Want the best DeepL alternative for your company in 2023? You’re in luck—plenty of alternatives to DeepL Pro are available. While DeepL is a popular CAT tool (particularly among Europeans), there are several reasons you might be searching for DeepL alternatives for enterprise use.

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However, you must consider the fact that all premium CAT software is a significant investment. 

You should get clear on why exactly you’re looking for a better alternative to DeepL. That way, you don’t adopt another platform that presents the same challenges you encountered with your original software.

We’re here to help you do just that!

In this post, you’ll explore various DeepL drawbacks and user-specific needs you might identify with. As a result, you can conclude whether alternatives to DeepL could fill these gaps. This will equip you to find the best tool for your needs. 

You’ll also see a recommendation for the best DeepL alternative at the bottom of this post.

10 Reasons to Adopt a DeepL Alternative

1. Larger File Size Allowance with a DeepL Alternative

One of the top reasons you might seek a DeepL alternative is the 10MB file size limit. If you want to upload a file for translation in DeepL, it must be no larger than 10MB. For enterprises that need to translate large files (especially files with graphics or images), this will hinder productivity. 

2. Language Pairs

With DeepL alternatives, you have more flexibility and access to language pairs. While DeepL is known for high translation satisfaction in select European language pairs, there are limited language pairs available for general translation.

Additionally, these same language pairs aren’t necessarily available for glossaries.

Underneath their language pairs list, DeepL presents exceptions. These are difficult to remember and can make it confusing for enterprises who wish to scale their multilingual communication projects using DeepL alone.

3. Number of Translated Files 

If alternatives to DeepL appeal to you, perhaps it’s due to the restrictions on the number of files you can translate. 

On DeepL Pro’s plans page, you’ll notice they present limits on numbers of files you can translate within each subscription tier. If your company needs to translate more files each month than what they accommodate, your best DeepL alternative will be a solution that charges by # of words versus files.

4. Non-European Language Needs

If your company plans to expand outside of European markets or reach audiences outside of Europe, you’re right to seek a DeepL alternative. For example, a significant amount of Asian languages aren’t supported. This has to do with the translation engine they use. Look for translation software that uses Microsoft’s translation engine or Google’s, for more options.

5. Identity and Access Management (IAM)

This argument for adopting a DeepL alternative goes hand-in-hand with our 2022 translation industry trends forecast, where we predict an uptick in Identity Access Management requests.

Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) is integral to IAM, and it appears that DeepL doesn’t support it. It’s an identity verification method requiring more than one authentication step. 

If your organization is serious about security, your IT team is likely requiring software solutions to include IAM integrations. They provide a great balance between accessibility and security. Some examples of IAM tools include Single Sign-On, OKTA and Microsoft Azure AD. 

If DeepL isn’t compatible with your organization’s IAM tool of choice, this is one reason you might need to find a better option.

6. Web-Based Translation of Multiple Documents

According to DeepL’s website, “Multiple documents can only be translated with the DeepL for Windows and DeepL for Mac apps.” So if you prefer to translate batches of files online and this limitation is inhibiting your productivity, find a web translator alternative to DeepL Pro.

7. File Type Compatibility

If you wish to translate Excel spreadsheets or need an indesign file translator, you will be out of luck with DeepL. The full list of files that DeepL can currently translate are listed below, in this screenshot taken from their website. 

As you can see, they include several important file types. However, the list is rather small. When you invest in a DeepL alternative, make sure you have a list in hand of all the file types your company will possibly need to translate.

8. Alternatives to DeepL Might Be More Secure

DeepL promises “Maximum Data Security” which includes end-to-end encryption and data scrubbing. However, there are additional security measures you must look for as an enterprise user. 

If your organization requires enterprise-level security including multi factor authentication, compliance audits (such as HIPAA), a Well-Architected Review or ongoing vulnerability scans, we advise you to find a more secure alternative to DeepL. 

It isn’t made clear if DeepL currently employs these security precautions.

9. Collaboration Tools

If your company collaborates on translations, it appears this currently isn’t possible with DeepL. Alternatives can provide the tools required for collaborative translation efforts.

Look for features such as translation tracking, in-project instant messaging, segment edit history and bookmarking, as well as the sharing of translation memories and glossaries.

10. eLearning Translations

Does your company use eLearning for internal training? If so, a DeepL alternative could provide you with the ability to translate eLearning files. While DeepL supports .txt files, look for a translation solution with .srt subtitle file compatibility, as well as a foreign language voice-over generator.

Reasons To Stick with DeepL

Despite what you see here, you should do additional research on forums (such as ProZ and Quora) as well as independent review websites, to see if a switch is truly right for your company. In some cases, you very well might want to stick with using DeepL for your translation needs.

After all…

• DeepL has the core functionality offered by many CAT tools
• It can be integrated with some 3rd party apps such as Trados Studio and memoQ
• DeepL has a great command of select European language pairs 

Best Alternative to DeepL

If you’re still searching for the best DeepL alternative with the intent to find a robust, powerful and easy-to-use interface, try Pairaphrase.

Pairaphrase is one of the top alternatives to DeepL available online. What makes it different from the rest is its strong focus on ease of use combined with powerful functionality, all the while providing the best data security available. 

With little to no learning curve and zero installation necessary, you can get your entire translation team up-and-running on this online translation software immediately. 

Schedule a demo

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