"What's the best way to translate a WordPress site?" doesn't have one answer, because the popular tools solve different problems. Some manage the structure of a multilingual site; some do the actual translating; some do both but rent you the result. Picking wrong means either a big bill or a lot of manual work. Here's how WPML, Weglot and Polylang really differ, and how to choose.
Note: exact pricing changes over time — always check each vendor's current plans. This comparison focuses on how each tool works, which is what actually decides the right fit.
| Tool | Pricing model | How it translates | Where translations live |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polylang | Free core + one-off Pro license | You translate (manual, or add-ons) | Your WordPress |
| WPML | Annual license (no free tier) | Manual, machine credits, or pro services | Your WordPress |
| Weglot | Monthly subscription (words × languages) | Automatic on connect | Weglot's servers |
| Meep AI Translator | Free tier + pay for words | AI, layout-safe for page builders | Your WordPress |
Polylang — great structure, bring your own translations
Polylang is the lightweight favourite for building a genuinely multilingual site. It creates a separate version of each page per language, handles the language switcher and clean per-language URLs, and stays out of your way. The free version covers a lot; Polylang Pro adds slugs, WooCommerce and more.
The catch: Polylang doesn't translate anything. It gives you the empty French and German slots — you still have to fill them, by hand or with a separate machine-translation add-on. It's the right foundation, not the whole solution.
WPML — the full professional CMS
WPML is the veteran all-in-one. Beyond structure it adds a translation-management layer: translator roles, a translation editor, glossaries, automatic translation via credits, and hand-off to professional translation services. If you run a large site with a formal translation workflow, it's hard to beat on features.
The trade-offs are cost and weight. There's no free tier, it's an annual license, and it's a large plugin with a real learning curve — some sites notice the performance overhead. Powerful, but more than a small brochure site needs.
Weglot — fastest setup, but you rent the result
Weglot wins on speed: connect it, pick languages, and your whole site is machine-translated in minutes, served on subdirectories or subdomains that are properly indexable. For a "live tomorrow" multilingual site, nothing is quicker.
Two things to weigh. It's a subscription priced on words and languages, so cost scales as your site grows and never stops. And your translations are hosted on Weglot's side — leave the service and the translated versions go with it. Convenience now, ongoing dependency later.
Where AI translation fits
There's a gap between these three: an option that translates for you like Weglot, but keeps the translations on your own site like Polylang and WPML, without a heavy setup or a permanent subscription — and that specifically respects page-builder layouts.
That's the niche AI translation for Polylang & Elementor was built for. Meep AI Translator uses AI to translate Elementor, Gutenberg and WooCommerce content at the block level — so layouts stay intact — writes the results into your own WordPress, and works either with Polylang/WPML or with its own built-in language system. It starts free (7,200 words a month), and you pay for words translated rather than a per-language subscription.
It isn't trying to be a full enterprise CMS like WPML, or a hosted proxy like Weglot. It's the practical middle for page-builder sites that want AI quality and to own what they publish.
So which should you pick?
- Just need structure and will translate yourself? Polylang.
- Large site, formal translation team and workflow? WPML.
- Want it live tomorrow and don't mind a subscription? Weglot.
- Build with Elementor, want AI quality, and want to own your translations without a recurring bill? Meep AI Translator — and you can start free.
AI translation you own — starting free
Layout-safe AI translation for Elementor and WooCommerce, stored on your own site, working with Polylang or standalone. Try it on a real page in a couple of minutes.