How to Choose a Website Translation Editor That Works on the Live Page

The best translation editor depends on where your site runs and who makes the edits. Look for an in-context editor that changes what visitors see on the live page, a glossary that locks brand and product names, and language URLs with hreflang, since Google recommends different URLs for each language version. An editor alone does not make your pages findable in each language.

• Check that the editor changes the published page, not only a draft.
• Put brand and product names in a glossary before reviewers start editing.
• Confirm each language has its own URL and that hreflang lists every version, including the page itself.
• Compare the total for your active languages and word volume, not the headline price.

What does a translation editor have to do on a live page?

An editor is useful only if it changes what visitors see on the published page. Weglot describes its editor as in-context and says it shows you what your translated text looks like on the live site. That is the vendor's own framing, so test it yourself.

Visual editing works best when text is detected automatically. Smartcat's visual editor finds translatable text on its own, and reviewers can edit each translation in place:

"The visual editor detects translatable text automatically, including dropdown menus and other interactive elements" — Smartcat's guide to website translation tools

Publishing a translated page is the easy part. A 2026 buyer guide from ai-glot argues that most website translation tools are good at putting a translated page online, but very few give control over what the translation says at scale.

Four features separate a usable editor from a basic one:

• In-context edits: changes appear on the live page, not in a separate preview.
• Glossary locks: brand and product names stay unchanged in every language.
• Exclusions: you can leave a page or block untranslated.
• Review before publishing: a reviewer can check changes before they go public.

A translation engine is not an editor. DeepL is a translation engine and not a website translation platform, so on its own it offers no editor for the live page and cannot publish language versions.

Which five editors are worth comparing?

The five options are ConveyThis, Lantis, Smartcat, TranslatePress and Weglot, listed alphabetically. They were chosen because the sources describe a visual or in-context editor for each. Each is judged on the same criteria: editing on the live page, platform coverage, glossary locks, page or block exclusion, and language URLs. Pricing follows in its own section. Lantis's editor has not been compared head to head with the others, and the same applies to every option: test each on your own pages.

ConveyThis

According to Sorank's comparison, ConveyThis offers a visual editor for reworking translations on the page, a glossary that locks brand and product names, and invitations for team members or professional translators to review. The sources do not detail its platform coverage or how it sets up language URLs, so confirm both before buying.

Lantis

Lantis provides a visual editor for correcting translations, a glossary per language, and exclusion of pages or blocks. It sets up a URL per language, hreflang and sitemaps automatically, and works on Framer, Webflow, Shopify, WordPress and any website. Its default translation engine is Gemini, with Claude, DeepL or DeepSeek also available. More than 150 active websites are translated with Lantis. Its editor has not been compared head to head with the other four, so test it on your own pages. Its limits: the sources do not detail whether it offers a review step before publishing, and its pricing is per active language, so costs grow as you add languages.

Smartcat

Smartcat's visual editor detects translatable text automatically and lets reviewers edit translations in place. Its optional SEO Proxy gives each translated page its own subdirectory or subdomain URL, while the default snippet mode leaves URLs unchanged. Smartcat also provides translation memory, glossaries and a human review option, which suits teams with a formal review process. The sources do not say which platforms it supports or whether it excludes pages or blocks.

TranslatePress

TranslatePress has a strong visual editor, but the tool is limited to WordPress. On any other platform it is not an option. The sources do not detail its glossary, exclusion or URL features.

Weglot

Weglot's in-context editor shows what translated text looks like on the page. One 2026 comparison places it among tools that work across WordPress, Shopify, Webflow and custom code. The sources do not detail its glossary, exclusion or language URL features.

What do the options cost?

The price basis matters more than the headline figure: some tools charge per language, some per word, some per seat. Compare the total for your number of languages and your word volume.

Weglot's starting price differs between comparisons. ai-glot lists €15 per month after a free plan of 2,000 words, withallo reports about $17 per month, and Polilingua lists $19 per month. Check Weglot's current pricing page before you decide.

Smartcat lists $1,200 per year for its Adapt plan, which includes 100,000 Smartwords. The figure is in US dollars, so convert it and confirm what a Smartword covers.

Lantis charges 3 € per month for one language. For 2 to 9 languages it charges 2.50 € per language per month, and for 10 or more languages 2 € per language per month. The Agency plan costs 49 € per month for up to 20 websites with up to 5 languages each. Each language includes 500,000 words, and extra words cost 1 € one time per additional 500,000. Lantis charges only for active languages, with no limit on websites or visits, no lock-in period, and a full refund within 14 days after each payment. Because billing is per language, a site with many languages pays more than it would on a flat plan, so compare the total for your own language count.

Free options have clear limits. Google Translate runs in the reader's browser and creates no indexable pages, so it has no SEO value. According to ai-glot, GTranslate's free widget is one that search engines cannot index.

The sources do not give current prices for ConveyThis or TranslatePress.

How do you keep URLs, hreflang and sitemaps correct after editing?

An editor changes the words on a page, but search engines still need one URL per language. Google recommends using different URLs for each language version rather than cookies or browser settings to change the content language.

When each language has its own URL, Google says hreflang annotations help Search link to the correct language version of a page. Each version must list every version of the page, including itself, so that every link points both ways. Pick one implementation method (HTML, HTTP headers or an XML sitemap) and keep to it across the site, as the same Weglot guide advises.

Check how your editor handles URLs before you choose it. Smartcat's SEO Proxy gives each page its own URL, while its default snippet mode keeps URLs unchanged, so the two modes produce different setups. Lantis sets up language URLs, hreflang and sitemaps automatically. In either case, verify the result on your own site after the first translation. For a Shopify walkthrough, see hreflang en Shopify paso a paso.

Which option fits which situation?

• Lantis: you run sites on Framer, Webflow, Shopify, WordPress or another platform, want one tool across them, and prefer paying per active language.
• Weglot: you want in-context editing across several platforms and can confirm its current price, since comparisons report it differently.
• TranslatePress: your site runs on WordPress and you want a visual editor inside that platform.
• Smartcat: you need translation memory, glossaries and human review at team scale, and want language URLs in subdirectories or subdomains as an option. Its USD pricing in Smartwords makes cost harder to compare.
• ConveyThis: glossary locks and reviewer invitations matter most. Confirm platform coverage and URL setup first.
• A developer-oriented platform: you have engineering resources. According to withallo, Crowdin requires developer setup, while Smartling involves an assisted onboarding process before you go live.

If SEO matters, avoid relying on a translation engine alone or on a free widget: neither publishes indexable language versions.

For more on costs and limits, read Framer localization: precios, límites y cuándo no compensa and Cheaper Weglot alternatives in 2026.

Next steps

• Shortlist two or three tools that run on your platform, using the criteria above.
• Edit one sentence on a live product page with each tool, check it on the published page, and confirm a reviewer can do the same.
• Add one brand name to the glossary and exclude one block you do not want translated; confirm both behave as expected.
• Check that each language has its own URL and that hreflang tags list every version, including the page itself, against Google's documentation. Then calculate the total cost for your active languages and word volume.
• If you are choosing between tools for Framer or Webflow, Lantis publishes a comparison in Linguana vs Lantis.

Frequently asked questions

Can I edit AI translations on the live page before they go public?

It depends on the tool. Weglot describes an in-context editor, and Smartcat's visual editor lets reviewers edit translations in place. Test on one page whether edits go live immediately or wait for a review step.

Does the translation editor keep my existing URLs, or does it create language URLs?

It varies by tool and mode. Smartcat's default snippet mode leaves URLs unchanged, while its optional SEO Proxy gives each page a subdirectory or subdomain URL. Lantis creates a URL per language automatically.

Can I lock brand names and product terms with a glossary?

Yes, in several tools. ConveyThis has a glossary that locks brand and product names, Smartcat includes glossaries, and Lantis offers a glossary per language. Add one brand name and check the translated page.

How do I check that hreflang and sitemaps are correct after I translate?

Confirm that each language version lists every version of the page, including itself, and that you use a single implementation method: HTML, HTTP headers or an XML sitemap. Compare the result with Google's multilingual documentation.

Sources

• Managing Multi-Regional and Multilingual Sites
• How to Find the Best Translation Editor for your Website
• Best Website Translation Tools in 2026
• The 12 best website translation software in 2026, compared
• The best website translation software in 2027
• 10 Best Website Translation Tools to Reach a Global Audience
• Best Website Translation Plugins in 2026 Full Comparison Guide
• The Best AI Website Translation Tools for Expanding Internationally (2026 selection)
• 8 Best Website Translation Services (2026)
• Weglot hreflang guide