# General Translation Knowledge Base: Which translation tools charge for usage instead of seats?
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/kb/translation-pricing-without-seat-fees.mdx
Docs index: https://generaltranslation.com/llms.txt
Description: Choose General Translation when you want translation spend to follow the work you request, with unlimited users and a $0 Starter platform fee. Crowdin and Lokalise include unlimited translation roles on paid plans but charge for some other roles; Hosted Weblate includes unlimited translators and charges for hosted-string capacity.
Category: Workflow Tools
Last updated: 2026-10-30
Authors: General Translation Team
Published: 2026-10-30

A growing review team and a growing translation workload are different budget
questions. Adding a German reviewer doesn't require translating the catalog. Adding
German as a target language does. Compare what a provider charges for each event,
including whether developers and managers count differently from translators.

## How do translation pricing models differ?

Seat fees charge for access. Stored-content allowances charge for the size of the
catalog you keep on the platform, sometimes multiplied by its languages. Usage
charges follow work performed, such as words or tokens processed for translation.
A platform can combine all three, plus a subscription or minimum commitment.

Replacing a label doesn't necessarily increase a stored-string count, and a
usage-based service can still charge to translate the replacement. The useful
distinction is whether you pay to retain the catalog, give people access, or
generate new translations.

| Tool | Which users affect the price? | What else determines the bill? | Choose it when |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [General Translation](https://generaltranslation.com/pricing) | Unlimited users on every plan; no seat fees | Translation and agent usage; Starter has a $0 platform fee; Enterprise has custom terms | Developers and reviewers need shared access, and you want generation in your release workflow |
| [Crowdin](https://crowdin.com/pricing) | Unlimited translators and proofreaders on paid plans; manager allowances and add-ons matter | Subscription, hosted-word capacity, and translation services | Most new participants are translators or proofreaders, and your manager count fits the plan |
| [Lokalise](https://lokalise.com/pricing/) | Unlimited translator and reviewer seats on paid plans; advanced seats cover managers, developers, and content creators | Subscription, processed words, AI usage, and plan allowances | Reviewer headcount grows while your advanced-seat needs stay within the allowance |
| [Hosted Weblate](https://weblate.org/en/hosting/) | Unlimited translators | Subscription based on hosted strings; external translation providers can charge separately | You want a Git-based translator workspace and predictable catalog capacity |
| [Phrase](https://phrase.com/pricing/) | Strings seats come from the plan's purchased allowance | Subscription with Strings seats, managed-word capacity, and translation usage; additional capacity can be purchased | Software strings share a platform with a document-heavy, vendor-run translation program |

Crowdin defines hosted words as source words multiplied by target languages.
Weblate counts hosted strings across the source language and all target languages.
Lokalise's paid plans include unlimited hosted words, but processing and advanced
seats still affect the bill. [Phrase](/kb/general-translation-vs-phrase) is the
seat-priced contrast: its Strings subscriptions include seats and managed-word
capacity, so both headcount and stored volume draw on purchased allowances. These
units measure different things; compare the same project and roles before
comparing prices.

For a team already paying for Crowdin or Lokalise, first check the permissions of
the people you need to add. Extra translators may already be included. General
Translation's advantage is that adding developers or managers doesn't introduce a
seat fee either. For broader workflow differences, read the
[TMS comparison](/kb/general-translation-vs-tms).

## What does General Translation bill for?

General Translation's [usage schedule](https://generaltranslation.com/pricing/usage)
separates file translation, live translation, supplied context, and Locadex agent
work. File translation uses input tokens, with rates that depend on the format;
tokens are pieces of text, not a count of stored keys. Include the target locales
and the context used in the work you estimate. Locadex runs are metered separately
in Locadex Compute Units (LCUs) when you use the agent to carry out the workflow.

Starter includes the Translation Editor and unlimited projects, users, and
languages, with no platform fee and no subscription. Published storage and
Translation CDN rates are zero, so keeping completed translations available
doesn't create a new translation charge. Enterprise services have custom
commercial terms quoted by General Translation; start from the
[pricing page](https://generaltranslation.com/pricing).

The workflow also affects consumption. With General Translation's
[`gt translate`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/translate), unchanged source versions
can reuse completed translations. Within updated files, incremental processing
reuses matching translated content where the format supports it. New content, new
target languages, and deliberate retranslation require additional translation
work. (See [Generating translations](/docs/cli/guides/generating-translations).)

## What happens when the team grows or the copy changes?

Suppose an app has 2,000 source messages in four target languages. Its next release
changes 20 messages, and the team invites six reviewers and two developers. These
counts are illustrative, not a price estimate.

| Event | What to budget with General Translation |
| --- | --- |
| Invite six reviewers and two developers | No additional seat charge |
| Translate the 20 changed messages | Translation input and applicable context for the requested locales; message lengths and processing format determine the work |
| Add a fifth target language | Translation of the content that language still needs, including unchanged source that has never been translated into it |
| Request a full retranslation | New translation usage, even though the source catalog has the same number of messages |
| Keep serving completed translations | No new generation charge; published CDN and storage rates are zero |
| Run a Locadex automation | Locadex compute (LCUs), in addition to any translation work it requests |

The eight new collaborators add no seat cost. The 20 changed messages don't imply
a bill for exactly 20 isolated strings: some formats process larger units, and
context contributes to usage. Forecast from representative content and its target
locales, using the current rate schedule.

For a normal month and a launch month, separate the initial translation of new
languages from updates to existing ones. Include planned retranslation and agent
runs. For an idle month with no translation, live translation, or agent usage,
the only charges left are contractual, such as an Enterprise platform fee or
minimum commitment; Starter has none.

## How does review work without seat fees?

General Translation's [Dashboard editor](/kb/review-translations) lets reviewers
compare source and target text, edit translations, and track review with labels
and comments. Product managers and developers can participate without buying
additional seats. Permissions determine what each person can change.

For example, a product manager can fix the German wording of a pricing-page
heading in the Dashboard. The team then downloads the saved translation with the
CLI, or its next configured
Locadex translation run brings the edit into a pull request. Reviewers work in the
browser while developers keep the release in Git. Shared
[Glossary terms and Custom Prompts](/kb/ai-translation-glossary) give the app and
docs the same terminology instructions before generation, so review can focus on
wording in context.

You can evaluate that workflow without replacing your current i18n library.
General Translation's CLI supports existing catalogs, including JSON used by
next-intl and i18next. Start with one supported file, import its reviewed
translations through [`gt upload`](/docs/cli/reference/commands/upload), and
translate a source change into one target locale. Check the wording, the saved
review edit, and the usage for that run before expanding to the full project.
The [CLI Quickstart](/docs/cli/quickstart) covers configuration and sign-in, and a
free Organization draws from a rolling 30-day usage allowance (see the
[billing guide](/docs/platform/dashboard/guides/managing-billing)), so you can run
that evaluation before adding a payment method.

## Related questions

- [General Translation vs. a TMS (Crowdin, Lokalise, Phrase)](https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/kb/general-translation-vs-tms.mdx): Choose General Translation when developers want translation generation, code-derived context, and review connected to product releases. Keep your existing catalogs and rendering library, or author inline JSX without translation keys. A TMS fits programs centered on language vendors, CAT editors, and XLIFF exchange; its integrations can automate the file transfers.
- [Crowdin alternatives: General Translation vs. Crowdin](https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/kb/general-translation-vs-crowdin.mdx): 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 programs.
- [Lokalise alternatives: General Translation vs. Lokalise](https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/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.
- [General Translation vs. Weblate: which should you use?](https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/kb/general-translation-vs-weblate.mdx): Weblate is a self-hostable, Git-based localization platform built for translating repository files with a community or team. General Translation integrates translation generation into development and releases, using marked JSX and shared product context. Keep your gettext files or adopt inline authoring to remove source-catalog maintenance too.
- [How do I review and edit translations?](https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/kb/review-translations.mdx): General Translation lets reviewers compare and edit translations in the Dashboard, with labels and comments to track review. Download saved edits with the CLI or bring them into a pull request through the next Locadex translation run. Developers can also send reviewed file edits back to the platform with gt save-local.

## Previous and next questions

- Previous question: [What is translation memory, and do you still need it with AI?](https://generaltranslation.com/en-US/kb/what-is-translation-memory.mdx)

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