Taia vs. Smartling: Discover the Best Smartling Alternative

Speaking the language of your global audience has never been so easy. Switch from Smartling to Taia and start breaking language barriers instantly. Read on to discover what makes Taia the best Smartling alternative for you!

Discover the best Smartling alternative
Taia logo

Taia is an AI-first online translation tool designed for teams and individuals who want either instant AI translations of full documents, or want a partner to cover their translations workflows in full, using both AI and human translators. Taia offers integrated translation memory and glossaries, a built-in CAT tool, context-aware AI that learns on your (and only your) translations, and encrypted cloud storage. This will help you translate up to 3 times faster than before while keeping your files secure at all times.

Smartling logo
Smartling is a translation management system offering various translation solutions. It provides its own CAT tool that helps businesses translate in the cloud. With a number of features, it helps you speak the language of your customers and it allows you to choose between self-service and professional translation projects.

Comparing Taia and Smartling

It’s time to get ahead of your competition and start translating up to 3 times faster with Taia. Read on and discover why Taia is the best Smartling alternative for you!

Feature
Taia Logo
Smartling
Translation type
AI-powered translation with optional professional human review (ISO-certified)
Cloud-based translation management platform with integrated MT and professional human translation services
Supported languages
189+
150+
File support
65+ file formats (DOCX, PPTX, PDF, XLSX, JSON, etc.)
Broad file support for websites, software, documents, and multimedia
Customization
Built-in glossary & translation memory (in paid plans)
Translation memory, glossary, style guides, and visual context tools
Turnaround time
Instant full-document AI translation: seconds; human: within 24h–48h for ≤3,500 words
Dependent on MT provider or human translator availability
Quality tiers
AI-only, AI+human, full human TEP (translation, editing, proofreading)
MT-only, MT+human review, or full human translation
Best for
Businesses needing fast, scalable, and consistent translations across multiple formats & industries, with in-house control when needed
Enterprises managing large-scale, continuous localization projects with integrated workflows
Pricing model
Subscription-based for AI and in-house, project-based for professional services; reduced rates for repeated content
Subscription-based platform pricing plus additional costs for MT and human translation services
Translation Type
Taia:
AI-powered translation with optional professional human review (ISO-certified)
Smartling:
Cloud-based translation management platform with integrated MT and professional human translation services
Supported Languages
Taia:
189+
Smartling:
150+
File Support
Taia:
65+ file formats (DOCX, PPTX, PDF, XLSX, JSON, etc.)
Smartling:
Broad file support for websites, software, documents, and multimedia
Customization
Taia:
Built-in glossary & translation memory (in paid plans)
Smartling:
Translation memory, glossary, style guides, and visual context tools
Turnaround Time
Taia:
Instant full-document AI translation: seconds; human: within 24h–48h for ≤3,500 words
Smartling:
Dependent on MT provider or human translator availability
Quality Tiers
Taia:
AI-only, AI+human, full human TEP (translation, editing, proofreading)
Smartling:
MT-only, MT+human review, or full human translation
Best For
Taia:
Businesses needing fast, scalable, and consistent translations across multiple formats & industries, with in-house control when needed
Smartling:
Enterprises managing large-scale, continuous localization projects with integrated workflows
Pricing Model
Taia:
Subscription-based for AI and in-house, project-based for professional services; reduced rates for repeated content
Smartling:
Subscription-based platform pricing plus additional costs for MT and human translation services

I have been using Taia as an individual. Some sentences are already fully translated, while others need just minor corrections. The translation takes half the time compared to before.

Ana Višković Jureč, Web shop manager @Mali Zakladi
Ana V. J., Web Shop Manager at Mali Zakladi

Why Taia is the best Smartling alternative

We offer a wide array of services to help you exceed your business potential.
Improve your results with Taia

Security of the highest standard

When translating with Taia, your files are safely stored in encrypted cloud storage. We have developed the highest security standards possible to prevent any chance of data leakage. Only you and your team members have access to your files.

Taia operates under strict EU data protection policies, making security the #1 priority.

Improve your results with Taia
Taia translation

Quick and easy file handling

Taia supports 65 different file types and lets you upload documents of up to 150 MB. No matter the size or document type, your files will stay intact.

Upload your files, translate them and use them as soon as the translation is done. No reformatting or redesigning, just winning content!

Taia translation
Taia translations file handling

Transparency with no hidden costs

Your time is expensive, and we get that. When using Taia, our interactive PM dashboard allows you to stay on top of your projects at all times.

Keep a constant overview of translation quality and price projection without any hidden costs. Give it a go right now, it’s free!

Taia translations file handling
translation tool

Take Taia for a test ride!

And see for yourself how much time can you save.

Taia’s translation tool significantly speeds up my translation process and makes it easier. It is very user-friendly and clearly structured. It catapults you towards better, faster and high-quality translations.

Tina Lovka, translator & proofreader @Medis

Frequently asked questions

If you’re looking for the best Smartling alternative, Taia should be at the top of your list. Taia combines AI-powered translation with professional human review, offering a scalable solution for businesses that need both speed and accuracy. Unlike Smartling, Taia supports 189 languages, 65+ file types, translation memory, and glossaries all in one place—without forcing you into long-term enterprise contracts.

Other Smartling alternatives include Lokalise, Phrase, Crowdin, and memoQ, but Taia is unique in its ability to handle full-document uploads instantly while also providing a seamless upgrade path to ISO-certified human translators.

Smartling and Lokalise are both strong localization platforms. Smartling focuses on enterprise workflows and automation, while Lokalise is popular among app developers for its UI and integrations. The downside of both tools is that they often require developer-heavy setup and can be expensive for smaller teams.

Taia, on the other hand, offers a lighter, more flexible platform—you can translate entire documents or projects instantly, and only pay for what you use. For teams that want less complexity and faster onboarding, Taia is the more practical choice.

Beyond Taia, some of the most common Smartling alternatives are:

  • Lokalise – good for app and software developers

  • Phrase – strong in localization workflows and integrations

  • Crowdin – popular with open-source and continuous localization projects

  • memoQ – a desktop CAT tool often used by professional translators

The key difference is that Taia combines the power of AI with enterprise-grade human review, meaning you don’t have to choose between affordability and quality.

Smartling does not publish transparent pricing, but it is generally considered one of the more expensive enterprise localization platforms. Plans often require custom quotes and long-term commitments.

By comparison, Taia offers clear and affordable pricing starting at $45 per month for professional use—making it far more accessible for small and mid-sized teams that don’t want enterprise-level overheads.

Smartling uses AI to automate parts of the localization process, such as machine translation suggestions and workflow routing. While helpful, it still requires significant human oversight and is not optimized for direct document translation at scale.

Taia’s AI approach is different: it’s built around document-first workflows with the ability to preserve formatting, apply glossaries, and store every translation in memory for future reuse. This makes Taia’s AI not just faster, but also more cost-efficient and consistent over time.

Smartling is a well-established TMS for large organizations, but it’s not the only option. Competitors include Taia, Phrase, Crowdin, Lokalise, and Transifex. Taia stands out for enterprises that want both scalability and flexibility: it combines AI document translation with human-in-the-loop editing, ISO-certified quality tiers, and powerful translation memory to cut costs across global teams. While Smartling is strong in integrations and workflows, Taia offers a simpler, more cost-effective path to enterprise-grade localization.

Accuracy in a TMS depends less on the platform itself and more on the translation engines, memory, and human review behind it. Many systems, including Smartling, rely on third-party machine translation. Taia is often considered more accurate for business-critical content because it pairs adaptive AI translation with translation memory and optional human revision. This ensures both speed and consistency—especially for legal, technical, and marketing documents where accuracy can’t be compromised.

Cross-team collaboration requires a TMS that balances automation with visibility. Taia allows project managers, reviewers, and translators to collaborate in one workspace, with built-in CAT tools, shared translation memory, and real-time progress tracking. Smartling also supports multi-team workflows, but it’s geared toward larger enterprises with more complex setups. For companies that need collaboration without the overhead, Taia is often the better fit.

Yes, Smartling has translation memory to store and reuse content across projects. However, Taia’s translation memory is built to be more cost-efficient and adaptive: it automatically reduces repeat translation costs, learns from past projects, and applies consistent terminology across all file types. This helps businesses avoid paying multiple times for the same content while maintaining brand consistency.

Smartling offers integrations with popular developer tools like GitHub, GitLab, and content management systems. Taia also supports API-driven integrations for continuous localization, making it easy for developers to automate translation requests directly from their code or content workflows. The difference is that Taia provides enterprise-level integrations without the steep pricing of legacy platforms.