.ai/correct/1300?target=page