Gengo vs. Unbabel: Which language service provider to choose in 2025?

Localization is the go-to strategy if you want to boost your sales on a global market. Choosing the right language service provider can be essential when reaching new markets. See our report on Gengo vs. Unbabel to find the perfect fit for your translation needs.

Gengo vs. Unbabel
Gengo logo
Gengo is a translation service for companies of any size. You can order cost-efficient translations from professional translators, and individuals and businesses worldwide can order translations from a network of more than 20,000 pre-tested translators, working across 35 languages and all experienced in different industries.
Unbabel logo
Unbabel is an AI-powered language service platform that helps companies interact with customers in 27 different languages. Unbabel uses AI with human editors to achieve better and faster translations. The platform provides large-scale language support and enterprises can boost their customer service wherever they are in the world.

Gengo vs. Unbabel comparison table

Not all translation services are created equal. Find out what sets Gengo and Unbabel apart.

Feature
Gengo
Unbabel
Translation type
Human-only translation via freelancer marketplace
AI + human translation platform focused on customer service messaging
Supported languages
~37
~30
File support
Mostly text-based submissions, limited file handling
Primarily text integrations; no broad file format handling
Customization
No translation memory, limited terminology control
Glossary and style guide support
Turnaround time
Human translators only; turnaround depends on freelancer availability
AI translations in seconds; human-edited translations within hours for most requests
Quality tiers
Standard & Pro human translation only
AI + human review
Best for
Smaller text-based translation projects with flexible deadlines
Customer service teams needing multilingual chat, email, and helpdesk translations
Pricing model
Per-word pricing; no cost reduction for repeated content
Subscription-based, volume-based pricing for supported integrations
Translation Type
Gengo:
Human-only translation via freelancer marketplace
Unbabel:
AI + human translation platform focused on customer service messaging
Supported Languages
Gengo:
~37
Unbabel:
~30
File Support
Gengo:
Mostly text-based submissions, limited file handling
Unbabel:
Primarily text integrations; no broad file format handling
Customization
Gengo:
No translation memory, limited terminology control
Unbabel:
Glossary and style guide support
Turnaround Time
Gengo:
Human translators only; turnaround depends on freelancer availability
Unbabel:
AI translations in seconds; human-edited translations within hours for most requests
Quality Tiers
Gengo:
Standard & Pro human translation only
Unbabel:
AI + human review
Best For
Gengo:
Smaller text-based translation projects with flexible deadlines
Unbabel:
Customer service teams needing multilingual chat, email, and helpdesk translations
Pricing Model
Gengo:
Per-word pricing; no cost reduction for repeated content
Unbabel:
Subscription-based, volume-based pricing for supported integrations

Room for improvement

While Gengo and Unbabel offer a wide array of services, there is always room for improvement. Let us explore some of the key features that are missing which would be valuable for your business.
Taia translations checkboxes

Translation Quality Assurance

There is no room for error when it comes to international business strategy. Addressing your customers with a clear and error-free message is crucial to a good global strategy. Translation projects delivered in compliance with ISO standards should thus be the norm.

Unfortunately, neither Gengo or Unbabel is compliant with ISO 17100:2015 certification. Therefore, Taia can be a good alternative if you want to ensure the highest quality translations. We have obtained not just the ISO 17100, but also the ISO 9010 certification.

Taia translations checkboxes
Taia translation

Lack of translation services

Both Gengo and Unbabel lack a variety of services, like interpreting and audiovisual translation services. With audio and video content playing a major role in advertising, this can really be a deal-breaker.

Taia can help you out if you need a specific service that Gengo and Unbabel don’t offer. Taia helps you with tailor-made translation solutions, designed for your industry. Check out our transcription and subtitle translation services.

Taia translation
Taia translations global

Languages do not end in Europe

Gengo and Unbabel translate in 54 and 27 languages. Unbabel translates solely from English and Gengo focuses mainly on European languages.

Emerging markets are becoming more and more important in the global economy. Translating more obscure language pairs can really put you on the map. Taia can help you translate across 189 languages.

Taia offers translation in more than 97 languages worldwide

Conclusion

Gengo vs. Unbabel, who is the winner in the end? In conclusion, they both offer a wide range of high-quality translation services. Yet, there is always room for improvement.

They both offer document and legal translation services as well as API integration. However, when you dig a bit deeper, there are a number of differences to be found between them.

Gengo not only offers traditional translation services but also more technical translation services. They offer website localization, software localization, and marketing translation. In their portfolio of services, they also offer proofreading and transcription services. While Gengo offers quite a spectrum of services, they do not offer a project management dashboard.

Unbabel will provide you with a transparent PM dashboard that helps you stay on top of every project. This also allows you to have an overview as well as control over translation quality. Unbabel focuses on language support to improve customer service. Their customer service integrations will help you connect with your global audience.

Comparing both services, Gengo stands out for offering a wide range of translation services and language pairs. Meanwhile, Unbabel stands out for its customer service integration and PM dashboard.

Both Gengo and Unbabel are great translation language service providers. In the end, it all comes down to your business needs, your budget, and the key features that matter to you most.

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Frequently asked questions

 The best platform depends on your needs. Gengo is ideal for quick, lower-cost human translations, while Unbabel combines AI translation with human post-editing for customer service content. Businesses needing accurate, full-document translation with the option for ISO-certified human review may prefer Taia, which supports 65+ file formats and includes translation memory and glossary tools.

 For casual use, options like Google Translate or DeepL are popular. For professional and enterprise use, Taia’s AI translator offers full-document processing, formatting preservation, and glossary enforcement, making it suitable for business-critical content.

 Gengo is a crowdsourced translation platform offering human translations at scale. It’s popular for businesses needing quick turnarounds but may not be the best fit for highly specialized or sensitive content.

 Unbabel is a language operations platform that uses AI translation followed by human post-editing. It’s widely used for customer support and high-volume, short-form content, but it’s less suited to large, complex documents.

 Yes. Platforms like Gengo, Smartcat, and TextMaster also allow beginner translators to take on work after basic qualification tests. Taia works exclusively with professional translators, ensuring higher-quality output for clients.

 Gengo focuses on a crowdsourced marketplace of human translators, while Unbabel blends AI with human post-editing, often targeting customer service content. Taia offers both instant AI translation and human review in one platform, covering more content types and formats.

 Neither platform specializes in maintaining complex formatting or handling large, technical files. Taia is designed for this use case, with AI that preserves layout and human reviewers who ensure accuracy for specialized content.

 Unbabel offers integrations with customer service platforms like Zendesk and Salesforce. Gengo provides an API for custom integrations. Taia also offers API access, making it easy to connect to CMS, localization systems, or other internal tools while leveraging translation memory for consistency.