Transept vs Lokalise for content work

Where each tool is the right pick

Lokalise is for continuous product localization. Transept is for high-quality document and content translation workflows. They overlap on glossary and translation memory, but they’re solving different problems. If you’re localizing iOS strings, you want Lokalise. If you’re localizing a launch kit, a Notion workspace, or a 200-page book, you want Transept.

When Transept is the better fit

Questions, answered without the fluff

• Can I use both?+
  Many teams do. Lokalise runs the product-string side; Transept runs the document and marketing side. Share the same glossary between the two by exporting from one and importing into the other.
• Does Transept have an API?+
  API access for document translation is on the roadmap. For now, the workflow is interactive — upload, translate, export. Most document workflows are interactive anyway.
• What about translation memory?+
  Lokalise has a mature TM. Transept has glossaries and styleguides, which solve a similar consistency problem on document content. For string-level TM you want Lokalise; for document consistency you want Transept.
• How do I know which one I need?+
  Are you localizing strings in a JSON file your engineers ship with the product? Lokalise. Are you localizing a document, an email, a FAQ, or a blog post? Transept. Both? Both.
• Can Lokalise translate a DOCX or PDF?+
  Lokalise focuses on string keys and developer workflows. Document uploads exist but are not the primary surface; DOCX/PDF round-trip is friction-heavy compared to a tool built for it. Transept is the dedicated document-first workspace.
• Do we need Lokalise if we have Transept?+
  If you ship software with localized UI strings, yes — Lokalise is hard to replace for that. Transept doesn’t target string-key localization workflows. If you’re only translating documents and marketing content, Transept on its own is enough.
• How do the AI features compare?+
  Both have AI translation. Lokalise routes through their own AI for string-level translation with TM integration. Transept routes through multiple frontier models (Claude, GPT, Gemini, Groq) with sentence-level alternatives, glossary enforcement, and a multi-stage QA workflow tuned for documents.
• Can I share glossaries between the two tools?+
  Yes — export from Lokalise as CSV and import into Transept (and vice versa). Glossary format is compatible; keep the master in one tool and re-import periodically.
• Which is cheaper for a small team?+
  Transept by a wide margin at small team sizes. Lokalise Explorer starts at ~$140/month/seat; Transept Starter is $19/month with every feature unlocked. Lokalise prices for the value it delivers on continuous product localization, which is a different problem.

Keep reading around this comparison

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