Companies looking to expand overseas really need a website that works in multiple languages – and that’s why translation is such an important part of any localisation strategy. Quality translation is vital when it comes to building reputations in new markets. It’s essential to SEO too.
Ideally, businesses should enlist the help of a native speaker to ensure that their translation is both engaging and authentic. But WordPress plugins like Weglot and WPML can be invaluable when it comes to simplifying what can be quite the mammoth task.
In this article, we’ll explain how two of the most popular WordPress translation plugins work, and talk you through some of the pros and cons of each one. Don’t hesitate to contact our multilingual SEO agency if you need more help.
What is Weglot?
Weglot is a WordPress plugin that’s really grown in popularity recently. The plugin enables website owners to translate content into 110 different languages, and it works seamlessly with a range of widely used platforms, such as Bigcommerce, Wix and Shopify.
Weglot is a great translation tool because not only does it allow for easy editing, it’s also built with WordPress themes and other plugins in mind. That means that its use won’t disrupt any layouts already on the site, and site functionality won’t be impacted in any way.
If you’re looking for an accessible and user-friendly tool, Weglot may well fit the bill. It automatically detects any content on a page and translates it within seconds. This allows site owners to get a multilingual site up and running instantly.
There’s no need to learn any code before using Weglot. The in-built visual edits allow site owners to see how the site will look (and make any necessary edits) before launch. It also comes with a user-friendly interface, where you can set up multilingual SEO metadata.
What is WPML?
WPML is another highly effective translation tool for WordPress. The plugin allows site users to translate posts, custom types, taxonomy, menus and theme texts at the touch of a button. It works with every other WordPress theme and plugin.
Automated translation is provided via AI, Google, DeepL and Microsoft, with a stated 90% accuracy. Businesses then need to go through any provided translations to check for accuracy and ensure the tone is right. Translations can be edited easily via the interface.
WPML can be connected to other professional translation services where required. Jobs can be assigned to hired translators using the interface too.
The WPML interface allows site owners to easily set SEO meta information for translations and link translations together. Businesses can therefore ensure that sitemaps always include the right pages and pass Google Webmaster’s validation.
Full support is provided to businesses using WPML. The development team also continuously tests new themes and plugins as they’re launched, to ensure that the tool remains compatible.
Weglot vs. WPML: Comparing Features
Weglot and WPML both come with a good range of different features, all designed to make multilingual site creation quicker and easier than ever before. Let’s take a look at the key features of the two translation tools to see how they compare.
The Dashboard
WPML and Weglot both offer a fairly comprehensive interface, but Weglot appears simpler and is easier to get to grips with quickly. With Weglot, the focus is clearly on usability, and this shines through when exploring the interface for the first time. The visual editor is a convenient and accessible tool that makes editing translations as simple as can be.
The interface offered by WPML is cohesive, and it works perfectly with the WordPress dashboard. It’s more complicated than Weglot’s interface, but it also offers greater depth and more advanced options for customisation. In terms of style it’s far more traditional; it does look quite outdated when compared to Weglot’s more modern design.
Choice of Languages
Weglot comes out on top in this category, offering a whopping 110 different languages for site owners to choose from. WPML comes with 65 supported languages. Custom languages can be added to WPML, however.
The number of available languages on Weglot is certainly impressive, but all of the most commonly used languages are offered by both plugins, so unless you’re targeting markets with particularly rare languages it’s likely that Weglot and WPML will both have all the languages you need set up and ready to go.
Quality of translation
WMPL works with other translation services, making it easier to integrate custom translations and partner with professionals using the plugin. It’s also simpler to control the quality of the translation provided using this plugin, because it allows site owners to assign translators to review content via the interface.
Weglot uses machine translation only, so all content must be checked for accuracy and edited as necessary before launch. However, it does make editing simple so as long as you have a native speaker on hand to check the provided content, it’s perfectly possible to achieve good quality translations using the tool.
Technical SEO:
All translations should be checked from an SEO point of view before a multilingual site goes live. Both WPML and Weglot offer features that can help with this, but they work in slightly different ways.
Weglot generates translated hreflang tags automatically. These are essential for regional targeting purposes. It also allows search engines to see the different versions of your site, so that users can be sent straight to a version in their preferred language.
WPML comes with a good number of SEO features included. It allows you to create separate URLs and subdomains for different language versions, making it easier to target specific regions. Its interface also allows for automatic hreflang tag generation, helping to optimise different versions of a site.
WPML works with Yoast SEO, another widely used WordPress SEO plugin, so if you’re already using Yoast this could be a better option for your site. The plugin enables site owners to customise everything from meta descriptions and page titles to URL slugs in their chosen language versions – and it’s all remarkably simple to do.
It’s worth noting that the quality of translations provided by both plugins can also have an impact on SEO, which is another reason why it’s so important that translations are checked thoroughly before any new sites go live. A poor quality translation can really affect rankings, however much effort you put into multilingual SEO strategies.
Language Switching
WPML comes with a wealth of different language switching options, allowing for plenty of choice when it comes to choosing how languages should be displayed on multilingual sites. Styles on offer include dropdown menus, custom HTML and flags.
Weglot doesn’t have quite as many options, but it does make language switching simple – with no prior coding experience required. Sites that use Weglot can therefore allow visitors to switch between languages quite easily.
Weglot vs. WPML: Cost Comparison
Cost will be an important consideration for any business. Both WPML and Weglot offer a range of different subscription options, to suit companies of different sizes – and budgets.
WPML offers three different pricing plans, all of which include support and updates for a year. There’s no free trial option available, however all plans do come with a 30 day money-back guarantee.
In addition to its monthly plan prices, WPML subscribers need to pay for automatic translation using the plugin’s translation credits. Translating each word to each language costs:
- 2 credits with Google
- 2 credits with DeepL
- 1 credit with Azure
- 4 credits with WPML AI (beta)
Weglot offers a wider range of different pricing plans, starting with a free plan which is ideal for those wanting to get to know the plugin before they commit to a subscription.
The Weglot pro plan costs €79/month and includes 200,000 words, five translated languages, team members and translated URLs. There are no pay as you go options and no need to purchase translation credits on Weglot, so it’s simpler for companies to calculate costs and budget accordingly.
Plugins like Weglot and WPML are well known for the quality of the translation services they can offer, and the range of features available through these tools really are invaluable for multilingual sites. But we always recommend that companies exercise caution when using any automated translation tool. Any translations created via tools like these should be thoroughly checked by a native speaker, who will be able to offer advice on cultural nuances and tone that automated plugins aren’t yet smart enough to pick up on.
