Meet LangSync — the developer-first alternative to Lokalise
Pay-as-you-go from the first thousand strings, custom AI prompts you keep in your repo, and a bidirectional CLI sync — without seat-by-seat upgrades, $999/month gates, or a sales call to unlock the features you actually need.
First 1,000 strings free No per-seat charges No annual commit, no sales call
At a glance
LangSync Lokalise
Pricing model
Pay-as-you-go per 1,000 strings
Tiered ($144 / $499 / $999), per-seat
Self-serve checkout for every plan
No per-seat charges
Per-developer source language override
Bidirectional CLI sync
Verified June 2, 2026 against Lokalise's public product and pricing pages. Spot an inaccuracy? Email [email protected] — we'll update within two business days.
Side by side
LangSync vs Lokalise, feature by feature
Compiled from the public Lokalise pricing page, product pages, security/AI policies, developer docs, support KB, and the public github.com/lokalise SDK repositories, as of mid-2026. Lokalise renames plan tiers periodically — verify on lokalise.com before signing a contract.
| Section | Feature | LangSync | Lokalise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Billing shape | Pay-as-you-go — billed per 1,000 translated strings stored, price drops at higher volumes. No plan tiers, no monthly commit. | Plan tiers (Free / Explorer / Growth / Advanced / Enterprise) metered on hosted words, processed words, standard AI/MT translated words, Pro AI words, standard seats, advanced seats, projects, languages, integrations, automations, and OTA calls — all at once. Annual discounts on top, monthly available. |
| Entry paid price | Free for the first 1,000 strings, no credit card. | Lokalise has a permanent Free plan plus a 14-day trial of paid plans. The first paid tier (Explorer) is $144/month with seat and hosted-word caps; Growth is $499/month, Advanced is $999/month. | |
| Seats / users | No per-seat charges. Unlimited collaborators on every plan. | Two-class seats: Basic seats (Translator / Reviewer) are unlimited, but Advanced seats (Admin / Biller / elevated contributors) are paid and capped per tier. You upgrade tier or contact sales to add more. | |
| Sales call to upgrade | No. Self-serve checkout for every plan. | Enterprise is sales-gated (custom pricing, demo-required). Several headline features — SAML SSO, audit log, Custom AI Profiles — are Enterprise-only; branching and full TM management unlock at Advanced ($999/month). | |
| Translation engine | AI translation | Built on a modern LLM with your custom prompt per namespace — tone, audience, formality, product rules — fed into every call alongside the glossary. | Lokalise AI uses smart routing across multiple LLMs (Lokalise names ChatGPT and Claude as examples), pulling in TM, glossary, and style guides on every call. Companion Translation Scoring auto-rates each segment and flags low-confidence ones for human review. |
| Custom prompt per namespace | Yes — written in plain language, set per namespace or per user, managed via the dashboard or API. | Custom AI Profiles (Enterprise tier) let admins attach a style guide, custom instructions, and a glossary to a project or language pair. Managed in dashboard, not in code. | |
| Machine translation engines | LLM-first. No legacy MT routing. | Google Translate and DeepL only — no Amazon Translate, no Microsoft. Billed at roughly $0.001/word as part of the AI/MT allowance; no BYO key for MT. | |
| Glossary / term base | First-class. Per-language target translations plus optional notes. AI sees the glossary on every translation. | First-class. CSV import (semicolon-separated), case-sensitivity flag, non-translatable and "forbidden" flags. Injected into AI prompts and shown inline in the editor. | |
| Translation memory | Not a separate concept — past translations stay in the project and inform AI completions. | Separate from glossary. TMX import/export supported via dashboard and API (Pro plan, admin-only, 100 MB limit). TM search gated to Growth; full TM management (modify/delete, multi-storage) requires Advanced. | |
| Source language flexibility | Per-developer override — a Czech dev can keep cs.json as source while the team-wide default stays en-US. See the workflow. | Project has a single fixed base language. Tasks can override the source per-task (admin sets it), but there is no per-contributor / per-sync override. | |
| QA / linting | Placeholder validation on the CLI side; AI is constrained by glossary on every call. | QA checks include placeholder mismatch, leading/trailing whitespace, double spaces, HTML tag mismatch, URL/email/bracket/number consistency. Surfaced as editor warnings and blockable on export. | |
| Developer workflow | First-party CLI | norcube langsync init + norcube langsync sync — one binary for the whole Norcube platform, bidirectional sync (no push/pull split), resumable across crashes. See the CLI page. | lokalise2 (Go) — brew install lokalise2, Scoop, Docker. file upload / file download are separate commands; no bidirectional sync. Optional config.yml stores token + project ID. |
| Official SDKs | REST API; CLI covers most repo-side workflows. | Six official API clients: Node, Python, PHP, Ruby, Go, Elixir. No official Java/Kotlin/.NET/Rust. Plus two GitHub Actions (lokalise-push-action, lokalise-pull-action). | |
| OTA (over-the-air) mobile updates | Not supported — LangSync is build-time only. | Lokalise OTA ships translation bundles to live iOS / Android / Flutter apps without an App Store / Play Store re-release. Public OTA API for React Native and custom platforms. Billed by GB of data sent/month as of the 2024 pricing change (previously MAU-based). | |
| IDE / MCP / VS Code | Coming via the broader norcube CLI roadmap. | No official Lokalise MCP server, VS Code extension, or IntelliJ plugin found in the org as of mid-2026. Community wrappers only. | |
| File formats & integrations | Native file formats | i18n JSON is first-class. CSV, JSON, XLSX accepted for one-shot import. | Around 30 formats including .strings, .xcstrings, .stringsdict, Android XML, Flutter .arb, JSON (flat / nested / structured), YAML, Ruby YAML, .po, .properties, .resx, .xliff (Apple / Symfony / Angular), .csv, .xlsx, .xml, .html, .ini, PHP arrays, DOCX, IDML (InDesign), PPTX, SRT subtitles, Salesforce .stf. |
| Native dashboard integrations | GitHub via the CLI; webhooks for arbitrary CI. | 50+ native integrations including GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure Repos, Figma, Figma Buzz, Sketch, Adobe XD, Slack, Zendesk, Intercom, Front, Salesforce, Contentful, Contentstack, Storyblok, Hygraph, WordPress, Webflow, HubSpot, Braze, Iterable, Customer.io, Mailchimp, Jira, Asana, Trello, S3, Google Cloud Storage, plus Zapier and Make. | |
| Webhooks | Yes — for CI pulls and arbitrary downstream automation. | First-class. Event coverage spans translations, keys, comments, tasks, branches, snapshots, contributors, orders, files, and language settings. | |
| Team & translation | Professional translator marketplace | Not built in. The AI is the primary translator; humans review and edit. | In-product ordering from Lokalise's own human translator network (90+ languages, optional two-step review), Gengo, or pure MT. Plus a curated list of external LSP partners (Acclaro, Milengo, TOPPAN Digital Language, etc.) contacted outside the dashboard. Customers can also invite their own freelance translators. |
| Crowdsourcing / public projects | Not supported. Org-scoped namespaces only. | Not supported. Lokalise requires explicit contributor invites with editable/readable language scopes. (Crowdin's strength, not Lokalise's.) | |
| Branching workflow | Not a separate concept — your repo's branches drive sync via the CLI. | Git-style branches for parallel localization work (features, releases, hotfixes) with merge back to master. Advanced / Enterprise tiers only. Branches cannot be "protected" — all contributors see all branches. | |
| Team model | Organization → namespace → user. Per-user prompts and tokens. | Team → Projects → (Branches). Team roles: Owner / Admin / Biller / Member. Project roles: Manager / Translator / Reviewer plus per-language and per-permission scoping. | |
| Security, hosting, data | Hosting region | EU only (AWS Frankfurt, region publicly named). GDPR-aligned by default, no choice needed. See /security/ and /dpa/. | AWS in the EU, but the specific AWS region is not disclosed publicly on the security page. No choose-your-region option, no separate US instance. |
| DPA | Published, self-serve download. | Public DPA at lokalise.com/dpa/, linked from the security page. | |
| Compliance certifications | GDPR-aligned, EU-resident. SOC 2 / ISO in progress as Norcube scales. | SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001 + ISO 27017 (since Nov 2020), GDPR-compliant with appointed DPO. HIPAA explicitly not certified. | |
| AI training on your content | Your strings are never used to train models. AI calls are inference-only. | Same posture — Lokalise's AI FAQ states "Translations are never used for training AI models" and the platform is opted out of LLM-provider training by default (OpenAI: 30-day abuse-monitoring retention; Anthropic: zero retention). | |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Not yet — on the roadmap. | Social SSO (Google / GitHub / Microsoft) on lower tiers; SAML SSO is Enterprise-only (Advanced at $999/month does not include it). | |
| Audit log | API-accessible. | Enterprise-only, admin-only, dashboard with CSV export. Retained at least 6 months. No documented public REST API for the audit log itself. | |
| Migration & lock-in | Importing into the other | Built-in POEditor importer today. Migration from Lokalise is a CLI script: download a single ZIP of all locales via the API, transform if needed, push to LangSync. | No built-in importer for POEditor, Crowdin, Phrase, or LangSync. Migration is file-based only — export from source, upload via Lokalise CLI or the file-upload API. Third parties like IntlPull exist precisely because Lokalise itself ships no migration wizard. |
| Translation history export | Current value of every translation via REST API. Audit log (namespace, sync-job, glossary, API key actions) accessible via API. Per-translation revision history is not yet captured — on the roadmap. | Per-string revision history (who, when, old + new value, tool) is dashboard-only — no REST endpoint. Available on Growth and above. | |
| Translation memory export | No separate TM — translations exit as i18n JSON via the REST API. | TMX export available via both dashboard and API (Pro plan, admin-only, 100 MB limit per export). | |
| API token scopes | Org-scoped API tokens; per-action access gated by user IAM policies, not by a token-level scope. | Personal tokens are read-only OR read-write, inherit the creating user's permissions, and have no per-project or per-action scoping. Finer scopes only via OAuth 2 apps. |
Verified June 2, 2026 against Lokalise's public product and pricing pages. Spot an inaccuracy? Email [email protected] — we'll update within two business days.
Lokalise facts verified against lokalise.com/pricing, lokalise.com/product/security/, docs.lokalise.com, developers.lokalise.com, and the public github.com/lokalise SDK and CLI repositories. If you find a row that is wrong, email [email protected].
Be honest about it
When Lokalise is the right call
We are biased about LangSync, but Lokalise is a mature platform that earns its price in several real scenarios. If any of these describe your team, do not switch.
Stay with Lokalise
You ship live mobile translation updates
Lokalise OTA pushes translation updates to live iOS, Android, and Flutter apps without an App Store or Play Store re-release. LangSync is build-time only; if you rely on OTA delivery for a high-traffic mobile app, Lokalise wins outright.
Stay with Lokalise
You ship beyond i18n JSON — DOCX, IDML, SRT, XLIFF dialects
If your content rotates through .docx legal templates, .idml print layouts, .srt subtitles, or six different XLIFF variants (Apple / Symfony / Angular / offline), Lokalise handles 30+ formats natively with continuous round-trip sync. LangSync focuses on i18n JSON; importing other formats works once, but native polyglot sync is Lokalise territory.
Stay with Lokalise
Your localisation flow is anchored in a CMS or design tool
Native Figma, WordPress, Contentful, Contentstack, Storyblok, Salesforce, Intercom, Braze, and Webflow integrations are first-class in Lokalise — designers and content editors translate without leaving their tool. LangSync stays in the JSON-and-CI lane on purpose; if the connector ecosystem matters more than CLI ergonomics, Lokalise fits.
Stay with Lokalise
You order professional translations in-product
Lokalise's in-dashboard ordering taps their own translator network (90+ languages, optional two-step review) plus Gengo and external LSPs. One-click ordering, deadline + price quoted upfront. LangSync uses AI as the primary translator with human review on top; if a paid-translator workflow inside the dashboard is non-negotiable, Lokalise fits.
Stay with Lokalise
You need an enterprise compliance dossier today
SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 + 27017 (since 2020) are on Lokalise's public trust page. Norcube is GDPR-aligned and EU-resident by default, but if your procurement team needs SOC 2 Type 2 or ISO 27001 on the contract today, Lokalise is further along.
Stay with Lokalise
You need branching for parallel release streams
Lokalise Branches let multiple feature releases be localized in parallel and merged back to master — useful when product, marketing, and a hotfix are all in flight at once. LangSync sync is driven by your repo's branches via the CLI, but the dashboard-side branching workflow is something Lokalise built and we didn't.
FAQ
Questions teams ask
How much will I actually save switching from Lokalise to LangSync?
It depends on your seat count and string volume, but the biggest lever is Advanced seats and tier gating: Lokalise's Growth plan ($499/month) caps Advanced seats; Advanced ($999/month) unlocks branching, full TM management, and translation history; SAML SSO, audit logs, and Custom AI Profiles only unlock on Enterprise (sales-gated, custom pricing). LangSync charges nothing for seats and bills only the strings you store, with every feature on every plan. A team that needs SSO on Lokalise is on Enterprise — call sales for a quote — where the same workload on LangSync is in the low-thousands at current pay-as-you-go rates with no annual commit.
Is LangSync's AI as good as Lokalise AI?
Different shape. Lokalise AI is a multi-LLM orchestration layer over GPT and Claude with AI Scoring and TM-RAG — sophisticated, dashboard-managed, with the prompt-control surface (Custom AI Profiles) gated to Enterprise. LangSync runs a modern LLM with your custom prompt per namespace and glossary fed into every call, with the prompt in code on every plan. For software UI strings with tone/voice rules and a maintained glossary, LangSync output is usually on the style guide; if your workflow needs AI Scoring and human-in-the-loop review across a million words, Lokalise is more powerful out of the box.
How long does migrating from Lokalise take?
Plan one to three days, depending on locale count, branch structure, and whether you use Branches. Lokalise has no built-in LangSync importer; you download every locale as a single ZIP via the API (or
lokalise2 file download), transform format if needed, and push into a LangSync namespace via the CLI.Do I lose translation history when I migrate?
The current value of every translation comes across. Per-translation revision history is dashboard-only on Lokalise (no REST endpoint), so it doesn't move automatically. TMX is exportable via API (Pro plan), so TM can survive migration, but the per-string revision log doesn't. If audit trail matters, keep Lokalise read-only for 60 days after migration as a fallback.
Lokalise is also EU-hosted and says they don't train on my content. What's actually different?
Both platforms claim the same posture on AI training (inference-only, no model training on your strings). The differences are smaller but real: LangSync publicly names the AWS region (Frankfurt, eu-central-1) on every plan; Lokalise hosts in the EU but does not publish the specific AWS region. LangSync's DPA is a self-serve download; Lokalise's is too. The bigger gap is plan-tier dependency — on LangSync, every feature ships on every plan; on Lokalise, SAML SSO and audit log require Advanced ($999/month).
What if I want to switch back to Lokalise?
LangSync exports every namespace as standard i18n JSON via the REST API; Lokalise imports JSON natively. The data is yours either way. No lock-in on the source-string side; AI prompt customisations are the only LangSync-specific artefact.
Try LangSync in 60 seconds
First 1,000 strings free, no credit card, no sales call.
Free tier 1,000 strings, no card
No seats Unlimited collaborators
EU-hosted AWS Frankfurt
No training On your strings