Gengo
Online human translation service with per-word pricing and an API for high-volume orders.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Web
Gengo has been acquired. Owned by Lionbridge; Gengo's homepage says its services move fully to Lionbridge technology beginning in January 2027.
Is Gengo free?
No, it's a paid product
- Starting price:
- From $0.09 per word (Standard)
Checked on Gengo's site Nov 8, 2026
2 alternatives with a free optionSwitch from Gengo to
All 5- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
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About Gengo
Gengo is a crowdsourced human translation service: you upload text or files, choose a quality level, and one of its pre-tested freelance translators picks up the job, often within minutes. Pricing is per word with no minimum order, and there are two main levels, Standard for everyday content like reviews, social posts and internal messages, and Advanced for content that needs subject knowledge. Businesses with steady volume can plug in through the API, which has a sandbox, client libraries and discounted rates, plus ready-made integrations for tools like Zendesk and WordPress. It suits ecommerce listings, user-generated content and support tickets more than legal or highly specialised work. Gengo is owned by Lionbridge, and its homepage says the service will move fully onto Lionbridge technology beginning in January 2027, so existing customers should expect changes to how ordering works.
Best for: Businesses translating product listings, reviews or support content by the word without a contract.
Gengo pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from Gengo's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $0.09 per word (Standard) | Nov 8, 2026 | gengo.com |
Pros and cons
What works
- Clear per-word prices with no minimum spend or setup fee
- Large pool of pre-tested translators who start jobs quickly
- API with sandbox and client libraries for automated orders
Why people leave
- Service is moving to Lionbridge technology from January 2027
- Crowd translators are less suited to legal or highly technical text
- No translation memory or localization workflow like a full TMS
Gengo vs DeepL, Phrase and LILT
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | Gengo | DeepL | Phrase | LILT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan + paid | Paid | Paid |
| Verified price | From $0.09 per word (Standard) | €7.49/month billed annually (Individual) | $27 per month, billed annually (Freelancer) | — |
| Free plan | No | Yes | No | No |
| Open source | No | No | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Web | Web, Self-hosted |
Top Gengo alternatives
See all 5- 1
DeepL74.4Instant machine translation at a fraction of the cost when human quality isn't required.
- 2
Phrase72.5Localization suite that combines machine translation with vendor management for bigger programmes.
- 3
LILT68.8AI-first translation with optional human verification, for enterprises with large ongoing volumes.
- 4
Smartling64.8Managed human and machine translation plus a TMS, suited to companies outgrowing per-job ordering.
- 5
Smartcat61.8AI translation platform with a freelancer marketplace, so you can pick and pay linguists directly.
Why people left Gengo
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Gengo: common questions
What is Gengo?
Gengo: Online human translation service with per-word pricing and an API for high-volume orders. Best for businesses translating product listings, reviews or support content by the word without a contract. Available for Web.
Is Gengo free?
No, Gengo is a paid product. Starting price: From $0.09 per word (Standard) (checked on Gengo's own site).
How much does Gengo cost?
Gengo is a paid product. Starting price: From $0.09 per word (Standard). Checked on Gengo's own site, November 2026.
Is Gengo open source?
No, Gengo is not open source.
What platforms does Gengo run on?
Gengo is available for Web.
What are the best alternatives to Gengo?
The highest-ranked Gengo alternatives right now are DeepL, Phrase and LILT. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
Gengo vs DeepL: what's the difference?
Gengo is a paid product; DeepL is free with paid plans. Verified prices: Gengo From $0.09 per word (Standard), DeepL €7.49/month billed annually (Individual). Only DeepL runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Browser extension.