AI Translation Tools Comparison 2026: DeepL, Google Translate, Mirai Translation and 7 More (Pricing & Free Plans)

When choosing an AI translation tool, there are many factors to compare, such as pricing structures, the availability of a free plan, and the depth of Japanese support. The optimal service also varies significantly depending on whether your primary use case is text-based or video localization.

This article provides a complete comparison of 10 major tools, including DeepL, Google Translate, and Mirai Translation. Based on AIpedia data (as of November 2026), we outline each tool's pricing, free plan availability, Japanese support, platforms, strengths and things to note. Please check the official website for the latest pricing and features.

We also recommend tools for specific use cases and explain how to choose without regrets. We have compiled key information you should know before implementation, so please use it as a reference.

What Are AI Translation Tools? What They Can Do and What to Know Before Choosing

AI translation tools go beyond simple word substitution. They produce natural expressions by considering context and politeness levels. Beyond text, many tools can translate document files like PDFs and Word documents while preserving formatting. Others offer browser extensions that translate entire web pages. Additionally, some tools convert live meeting audio into real-time subtitles or even handle video dubbing.

• Translating files such as business documents and contracts
• Multilingual support for websites and blog posts
• Support for online meetings and in-person conversations
• Creating subtitles or dubbing audio for video content
• Maintaining consistent terminology using internal glossaries

When choosing a tool, first check the free usage limits. For example, DeepL allows up to 50,000 characters/month, and Google Translate offers basic features for free. However, file translation may have size or page count limits. Also, whether input data is used for AI training varies by tool. It is important to verify the policy on handling confidential information in advance.

The number of supported languages and platforms are also key comparison points. Mirai Translation and PLaMo Translation state that they process translations on servers within Japan, making them options if you want to keep data out of foreign countries. On the other hand, tools specialized for specific uses, such as Weglot or Rask AI, may have pricing in euros or US dollars. The best option depends on whether you are an individual or a business user, and whether you use a web browser or an app. Evaluate your options against your company's workflow.

Comparison of 10 Major Tools (Pricing, Japanese Support, Platforms)

Tool	AIpedia rating	Main plans	Japanese support	Platforms
DeepL	4.6	Free ¥0 (50,000 characters/month, 1 file translation/month, up to 5MB) / Individual ¥1,150/month (annual billing. Monthly billing is ¥1,380) / Team ¥3,750/user/month (annual billing. Monthly billing is ¥4,500)	Supported	Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, and others
Google Translate	4.2	Free (website, Android/iOS apps) / API for system integration is a separate service, Google Cloud Translation (pay-as-you-go, USD)	Supported	Web, Android, iOS
Mirai Translate	4.3	Plus Free ¥0 (up to 5,000 characters for text translation, daily character limit applies, 1 file translation/month) / Plus Starter ¥495/user/month (annual billing. Monthly billing is ¥550)	Supported	Web, Chrome extension (website translation for Plus paid plans), iPhone, iPad (listening assistant), API (API service)
PLaMo Translate	4.2	Free ¥0 / Lite ¥1,180/month (excl. tax, incl. tax ¥1,298) / Pro ¥2,980/month (excl. tax)	Supported	Web, Windows (desktop app), macOS (desktop app), Chrome, Edge extensions, and others
Yaraku Translate (formerly Yaraku Zen)	—	Demo use ¥0 (2,000 characters per session, 20,000 characters/month) / Free member ¥0 (5,000 characters per session, 50,000 characters/month)	Supported	Web (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge), API (paid option)
Papago	4.2	Papago Free / Papago Plus Basic $9.99/month / Plus Standard $29.99/user/month	Supported	Web, iOS, Android (Papago Plus app), Windows, Mac (Papago Plus PC app), Chrome extension (Papago Plus)
Weglot	4.2	Free €0 (2,000 words, 1 language) / Starter €15/month (10,000 words, 1 language) / Business €29/month (50,000 words, 3 languages)	Partial support	Web (admin panel), WordPress, Shopify, Wix, and others
Rask AI	4.3	Free trial $0 (3 minutes) / Creator $39/month (25 minutes/month) / Creator Pro $99/month (100 minutes/month)	Partial support	Web, API
Phrase TMS	4.1	For translators and translation companies: Freelancer $27/month (annual billing, 1 TMS seat), Professional $525/month (annual billing) / For businesses: Team $1,245/month (annual billing)	Partial support	Web, CAT desktop editor (Windows, macOS, Ubuntu. In maintenance mode since October 2025), API
Amazon Translate	4	Pay-as-you-go (USD): Standard text translation $15/1 million characters / Batch document translation $15/1 million characters / Real-time document translation: Text, HTML $15/1 million characters, DOCX $30/1 million characters	Supported	AWS Management Console, API, AWS SDK, AWS CLI

Ratings are out of 5 points, assigned by the AIpedia editorial team. “—” indicates tools that do not yet have an individual page on AIpedia. Pricing and plans may change. Please check the official website of each tool for the latest information before signing a contract.

Features, Pricing, and Best Use Cases for 10 Tools

1. DeepL

DeepL is an AI translation service that translates text and document files. The official website states that it supports over 100 languages. A key feature is its ability to translate files such as PDFs and Word documents while preserving their formatting.

• Strengths: Pricing for Japan is displayed in JPY, tax included. The Individual plan starts at ¥1,150/month with annual billing.
• Strengths: For the paid DeepL Pro version, it is officially stated that translation data is not used to train AI models.
• Strengths: It is available on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Mac, smartphones, and browsers.
• Things to note: The free plan has limits of 50,000 characters per month and one file translation per month.
• Things to note: Text submitted via the free plan may be used for AI training or improvement.

Pricing: Free plan ¥0 (50,000 characters/month, 1 file translation/month, up to 5MB) / Individual ¥1,150/month (annual billing. Monthly billing is ¥1,380) / Team ¥3,750/user/month (annual billing. Monthly billing is ¥4,500) / Business ¥7,500/user/month (annual billing. Monthly billing is ¥9,000) / Enterprise (contact sales). Prices shown for Japan, tax included; Individual and Team include a 30-day free trial

Best for: Those who want to translate document files while preserving formatting, or who prefer paid plans that handle data with care.

View detailed features, pricing, and FAQ for DeepL

2. Google Translate

Google Translate is a versatile translation service provided by Google for free. It supports not only text but also documents, websites, images, and audio. According to an official blog post from April 2026, it supports nearly 250 languages and over 60,000 language pairs, which is a major feature.

• Strengths: It can be used for free on both web browsers and smartphone apps. The desktop version conveniently allows translating up to four file types, including Word and PDF, up to 10MB.
• Strengths: It offers features useful for travel or face-to-face conversations, such as camera translation and conversation mode. Starting in March 2026, live translation using headphones became available in Japan.
• Things to note: Document translation has limits of 10MB file size and 300 pages for PDFs. Additionally, integrating into your own systems requires using a separate service, Google Cloud Translation, which operates on a pay-as-you-go basis.
• Things to note: We could not find an official explanation specific to Google Translate regarding the storage or use of input text for learning purposes. Please avoid entering confidential information.

Pricing: Free (Website, Android/iOS apps) / API for system integration is a separate service, Google Cloud Translation (pay-as-you-go, USD)

Best for: Those who want to check multilingual support for free, or who are looking for a handy tool for conversations or reading documents while traveling. However, when handling business documents, be mindful of file limits and how input data is handled. Please check the official website for the latest usage status.

View detailed features, pricing, and FAQ for Google Translate

3. Mirai Translation

Mirai Translation is a business-oriented AI translation service provided by Mirai Translation Co., Ltd. It offers two product lines: "Mirai Translation Plus" for individuals and teams, and "Mirai Translation FLaT" for organizations. In addition to translating text and files, it allows the use of models tailored to specialized fields.

• Strengths: It is stated that input data is not reused for secondary purposes, even on the free plan, and is deleted from the server upon completion of translation.
• Strengths: FLaT allows selection of specialized models for legal, financial, and patent fields, with no limits on the number of IDs or translation volume.
• Things to note: Supported languages are 14 for Plus and Japanese plus 20 languages for FLaT; other languages are not supported.
• Things to note: FLaT starts at ¥250,000/month, which is expensive, so a comparison with Plus is necessary for use by small teams.

Pricing: Plus Free ¥0 (up to 5,000 characters for text translation, daily character limit applies, 1 file translation per month) / Plus Starter ¥495/user/month (annual billing. Monthly billing is ¥550) / Plus Standard ¥2,475/user/month (annual billing. Monthly billing is ¥2,970) / Plus Premium ¥4,950/user/month (annual billing. Monthly billing is ¥5,940) / FLaT (for organizations) ¥250,000+/month

Best for: Individuals and teams who prioritize data security, as well as organizations that need translation of specialized documents.

View detailed features, pricing, and FAQ for Mirai Translate

4. PLaMo Translation

PLaMo Translation is an AI translation service developed by Preferred Networks that utilizes the domestic large language model "PLaMo." With the October 2026 update, it transitioned to the third-generation model and expanded supported languages to 53. It supports bidirectional translation between Japanese or English.

• Strengths: It is stated that data processing and storage are performed exclusively on servers within Japan.
• Strengths: It features a function to join online meetings such as Zoom or Google Meet with a translation bot, allowing real-time translation of speech.
• Things to note: Input and output data from the free plan may be used for developing new services or learning and improving AI models.

Pricing: Free ¥0 / Lite ¥1,180/month (excl. tax, incl. tax ¥1,298) / Pro ¥2,980/month (excl. tax) / Lite Team ¥2,380/person/month (excl. tax) / Pro Team ¥3,980/person/month (excl. tax) / Enterprise (contact sales). All prices are standard monthly rates; annual billing is 16.7% off, and campaign prices apply until November 30, 2026

Best for: Those who prioritize data processing on domestic servers, or those who need real-time translation in online meetings. A reassuring factor is that input and output data are not used for learning in paid plans.

View detailed features, pricing, and FAQ for PLaMo Translation

5. Yaraku Translation (formerly Yaraku Zen)

Yaraku Translation (formerly Yaraku Zen) is an AI translation workspace provided by Yaraku Co., Ltd. In addition to its proprietary "Yaraku Engine 5," it allows switching between multiple translation engines such as ChatGPT and DeepL. It functions as a CAT tool that handles everything from automatic translation to file translation and glossary management in a single screen.

• Strengths: Even free members can translate up to 50,000 characters per month (5,000 characters per instance), making it suitable for those who want to try it first.
• Strengths: With the Premium plan or higher, multiple generative AIs and machine translation engines can be used interchangeably depending on the situation.
• Things to note: To use the DeepL engine, a separate subscription to DeepL Pro's Team or Business plan is required.
• Things to note: The only translation engine available for free members is Yaraku Engine 5.

Pricing: Demo use ¥0 (2,000 characters per session, 20,000 characters/month) / Free member ¥0 (5,000 characters per session, 50,000 characters/month) / Premium ¥2,480/30 days (monthly billing, tax excluded; ¥2,728 tax included), annual billing ¥23,760/year (tax excluded; ¥26,136 tax included) / Company from ¥13,000/month (tax excluded. Same price for 1–5 users; ¥20,282/month for 10 users) / Enterprise (quote required; initial fee from ¥100,000)

Best for: Individuals who want to compare multiple translation engines to check quality, and businesses that want to efficiently advance translation work by sharing glossaries within a team.

6. Papago

Papago is an AI translation service provided by NAVER in South Korea. It supports translation of text, images, files, audio, and websites. In addition to the free version, you can use the paid version "Papago Plus," which offers expanded features.

• Strengths: The free version allows file translation (20 per month) and image translation (30 per month). Plus Basic is $9.99/month, making text translation unlimited.
• Strengths: Standard and above plans support team management for up to 100 people and glossary sharing. PC apps and Chrome extensions are also provided.
• Things to note: Pricing is displayed in US dollars, and prices in Japanese yen are not listed. The free version and Papago Plus do not have account compatibility; a new registration is required for Plus.
• Things to note: The free version states that "if you agree to use learning data, your data will be utilized." Please note that if you agree, your input content may be used.

Pricing: Papago Free / Papago Plus Basic $9.99/month / Plus Standard $29.99/user/month / Plus Advanced $55.99/user/month / Business plan for 100+ users (contact sales). Prices in USD, billed monthly; annual billing is 15% off, and Basic and Standard include a one-month free trial for new users

Best for: Individuals who want to translate various formats, or small teams that want to work while sharing glossaries. However, you need to consider the effort of account migration and check data usage terms.

View detailed features, pricing, and FAQ for Papago

7. Weglot

Weglot is a service that multilingualizes existing websites. It automatically translates using machine translation, allowing you to edit translations with a visual editor before publishing. It supports over 110 languages, including Japanese.

• Strengths: Automatically switches between engines like DeepL and Google Translate based on the language pair.
• Strengths: Integrates with major site-building tools such as WordPress and Shopify.
• Things to note: Pricing is in Euros, tax excluded, and prices in Japanese yen are not displayed.
• Things to note: Support is provided only in English and French.

Pricing: Free €0 (2,000 words, 1 language) / Starter €15/month (10,000 words, 1 language) / Business €29/month (50,000 words, 3 languages) / Pro €79/month (200,000 words, 5 languages) / Advanced €299/month (1,000,000 words, 10 languages) / Extended €699/month (5,000,000 words, 20 languages) / Enterprise (contact sales). Prices in EUR, excluding tax; annual billing gives 2 months free, and each paid plan includes a 14-day free trial

Best for: People who want to multilingualize existing websites. For small sites up to 2,000 words, you can continue using the free plan. However, note that support is available only in English and French.

View detailed features, pricing, and FAQ for Weglot

8. Rask AI

Rask AI is an AI video localization service that translates and dubs videos or audio into other languages. It handles transcription, translation, and voice generation in one workflow. It supports translation into more than 130 languages.

• Strengths: Voice cloning, which reproduces the speaker's voice, is available in 57 languages, including Japanese.
• Strengths: Billing is based on the duration of the finished video, so there are no additional fees for re-dubbing segments.
• Strengths: The 3-minute free trial can be used without a credit card.
• Things to note: Pricing is in US dollars, with no prices listed in Japanese yen.
• Things to note: With monthly billing, unused minutes do not roll over to the next month.

Pricing: Free trial $0 (3 minutes) / Creator $39/month (25 minutes/month) / Creator Pro $99/month (100 minutes/month) / Business $249/month (250 minutes/month) / Enterprise (contact sales). Annual billing: Creator $329/year, Creator Pro $799/year, Business $1,999/year.

Best for: Those considering multilingual expansion of video content, or those who want to dub existing videos into other languages. It is also suitable for cases requiring Japanese dubbing or voice cloning.

9. Phrase TMS

Phrase TMS is a cloud-based translation management system (TMS) provided by Phrase. It allows you to manage translation project progress, translation memory, machine translation, and quality assessment while collaborating with translators inside and outside your organization. Formerly known as Memsource, it was integrated into the Phrase brand in September 2022.

• Strengths: You can manage collaboration with translation companies and internal or external translators on a single platform.
• Strengths: Phrase Language AI selects the appropriate machine translation engine based on context.
• Strengths: Its proprietary machine translation, NextMT, is officially stated to not use customer data for training.
• Things to note: The Team plan for businesses starts at $1,245/month (annual billing), and pricing is in foreign currencies such as US dollars.
• Things to note: Some AI features, such as Quality Score (QPS), are officially stated to train and retrain using customer content.

Pricing: For translators and translation companies: Freelancer $27/month (annual billing, 1 TMS seat) / Professional $525/month (annual billing). For businesses: Team $1,245/month (annual billing) / Business & Enterprise (contact sales). Prices in USD (also shown in EUR, GBP and CZK); 14-day free trial

Best for: Companies that want to centralize translation project management, or those who want to work with translation companies. It is also worth considering for those who want to use machine translation features that handle data with care.

View detailed features, pricing, and FAQ for Phrase TMS

10. Amazon Translate

Amazon Translate is a neural machine translation API service provided by AWS. It supports text translation in 75 languages and batch translation of documents such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. It uses a pay-as-you-go model based on the number of characters used, allowing for small-scale adoption.

• Strengths: You are charged only for what you use, making cost management easy. You can also specify the Japanese politeness level as either formal or casual.
• Strengths: Supports batch processing to translate large volumes of documents via S3. You can also adjust translation methods using custom terminology and parallel data.
• Things to note: Requires configuration of AWS accounts, IAM, and more, making it a service for developers. Real-time document translation is limited to English combinations.
• Things to note: Input text may be used to improve service quality. To exclude this, you must set an opt-out policy in AWS Organizations.

Pricing: Standard text translation and batch document translation cost $15 per 1 million characters. Real-time document translation for DOCX is $30, and Active Custom Translation is $60. There is a free tier of 2 million characters per month for 12 months for standard and batch translation, and 500,000 characters per month for 2 months for Active Custom Translation.

Best for: Businesses using the AWS environment or developers who want to integrate translation features into their own systems via API. Ideal for processing large volumes of documents in bulk or strictly managing the translation of specific terms. Please check the official website for the latest pricing and features.

View detailed features, pricing, and FAQ for Amazon Translate

Recommendations by Goal

Goal	Recommended	Reason
Try it for free first	Google Translate, Papago	Both offer basic text translation for free. Papago also allows file translation (20 per month) and image translation (30 per month) on its free plan.
Translate Japanese business documents	Mirai Translation, PLaMo Translation	Both state that they process data on servers within Japan. Mirai Translation also features business-specific functions, such as legal and financial models.
Share it with your team	DeepL, Phrase TMS	DeepL allows the use of glossaries, custom rules, and team management on plans above Team. Phrase TMS centralizes translation project progress management and vendor management.
Use it via API as a developer	Amazon Translate, Rask AI	Amazon Translate provides a pay-as-you-go text translation API. Rask AI offers video and audio localization via API.
Make your website multilingual	Weglot	This service is specialized for websites, automatically translating existing sites and allowing you to edit translations using a visual editor before publishing.
Translate meetings or speech in real time	PLaMo Translation, Google Translate	PLaMo Translation offers real-time translation of speech in Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings on paid plans. Google Translate supports conversation mode and live translation with headphones.
Dub videos into other languages	Rask AI	It handles transcription, translation, and dubbing all in one. It can reproduce the speaker's voice in 57 languages, including Japanese.
Compare multiple translation engines	Yaraku Translation (formerly Yaraku Zen)	You can switch between and compare multiple translation engines, such as ChatGPT and DeepL, on a single screen.

Pricing varies by tool in terms of currency and billing units. Please check the latest pricing on the official website before implementation. Additionally, data usage policies and privacy policies differ by tool, so you need to compare them according to your internal regulations.

How to Choose Without Regrets

Does the pricing model fit your goals?

Billing methods vary by tool. DeepL and Mirai Translation use per-user monthly subscriptions, while Amazon Translate uses pay-as-you-go billing based on character count.

Pay-as-you-go is suitable for small volumes of translation. However, if you use it heavily every day, a fixed-cost plan may make cost management easier.

Free tier limitations

The scope of free usage differs by tool. DeepL allows up to 50,000 characters per month, while Mirai Translation Plus has daily character limits.

Also, the free version of Papago asks for your consent to use your input as training data. It is important to check data usage terms before using the service.

Japanese support and quality

Japanese translation quality varies by tool. Amazon Translate allows you to specify polite or casual expressions, but Weglot's customer support is available only in English and French.

If you do not want your data sent overseas, services that process data on servers within Japan, such as Mirai Translation or PLaMo Translation, are options to consider.

Breadth of supported platforms

You need to choose based on the devices you want to use. PLaMo Translation supports desktop apps for Windows and Mac, while Rask AI is available only via Web and API.

If you need real-time translation during meetings, PLaMo Translation (paid plan) is a candidate, as it can translate Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings. For face-to-face conversations, you can also use Google Translate’s conversation mode or live translation.

For individuals or for businesses?

The optimal tool changes depending on the scale of use. Papago is for individuals and teams up to 100 people, while Phrase TMS is a system for businesses that manages collaboration with translation companies.

If using it as a team, check whether you can share glossaries, as with Papago Plus (Standard or higher), or whether there are plans with unlimited IDs and translation volume, as with Mirai Translation FLaT.

FAQ

Q. What are the limitations of free AI translation tools?

DeepL's free version is limited to 50,000 characters per month and one file translation per month (up to 5MB). Google Translate has limits of 10MB for document translations and under 300 pages for PDFs. With Papago's free version, if you consent to the use of learning data, your input may be used.

Q. Are there any notable points regarding Japanese translation quality or support?

DeepL and Google Translate support Japanese and are available for many language pairs. Mirai Translation supports 14 languages with the Plus plan, while FLaT supports Japanese and 20 other languages. Amazon Translate supports 75 languages and allows specifying polite or casual expressions in Japanese.

Q. How do the pricing structures of paid plans differ?

DeepL Individual is available from ¥1,150/month with annual billing. Mirai Translation Plus Starter costs ¥495/month per user with annual billing. Papago Plus Basic is $9.99/month, and Weglot Starter is €15/month. Note that currencies and billing units vary by tool.

Q. How is data security ensured for business use?

DeepL Pro explicitly states that translation data is not used to train AI models. Mirai Translation Plus explains that input data is not reused and is deleted from servers. The official FAQ for PLaMo Translation's paid plans states that input and output data are not used for learning and are discarded immediately.

Q. Are there tools that support video or audio translation?

Rask AI supports video and audio translation and dubbing into over 130 languages. Voice cloning is possible in 57 languages, including Japanese. Google Translate features a conversation mode and live translation function, making it suitable for face-to-face conversations.

Summary

This article compared 10 AI translation tools, including DeepL and Google Translate. Each tool differs in scope, covering not only text and document file translation but also web site and video localization, as well as management features for organizations.

Pricing models vary widely, ranging from free options to usage-based billing and foreign currency pricing. We also confirmed differences in privacy aspects, such as data storage locations and whether data is used for training. When adopting a tool, it is important to determine if it fits your company's goals and budget.

• Everyday text translation: Google Translate (supports many languages for free and is easy to try)
• Business document translation: DeepL (translates while preserving PDF or Word formatting; the paid version does not use translation data for training)
• Video or audio dubbing: Rask AI (supports voice cloning in multiple languages, including Japanese)

View all AI translation tools (14 items)