Locize vs. Crowdin:Live Infrastructure vs. File Management
Crowdin is a robust project management tool for files.
But in a modern CI/CD world, files are the bottleneck. Locize replaces manual syncs with a live, global infrastructure built for the speed of modern development.
Native CI/CD vs. Manual Sync
Crowdin requires you to manage the "sync" between your code and their platform. Locize removes the middleman.
- File-Centric: You upload files, wait for translation, and download them back.
- Sync Friction: Requires CLI scripts or GitHub Actions to pull translations into your repo.
- Deployment Lag: Translations are only updated when you redeploy your application.
- Backend-Centric: Locize acts as a live translation API/Backend for your app.
- Zero-Sync: New translations are published to the Locize CDN instantly.
- Hot-Reloading: Fix a typo in the Locize UI and see it live in your app without a code change.
Pricing: Same Word Model, Different Value
Both Locize and Crowdin count hosted words the same way: source words multiplied by the number of target languages. This makes them directly comparable.
The key difference: Locize includes CDN delivery in every plan. Crowdin is a file management tool — to get over-the-air delivery comparable to Locize's built-in CDN, you need Crowdin's separate OTA SDK, which adds MAU-based costs on top.
With Locize, a mid-size project (e.g. 5,000 source words across 10 languages = 50,000 hosted words) fits in the Growth plan at $49/month — including 5 million CDN downloads, branches, tenants, review workflow, glossary, and styleguide. At 20 languages (100,000 hosted words), the Professional plan at $99/month includes 7 million CDN downloads and BYOK AI.
No MAU fees, no seat-based pricing, no separate CDN charges. Your cost scales with the content you store — not the number of users who access it. Prefer flexibility? A usage-based plan starting at $5/month is also available.
AI Translation Infrastructure
Both platforms support machine translation. Locize goes further with integrated AI infrastructure: bring your own OpenAI, Gemini, or Mistral key (BYOK), or use the built-in Locize AI service. A styleguide and glossary feed context into every AI translation automatically.
The Locize MCP server connects AI coding assistants (Claude, Cursor, VS Code) directly to your translation projects — 22 tools for managing translations without leaving your IDE. Why not just use AI? →