Guía12 min de lectura

What a Translation Management System Is and How to Choose One

A TMS automates translation workflows; for a website, check per-language URLs, hreflang and how the price grows with each language before choosing.

Equipo Lantis11 de noviembre de 2026

A translation management system (TMS) is software that automates many parts of human translation work: it routes jobs, reuses approved translations from memory and syncs finished text back to the codebase, CMS or design files (Wikipedia; Crowdin). Machine translation on its own only produces a draft, so it is not a TMS (Smartcat). For a website, the deciding factors differ from those of a software TMS: one URL per language, hreflang, sitemaps, installation effort and how the price grows with each language.

The essentials

A TMS manages the workflow around human translation; machine translation alone is an engine that returns a draft.
For a website, check per-language URLs, hreflang and sitemaps before you compare features.
Compare what each option costs as the number of languages grows, not only the entry price.
Read the notice period and refund terms before signing, and find out what happens to your translations if you leave.

This guide uses five criteria to compare options, chosen because they are where website owners' needs diverge most from those of software teams: platform fit, URLs and indexing, translation quality control, price at your real size, and exit terms. They are laid out in the last section.

What does a translation management system do?

Wikipedia describes a TMS as software for automating many parts of the human language translation process, a category once called a globalization management system (Wikipedia). Trados, a TMS vendor, describes it as a platform that unifies disconnected translation steps into a single workflow (Trados).

Illustration about “What does a translation management system do?”

The most useful distinction is between the TMS and the CAT tool. A translator works segment by segment inside the CAT tool, while the TMS sits above it and manages the broader workflow (Crisol Translations).

Machine translation belongs to neither category. Smartcat, another TMS vendor, puts it this way:

"Machine translation produces a draft — you give it text, it returns a translation; it is an engine, not a process." — Smartcat, on its TMS page

What are the core parts of a TMS?

Smartcat says every real TMS has four parts: intake and connectors, an editor, workflow, and vendor and cost management (Smartcat). Three features matter most for a website:

Translation memory: it stores approved translations so the same string is not paid for twice, according to Smartling's buyer guide.
Integration: a TMS routes content automatically and syncs finished translations back to the codebase, CMS or design files (Crowdin). For a site built on a CMS or a visual builder, this layer decides how much manual work remains.
AI as a first pass: most TMS platforms now offer AI translation as a first-pass option, according to Crisol. Citing the Nimdzi industry report, Crisol argues that AI has added a feature layer to TMS platforms rather than replacing their segment-based architecture.

These features help a team that already has a translation process. They do not settle whether the translated text reaches search engines, which is the question most website owners are asking.

Do you need a TMS, a website translator or both?

A TMS built around code strings and design files does not necessarily cover per-language URLs, hreflang or CMS installation, which are the points a marketing or e-commerce site depends on.

Taia describes Weglot as not a full translation management system in the traditional sense (Taia), a framing that separates website translators from TMS platforms.

Website translators work on the site itself. Lantis is one of them. It translates with Gemini by default, and also with Claude, DeepL or DeepSeek. It creates a URL per language with hreflang and sitemaps, and you install it by pasting one line of code, without changing DNS or touching the design. It includes a visual editor for corrections, a custom glossary per language and the option to exclude pages or blocks. It works on Framer, Webflow, Shopify, WordPress and any other website. For a side-by-side look at other website translators, see the comparison of Weglot, GTranslate and ConveyThis.

Lantis is built for websites. A team that needs translator assignment, vendor management or a pipeline of code strings is better served by a classic TMS.

A rough rule follows from this:

If your goal is a multilingual website, a website translator covers most of what you need.
If you maintain a software product with many strings and developers, a classic TMS fits better.
Some teams need both: a TMS for the product and a website translator for the marketing site.

How do hreflang and translated URLs affect SEO?

Smartcat's blog says that to rank in another language, each translated page needs its own URL, either in a subdirectory or on a subdomain, and that tools which only translate in the browser do not give search engines indexable pages (Smartcat blog).

Hreflang is a signal, not a solution. It tells Google that several URLs are language or regional alternatives of the same page, but it does not translate a page, make it indexable or guarantee higher rankings (Lingohub). Circle Translations goes further: a site with perfect hreflang but machine-translated content earns no rankings (Circle Translations). Setup and translation quality both matter, and one does not replace the other.

On structure, Translated says subdirectories are generally the most effective approach for enterprise multilingual SEO because they consolidate domain authority, while subdomains or ccTLDs split it (Translated). Weglot calls the automatic creation of a subdirectory or subdomain per language mandatory for Google to index translated pages (Weglot). Lantis sets up the URL per language, hreflang and sitemaps itself. To audit these elements on a live site, use this multilingual SEO checklist.

What does a TMS cost as you add languages?

Pricing models differ: some charge per language, others per word, per key or per tier. The entry price says little, so compare each option on the same two points: what it costs to start, and what changes when you add languages.

Option	Entry price	Pricing basis	What happens as languages grow	Commitment and refunds
Lantis	3 € per month for 1 language	Per active language: 2.50 € each for 2 to 9 languages, 2 € each for 10 or more; includes 500,000 words per language	Cost rises with each active language: 7.50 € for 3, 12.50 € for 5, 20 € for 10	No contract commitment; full refund within 14 days after each payment
Lokalise	From $144 per month flat (Explorer), per Capterra	Sources disagree: keys, words processed or feature tier	Plans step up to Growth at $499 and Advanced at $999 per Capterra; the sources consulted do not detail totals by language count	90-day cancellation notice reported by reviewers; refunds not detailed in the sources consulted
Weglot	€15 per month (Starter), per Capterra	Translated words and number of languages	Language caps create jumps: five languages on Pro, a sixth means Advanced at €299 (ShipGlobal); the sources consulted do not detail totals for 1, 3 or 10 languages	The sources consulted do not detail it

Weglot's plans scale by words and languages. Capterra lists Business at €29, Pro at €79, Advanced at €299 and Extended at €699, each with word and language caps. A third-party analysis notes that moving from five languages to a sixth means going from Pro to Advanced, €79 to €299 a month (ShipGlobal). Weglot's own pricing page lists professional human translation ordered through the platform from €0.13 per word (Weglot pricing).

Lokalise is harder to price from public sources. Vendr describes pricing based on translation keys, active projects and feature tier (Vendr), while TopAlternatives says plans are billed on words processed per year (TopAlternatives). Locize reports that the Growth plan was listed at $499 per month at launch and at $375 per month as of July 2026 (Locize). Published prices changed within a year, so check the vendor's current page before deciding.

Enterprise vendors such as Smartling and XTM Cloud do not publish prices, which Crisol says typically signals enterprise-level pricing (Crisol).

Lantis charges only for active languages, with no limit on websites or visitors, so its bill grows in small steps with each language. The Agency plan costs 49 € per month for up to 20 websites with up to 5 languages each. Extra words (+500,000) cost 1 €, paid once.

How do cancellation and refund terms differ?

Cancellation terms are a recurring complaint in Lokalise reviews. TopAlternatives reports a 90-day cancellation notice period, longer than typical SaaS terms (TopAlternatives), and Crisol lists a strict 90-day notice as a cost driver (Crisol).

Free tiers also vary between sources. TopAlternatives says Lokalise dropped its free-forever plan in the 2025 pricing overhaul, while G2 still lists a free plan with 500 keys and one user. Taia says it has a free plan of 5,000 credits per month and a paid plan starting at €9 per month (Taia).

Lantis has no contract commitment and gives a full refund within 14 days after each payment. Whatever you choose, ask about the notice period, the refund window and what happens to your translations if you leave. This checklist for changing translation tools without losing SEO covers the last point step by step.

Which five criteria should you compare before choosing?

Ask each vendor the same five questions and write down the answers.

Platform fit: does the tool install on your platform without changing DNS or the design? Lantis works on Framer, Webflow, Shopify, WordPress and any other site, and installs with one line of code. A classic TMS usually connects through a CMS, repository or design-file integration.
URLs and indexing: does it create one URL per language, with hreflang and sitemaps? Browser-only translation does not give search engines indexable pages, according to Smartcat's blog.
Quality control: which AI engines can you use, and where do human review and a glossary fit? Hreflang does not compensate for text that has only been machine-translated, per Circle Translations. If duplicate content worries you, read this article on duplicate content and translations.
Price at your real size: what does the bill look like at the number of languages you expect in 12 months? Check word caps and language caps, since they create the jumps in price.
Exit terms: what are the notice period and refund terms, and can you move the site to another tool without losing its SEO?

Next steps

Write down the platform you use, the languages you plan to add this year and whether you also maintain a software product with code strings. That decides whether you need a TMS, a website translator or both.
Open your site in another language and check whether each translated page has its own URL. If the address does not change, search engines are not getting indexable pages.
Calculate the monthly bill of each shortlisted tool at the number of languages you expect, including word and language caps.
Ask each vendor for the notice period, the refund window and how to export your translations.
If you run a Shopify store and want to compare against the native app, Lantis lists the options in its guide to Shopify Translate & Adapt alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a translation management system or is a website translation plugin enough?

For a marketing or e-commerce site, a website translator that creates per-language URLs, hreflang and sitemaps usually covers the need. A TMS fits better when you manage software strings, translator workflows or vendor costs. Crowdin describes the TMS as the layer that syncs finished translations back to the codebase, CMS or design files.

How much does a translation management system cost per month for a small business?

It depends on the pricing basis. Capterra lists Weglot plans from €15 per month and Lokalise from $144 per month flat. Lantis charges 3 € per month for one language and 2.50 € per language from two to nine. Compare the total at the number of languages you expect to have.

Does a TMS handle hreflang tags and translated URLs for SEO?

Not necessarily. Smartcat's blog says each translated page needs its own URL to rank in another language, and Lingohub notes that hreflang does not translate a page, make it indexable or guarantee rankings. Ask each vendor whether it generates URLs, hreflang and sitemaps for you.

Should I choose subdirectories or subdomains for translated websites?

Translated says subdirectories are generally the most effective approach for enterprise multilingual SEO because they consolidate domain authority, while subdomains or ccTLDs split it (Translated). Both structures give each language its own URL.

How do I cancel a translation management subscription without penalty?

Check the notice period and refund window before you subscribe. Reviewers report a 90-day cancellation notice for Lokalise (TopAlternatives). Lantis has no contract commitment and refunds in full within 14 days after each payment.

Sources

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