Translating a WordPress site can quickly become a headache if you choose the wrong multilingual plugin. This simple and up-to-date guide presents the best translation solutions for WordPress, with their forces, weaknesses And impacts on performance. Perfect for beginners and web pros alike.
How do I know my needs in terms of translated words?
When choosing a translation plugin, it is essential to carefully estimate the number of words to be translated to select the appropriate package. However, most people make a mistake in their estimation and end up underestimating their needs.
The "number of words translated" generally corresponds to the source words (the original content of your site) multiplied by the number of target languages (excluding the original language).
For example, a site with 10,000 source words translated into 3 target languages will generate 30,000 translated words. To assess your needs, count the words in one of your articles and one page and make an extrapolation.
For example, if your site contains 50 articles of 600 words each and 20 pages of 400 words, or 38,000 source words, and you target 4 languages, you will have 152,000 words translated, which also encourages you to be concise and concise from now on in the articles you publish 🙂
Compare this total to the limits of paid plans offered by translation services to avoid overruns and optimize your costs.
✨ The Best WordPress Multilingual Plugins in 2025
1. Weglot
- Kind : External SaaS
- Benefits : Ultra simple, high-quality auto-translation, high performance
- Disadvantages : Depends on an external paid service
→ Find my article entirely dedicated to Weglot here.
→ Visit the Weglot website for more information
2. MultilingualPress
- Kind : WordPress multisite
- Benefits : Very light, clean structure, SEO-friendly
- Disadvantages : Technical installation, multi-site required
→ Visit the MultilingualPress website for more information
3. Polylang
- Kind : Translation by duplicate post
- Benefits : Lightweight, autonomous, free in basic version
- Disadvantages : No native auto-translation
→ Visit the MultilingualPress website for more information
4. TranslatePress
- Kind : Inline visual translation
- Benefits : Simple, intuitive, supports auto-translation
- Disadvantages : Can become heavy on large sites
→ Find my article entirely dedicated to TranslatePress here.
→ Visit the TranslatePress website for more information
5. WPML
- Kind : Complex architecture with dedicated tables
- Benefits : Very complete, compatible with everything
- Disadvantages : A little heavy, complex to maintain
→ Find my article entirely dedicated to WPML here.
→ Visit the WPML website for more information
🌐 Local storage or external solution?
A plugin like Polylang or WPML stores translations in your site WordPress, which gives you complete control. A solution like Weglot outsources everything, which lightens your site but makes you dependent on a third-party service.
🏆 Rankings by criteria
💪 Performance (lightness for WordPress)
| Plugin | WP Performance |
|---|---|
| Weglot | 🟢 Ultra-light |
| MultilingualPress | 🟢 Very light |
| Polylang | 🟡 Moderate |
| TranslatePress | 🟠 Medium to heavy |
| WPML | 🔴 Heavy |
🔧 Technical complexity
| Plugin | Ease of use |
|---|---|
| Weglot | 🟢 Very simple |
| TranslatePress | 🟢 Simple |
| Polylang | 🟡 Medium |
| WPML | 🔴 Complex |
| MultilingualPress | 🔴 Complex (multi-site) |
⛔ External dependency
| Plugin | Dependence |
|---|---|
| Weglot | 🔴 Strong |
| WPML | 🟠 Average |
| TranslatePress | 🟢 Low |
| Polylang | 🟢 None |
| MultilingualPress | 🟢 None |
🔍 In short
- Are you looking for performance and simplicity? Choose Weglot
- Do you want total autonomy? Choose for Polylang Or MultilingualPress
- Are you looking for stability and robustness? WPML Or TranslatePress Pro will do the trick
Need help choosing or configuring? Leave me a comment below this article and I'll be happy to answer you!
