# General Translation Knowledge Base: Crowdin alternatives: General Translation vs. Crowdin URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/kb/general-translation-vs-crowdin.mdx Docs index: https://generaltranslation.com/llms.txt Description: Choose General Translation to keep copy in your components and generate translations with your build. Crowdin manages translation projects around resource files, translators, and review workflows, which engineers connect to the app and maintain as the product changes. Crowdin remains a strong fit for open-source community translation and vendor-led programmes. Category: Workflow Tools Last updated: 2026-10-16 Authors: Kevin Wu, Jackie Chen Published: 2026-10-16 Crowdin's [localisation platform](https://crowdin.com/) organises localisation around translation projects: engineers maintain resource files, connect them to Crowdin, and bring translated catalogues back into the app. Its automation moves content through that workflow. General Translation brings translation into development itself: copy stays in your components, and translations are generated with your build. ## What Crowdin does well * **Free to start.** The [Free plan](https://crowdin.com/pricing) includes 60,000 hosted words, with translations shared into Crowdin's translation memory, and open-source projects that meet its [open-source licence criteria](https://crowdin.com/product/for-open-source) (such as an OSI licence and no related commercial product) can get a free licence. * **Developer tooling.** A CLI configured in `crowdin.yml`, Git integrations for GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure Repos, a GitHub Action, an MCP server, and [700+ apps and integrations](https://store.crowdin.com/). * **AI with context.** You can [bring your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or other provider keys](https://support.crowdin.com/crowdin-ai/), or use a Crowdin-managed model. Each request includes the string's context, key and maximum length, and prompts can add your glossary, translation memory, style guide, neighbouring strings and tagged screenshots. * **Human translation.** A vendor marketplace, plus [Crowdin Language Services](https://crowdin.com/features/vendor-integrations), which you can order from within a project. * **Context and QA.** Screenshots tagged to strings, an [In-Context editor for web apps](https://support.crowdin.com/in-context-localization/), a Figma plugin, and built-in QA checks. * **Mobile over-the-air updates.** iOS, Android and Flutter SDKs and a JavaScript client update strings from [Crowdin's CDN](https://support.crowdin.com/content-delivery/) without an app release. ## What Crowdin still leaves to your engineers Engineers still have to set up and maintain the round trip between the app and Crowdin's translation projects: 1. Set up an i18n library, extract each English string into a resource file under a key, and reference the key in the component. 2. Describe the files in `crowdin.yml` and send them with [`crowdin upload sources`](https://crowdin.github.io/crowdin-cli/commands/crowdin-upload-sources), or use a Git integration or GitHub Action. 3. Set up AI, machine translation, vendors or your own translators to fill in each language, with whatever review steps your project needs. 4. Bring translated catalogues into the app. [Crowdin's GitHub integration](https://support.crowdin.com/github-integration/) returns them through an `l10n_` service branch. Its automatic sync runs hourly by default, with a configurable interval and an option to sync immediately. Crowdin can also collect context from code: its coding-agent skills and [`crowdin context` commands](https://crowdin.github.io/crowdin-cli/commands/crowdin-context) have an agent analyse the codebase and upload descriptions for strings. With General Translation's [``](/docs/react/reference/components/t), the marked JSX itself supplies the text, nested elements and named placeholders used for translation. Paid plans are priced mainly by hosted words (source words multiplied by target languages) plus manager seats, so each new language increases the hosted-word count. (See [Crowdin pricing](https://crowdin.com/pricing), checked October 2026.) ## Crowdin vs. General Translation at a glance | Feature | Crowdin | General Translation | | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Where strings live | Keyed resource files in your repository, synced to Crowdin projects | In your code inside [``](/docs/react/reference/components/t), or in the resource files you already have | | How code connects | `crowdin.yml` with the CLI, Git integrations or a GitHub Action | [`npx gt translate`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/translate) in your build, or [Locadex](/docs/platform/locadex/quickstart) pull requests | | Who translates | Machine translation or AI providers, vendors or your own translators | AI with context from your code, Glossary and Custom Prompts, reviewed by your team in the Dashboard | | Context for each string | Key, maximum length, screenshots, glossary, translation memory and agent-written context | Marked JSX, named placeholders, developer notes and the project's assigned Glossary and Custom Prompts | | Pricing | Free plan; paid plans based on hosted words and manager seats | Based on translation usage; see [pricing](https://generaltranslation.com/pricing) | | Native mobile apps | Over-the-air SDKs for iOS, Android and Flutter | The CLI translates iOS and Android resource files for the app's release | | Open source | Free licence for qualifying open-source projects | MIT-licensed JavaScript libraries and CLI | ## Why teams choose General Translation over Crowdin General Translation removes the catalogue authoring work for React UI: copy stays in your components inside [``](/docs/react/reference/components/t). Deleting a component removes its inline copy too, rather than leaving keys to clean up elsewhere. * **Faster.** Put [`npx gt translate`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/translate) before your app build to generate and download translations in the same workflow. It reuses existing translations and generates only new or changed content. For a pull-request workflow, [Locadex](/docs/platform/locadex/quickstart) prepares the translation changes for you. * **Cheaper to run.** Crowdin's hosted-word count grows with the source catalogue and the number of target languages. General Translation charges for translation usage rather than for hosting that catalogue. Keeping completed translations does not incur a recurring translation charge; [pricing](https://generaltranslation.com/pricing) lists the usage rates. * **Higher quality.** A [``](/docs/react/reference/components/t) block can keep a heading, sentence, link and dynamic placeholders together, so the translator sees how they relate rather than receiving isolated keys. Add developer notes and a shared [Glossary and Custom Prompts](/docs/platform/dashboard/guides/defining-context-for-translations) for product terminology. Reviewers can edit the result in the [Translation Editor](/docs/platform/dashboard/guides/reviewing-translations). * **Lower risk.** You can keep your existing i18n library and import reviewed translations before changing how new ones are produced. That lets you adopt General Translation without rewriting every component or discarding your translators' work. Cursor ships 14+ locales across web and docs with General Translation. (See [production deployments](https://generaltranslation.com/enterprise).) ## When Crowdin is the better fit Choose Crowdin when an open-source project qualifies for its free licence and wants community translators, when you run a human translation programme with vendors and multi-step review, when you exchange XLIFF or Office files, or when native mobile apps need its over-the-air SDKs. ## Moving from Crowdin to General Translation For supported catalogues such as JSON, YAML, PO, and iOS or Android resource files, configure their source and locale paths in `gt.config.json`. Follow the [file translation set-up](/docs/cli/quickstart) and run [`npx gt upload`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/upload) to import existing translations before generating new ones. Bring your glossary into a [Context Group](/docs/platform/dashboard/guides/defining-context-for-translations) so that new translations use the same terminology. In a React app, you can then introduce [``](/docs/react/reference/components/t) as you build new screens. For a comparison across vendors, see [Why use General Translation instead of a TMS?](/kb/general-translation-vs-tms). ## Is General Translation an alternative to Crowdin? Yes. General Translation combines AI translation, an editor for human review, and libraries that keep React copy in JSX. It also translates existing catalogues, so replacing Crowdin does not require replacing your i18n library first. ## Other Crowdin alternatives Teams replacing Crowdin also compare these platforms: * **Lokalise:** suits teams whose designers and translators work from Figma or screenshots, or whose native apps need over-the-air updates. (See [General Translation vs. Lokalise](/kb/general-translation-vs-lokalise).) * **Phrase:** suits cases where one platform must serve both software strings and a document-heavy translation programme run with vendors. (See [General Translation vs. Phrase](/kb/general-translation-vs-phrase).) * **Smartling:** suits you if you want AI and human translation from a single vendor, or a proxy that translates marketing sites without code changes. (See [General Translation vs. Smartling](/kb/general-translation-vs-smartling).) * **Transifex:** suits you if you want to translate a website with a snippet, or order human translation from its partner vendors. (See [General Translation vs. Transifex](/kb/general-translation-vs-transifex).) * **Weblate:** suits community translation and teams that want a fully self-hosted, Git-based platform. (See [General Translation vs. Weblate](/kb/general-translation-vs-weblate).) * **Tolgee:** suits teams that need to self-host the platform, or want translators to edit text by clicking on it in the running app. (See [General Translation vs. Tolgee](/kb/general-translation-vs-tolgee).) (For what these platforms have in common, see [Why use General Translation instead of a TMS?](/kb/general-translation-vs-tms).) ## Key takeaways * Crowdin is a strong TMS for open-source and human translation programmes, with a free plan and AI that draws on keys, screenshots and glossaries. * Crowdin automates catalogue delivery; engineers still connect those catalogues to the app and configure the translation workflow. * Choose General Translation to remove keyed catalogues from React authoring, generate translations during a release, and retain your existing reviewed translations during adoption. ## Related questions - [Why use General Translation instead of a TMS (Smartling, Lokalise, Phrase, Crowdin, or Transifex)?](https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/kb/general-translation-vs-tms.mdx): A translation management system (TMS) such as Smartling, Lokalise, Phrase, Crowdin, or Transifex coordinates translators, but engineers still extract strings, send them out, wait for translations, and wire them back into the product. General Translation translates content in your code with its context, ships every language with each release, and runs on open-source libraries with no lock-in. - [Lokalise alternatives: General Translation vs. Lokalise](https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/kb/general-translation-vs-lokalise.mdx): General Translation is a strong Lokalise alternative for teams that want readable copy in JSX and translation built into development. Lokalise is built around shared keys, design-tool integrations and mobile over-the-air delivery. General Translation generates translations from the app's marked content and supports review in its Dashboard or in GitHub pull requests. - [Phrase alternatives: General Translation vs. Phrase](https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/kb/general-translation-vs-phrase.mdx): General Translation is a strong Phrase Strings alternative when your app and documentation ship together. It generates translations from code and content files, applies shared terminology, and runs in your release workflow. Phrase combines software localisation with a document-focused TMS, vendor management, and a broad choice of translation engines. - [Smartling alternatives: General Translation vs. Smartling](https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/kb/general-translation-vs-smartling.mdx): Choose General Translation when you want app translations generated from code as part of your release. Smartling combines a translation management system, AI and human services, and a website translation proxy. General Translation keeps copy in your components, carries its context into translation, and gives your team a Dashboard for review. - [Transifex alternatives: General Translation vs. Transifex](https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/kb/general-translation-vs-transifex.mdx): Choose General Translation to translate marked JSX with its structure and developer context, then bundle the results or serve them from its CDN. Transifex Native also keeps strings in code, but publishes them through its content delivery service. Transifex is a strong fit for teams using its translation partners, quality scores or snippet-based website translation. ## Previous and next questions - Previous question: [Can I do i18n without translation files?](https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/kb/i18n-without-translation-files.mdx) - Next question: [General Translation vs. Babel and Flask-Babel: which should you use?](https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/kb/general-translation-vs-flask-babel.mdx) ## Sitemap See the [Knowledge Base sitemap](https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/kb/sitemap.md) for every article.