Smartling Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Smartling uses custom pricing as of March 2026. Contact Smartling directly for a personalized quote. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
Yes, Smartling offers a forever free plan as of March 2026. The free tier includes 10 features with limits on translationmemory and workflowcustomization. Pricing verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Smartling's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Basic workflow, user, and project management
- Drag and drop file upload
- CAT Tool with visual context and in-platform communication
- Translation memory for 180 days
- Essential reporting and automated quality checks
- Basic linguistic quality assurance tools
- AI-enabled human translation services
- Standard workflows
- Basic roles & permissions
- API access
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| translationMemory | 180 days | Unlimited/Higher |
| workflowCustomization | Limited | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like advanced automation
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Smartling branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Smartling free?
Yes, Smartling offers a forever free plan with 10 core features included. However, there are limits on translationmemory, workflowcustomization that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Smartling's free plan?
Smartling's free plan includes: Basic workflow, user, and project management, Drag and drop file upload, CAT Tool with visual context and in-platform communication, Translation memory for 180 days, Essential reporting and automated quality checks, and 5 more features. Key limits include translationMemory: 180 days, workflowCustomization: Limited.
03 What's NOT included in Smartling's free plan?
The free plan excludes: advanced features, premium support, and higher limits. You'll also have Smartling branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Smartling's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like advanced automation, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $0/month.
05 Is Smartling's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Smartling's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.