WPML

As the largest WordPress resource site, we’ve helped thousands of website owners reach global audiences through multilingual content. One question we frequently get asked is how to choose the best translation plugin for WordPress – and WPML often comes up in these conversations.

We know that investing in a premium plugin like WPML is a big decision, especially when there’s free alternatives available. That’s why we’ve put together this detailed WPML review based on our extensive experience helping users set up multilingual WordPress sites.

Throughout this WPML review, we’ll share our honest assessment of its features, strengths, and limitations. Whether you’re running a small blog or an enterprise-level website, we’ll help you decide if WPML is worth your investment – all explained in simple, straightforward terms that anyone can understand.

WPML Review: Our Thoughts and Honest Experience

As we dive into our WPML review, it’s clear that this plugin has been making waves in the WordPress community – and for good reason. We’ve put WPML through its paces on a demo site, and we’re excited to share our findings with you.

First things first: WPML is a popular WordPress multilingual plugin that lets you deliver content in many different languages using a single WordPress installation.

One of the standout features of WPML is its central dashboard, which allows us to manage translations for every aspect of our website from one convenient location.

Whether it’s translating posts, pages, WooCommerce products, or custom fields – WPML makes it easy to get your content in front of a global audience. We’ve seen firsthand how this feature can save time and effort by streamlining the translation process.

Before starting any translation project, we appreciate that WPML gave us an estimate of the word count for the selected content. This helps you plan ahead and understand the scope of the translation, ensuring you don’t get caught off guard by a massive undertaking.

It also has built-in WordPress SEO features, to help search engines identify all the different languages on your website.

We’ve seen how this can be a game-changer when it comes to search engine optimization – allowing you to tailor your content for specific languages and regions. For example, we were able to easily configure an SEO-friendly URL format for each language, and translate our page slugs, SEO titles, and meta descriptions into multiple languages.

WPML also takes the hassle out of translation by integrating with popular translation services like Google Translate, DeepL Translator, and Microsoft Azure Translator. We’ve put this feature to the test on our demo site, and it’s amazing how much time and effort it can save – especially when dealing with multiple languages.

WPML Review: Is It The Right Multilingual Plugin For You?

As we explore the world of multilingual websites, one thing is clear: delivering content in multiple languages is a powerful way to connect with a wider audience online. We’ve seen our readers ask for features like this time and time again – and WPML delivers.

That said, in this WPML review we’re putting this popular translation plugin through its paces, examining its features, functionality, and overall effectiveness. Our goal is to help you determine whether WPML is the right translation solution for your WordPress website – one that can help take your online business to the next level.

1. Easy to Setup

Getting started with WPML is a breeze, and we’re happy to report that it integrates seamlessly into your existing WordPress site. We’ve found that installing and activating WPML is just as straightforward as adding any other plugin – no complicated setup required.

Once activated, WPML springs into action, automatically detecting the language of your site. From there, you can select the additional languages you want to support and choose a URL format for each one. This gives you complete flexibility in how you structure your multilingual content.

Next, you can decide what content needs to be translated (whether it’s posts, pages, or WooCommerce products) and who will provide those translations.

If you’re not sure about these settings, don’t worry – you can always adjust them later in the plugin’s settings.

With that done, WPML is ready to use on your WordPress blog or website.

Our Honest Review: WPML truly takes the headache out of building websites for different languages. It’s so user-friendly that anyone can create a website that speaks to a wider audience and helps them grow their online presence.

If you’re looking to go global, then WPML is definitely worth checking out.

2. Supports 65 Languages

WPML comes with 65 pre-configured languages. But what’s even more exciting is the flexibility to create custom languages and variants – perfect for catering to specific regional or cultural nuances.

For every pre-configured language, WPML provides a flag that links the language to the countries where it’s commonly spoken. If you create a custom language or variant, then you can use any of WPML’s ready-made flags or upload your own graphic.

Our Honest Review: We’re really impressed by WPML’s comprehensive language support. We also love the little details WPML includes, like the flags that link languages to their countries. Things like that can really add a professional touch to your multilingual website.

3. Customizable Language Switcher

One feature that we’ve found particularly useful in WPML is its intuitive language switcher, which allows visitors to select their preferred language with just a few clicks.

We appreciate how flexible WPML is when it comes to placing this feature on your site – whether you want to position it above or below the post content, add it to a menu, or use it as a WordPress widget – you have lots of options!

If you’re using one of the newer, block-enabled themes then you can also add a language switcher to any template or template part.

Even better, WPML’s language switcher is completely customizable. We’ve found that you can easily tweak everything from the background color to the flag icon, and even hide the language name if you prefer. This kind of attention to detail makes all the difference in creating a truly global-ready website that meets your unique needs and aesthetic.

Our Honest Review: One thing we really love about WPML is its fantastic language switcher. It makes it super simple for your visitors to pick the language they want to see your website in – no hassle at all!

4. Translate Your Entire WordPress Website

One of the things we really liked about WPML is its comprehensive approach to content translation. We’ve found that it’s not just limited to pages and posts – you can also translate a wide range of other content, including custom post types and fields, navigation menus, and media.

But what really sets WPML apart is its String Translation interface, which can take your site’s translation to the next level. This feature enables you to translate text that exists outside of traditional pages and posts – think site taglines, widget titles, and even the text inside your WordPress admin area. 

We’re also impressed by how seamlessly it integrates with translation-ready WordPress themes and plugins.

To start, visit your website in a secondary language and then open any page that has untranslated strings. WPML will then automatically detect those strings and make them available for translation in the Translation Dashboard.

To see all these untranslated strings, simply select the ‘Frontend viewed’ filter.

You can then safely send all these strings for translation.

Our Honest Review: We’re seriously impressed with how much WPML lets you translate – it’s not just your regular pages and posts.

Their String Translation feature is a game-changer. It lets you translate even the tiny bits of text on your site, like your tagline or the titles of your widgets. This means your visitors get a truly consistent experience in their own language.

5. Add Translators to Your Website.

Do you already have translators who can help you create a multilingual website? With WPML, you can invite these existing translators to join your site and assign them specific language pairs.

We appreciate how flexible WPML is when it comes to assigning tasks – you can either choose a specific translator or opt for the ‘First Available’ option, which allows multiple qualified translators to take on the work. This approach promises to speed up the translation process while also ensuring your content is handled by someone with the right language expertise.

If you don’t already have a translator, then WPML can help you connect with a professional.

But what’s even more reassuring is how WPML handles security when working with external translators. If you do select a translator via WPML, then they’ll receive the work as a file, so they’ll never get direct access to your dashboard. This is great news for your WordPress security.

Our Honest Review: We’re big fans of WPML’s collaboration features, which make it easy to work with external translators and streamline the translation process.

By integrating with existing translators and allowing for flexible task assignment, WPML can get your content translated quickly and efficiently. And with its thoughtful approach to security, you can rest assured that your WordPress site remains protected even when working with external collaborators – a true win-win for multilingual website owners.

6. Automated Translation

We’re impressed by WPML’s innovative approach to automated translation, which integrates seamlessly with popular services like Google Translate, DeepL Translator, and Microsoft Azure Translator to offer automated translation directly inside the WordPress dashboard.

It even offers its own WPML AI translation engine, which uses OpenAI to analyze the entire content. By moving beyond the sentence-by-sentence approach of traditional engines, WPML AI promises to deliver more accurate and precise translations.

WPML can automatically translate all kinds of content including pages, posts, and WooCommerce products. Although it doesn’t translate custom post types and custom fields by default, you can change this in the plugin’s settings.

While automated translation can save time, we understand that reviewing translations manually is still essential. WPML makes this process easy by holding draft translations for review.

To keep things running smoothly, WPML will display a notification when a translation is ready to review.

Alternatively, you can publish each translation immediately, but configure WPML to add these posts to a Translations Queue. Then, you can review this queue when it fits your schedule, which may be easier if you run a busy business website.

But what really sets WPML apart is its ‘Translate Everything Automatically’ feature.

When enabled, WPML will translate new pages and posts as you publish them. This means your site will always have up-to-date translations.

Just be aware that automatic translation does require credits. Some WPML licenses come with complimentary credits, or you can buy them on a pay-as-you-go basis.

And if you share your dashboard with others, WPML lets you restrict access to the automated translation feature, so you can keep your credits safe from unauthorized use.

Our Honest Review: We’re seriously blown away by how WPML handles translations automatically – it’s super smooth and saves a ton of time.

They’ve teamed up with the big guys like Google Translate and Microsoft Azure Translator, and they even have their own smart AI translation engine. This means you get translations that are actually really good and accurate, without having to do everything yourself.

7. New Translation Manager Role

Do you run a WordPress development agency?

With WPML, you have the option to create a Translation Manager. This user role has access to WPML so they can manage the site’s content, without necessarily having access to the rest of the WordPress dashboard.

This is particularly useful when working with clients who are unfamiliar with WordPress, as it can prevent them from making mistakes or accidentally deleting important content. By creating a Translation Manager, you can empower your clients to take control of their translation workflow while protecting the WordPress admin area from unauthorized changes.

Our Honest Review: This thoughtful approach to collaboration and security is just one more reason why WPML stands out as a leading multilingual plugin for WordPress.

8. Multilingual SEO

As we’ve seen with WPML, adding support for multiple languages is just the first step in creating a truly global-ready website. The next challenge is helping people around the world discover your multilingual content – and that’s where WPML’s SEO features come in.

WPML helps search engines rank every version of your site, ensuring that users see the correct language and region. To achieve this, WPML offers a range of URL settings, including subdomains, subdirectories, and separate domains for each language – giving you complete control over how your site is structured.

You can also translate slugs, internal and outbound links, plus SEO titles and meta descriptions.

And with its automatic hreflang tag management, WPML makes sure that search engines understand which language and region each page is intended for – helping them show the right content to the right users.

Even if you add new languages and translations, WPML will maintain the correct hreflang relationship between all these translations.

In addition, WPML integrates seamlessly with AIOSEO. AIOSEO is the SEO plugin we use on WPBeginner, so we can confirm it includes a ton of features to help optimize your multilingual WordPress website (be sure to see our AIOSEO review for more information).

By combining AIOSEO and WPML, you get a powerhouse of features that can help optimize your multilingual website for search engines. One of the standout benefits is automatic XML sitemap generation across different languages – making it easier than ever for search engines to discover and index your global content.

Our Honest Review: Whether you want more people to find you or just want to make sure your international visitors have a great experience, WPML’s SEO features are a real game-changer. They help you connect with audiences around the world like never before – it’s like having a global SEO expert built right into your WordPress site.

9. Automatic Glossary Translation

We’ve found that one of the biggest challenges in multilingual content creation is dealing with words and phrases that have multiple meanings – like “Apple,” which can refer to both the tech company and a fruit.

To help solve this issue, WPML offers a clever solution: its glossary feature.

With WPML’s glossary, you can create entries for tricky terms and define their correct translations in different languages.

Once you’ve added these glossary entries, WPML’s automatic translation engines will use them to ensure that the term is translated accurately every time. And if you’re working with professional translators, the glossary provides valuable context that can help them get it right the first time.

Our Honest Review: We love how WPML’s glossary feature helps eliminate errors and inconsistencies in multilingual content, giving your readers a more polished and professional experience.

By taking the guesswork out of translating tricky terms, WPML makes it easier than ever to create global-ready websites that connect with audiences around the world.

10. Support Multiple Currencies

If you run an online store, then you may want to change the displayed currency based on the shopper’s location. This can improve the customer experience and get you more sales.

WPML makes it easy to do just that, thanks to its seamless integration with the WooCommerce Multilingual & Multicurrency plugin.

You can download this plugin for free from the official WordPress repository and then add a currency picker to your WooCommerce product pages.

Although you can use this plugin on its own, if you use it alongside WPML than you’ll get access to a range of additional features. This includes offering unique payment gateways for each currency.

By showing only payment gateways that are available in the shopper’s country, you can eliminate any confusion or frustration caused by unavailable options. 

Our Honest Review: This thoughtful approach to currency and payment management is just one more way that WPML helps you create a seamless shopping experience for customers around the world.

11. Community and Professional Support

We’ve found that while WPML’s automatic translations and language detection features are incredibly user-friendly, sometimes it’s nice to have a little extra help along the way. Fortunately, WPML has got you covered with lots of support resources.

To start, WPML has an online knowledge base that you can access 24/7. This includes a detailed Getting Started guide that’s ideal for new users.

There’s also the WPML blog where they cover a range of topics, such as how to translate your WooCommerce store and how to set up Google Analytics.

But what really sets WPML apart is its professional support team. With all plans including direct access to customer service, you can submit a ticket and get expert help whenever you need it.

And if you’re looking for even faster solutions, WPML’s support forum is a treasure trove of previous threads that have already been resolved – simply type in your problem and WPML will show you matching tickets with answers.

This is a useful shortcut that can provide answers much more quickly, especially if you’re facing a common WordPress error or problem.

We love how WPML has thoughtfully designed its support system to be both comprehensive and convenient. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, WPML’s support resources are there to help you every step of the way – making it easier than ever to create a global-ready website that connects with audiences around the world. 

WPML Review Pricing and Plans

WPML has a few different plans that are designed to suit businesses of all sizes.

There are 3 plans to choose from:

• Multilingual Blog. For €39, you can use WPML on one production and three development websites. You’ll also get access to the standard translation controls, so you can create multilingual content in the WordPress block editor. With that said, this is a good option for bloggers or website owners who want to translate small amounts of content, such as their highest-converting landing page.
• Multilingual CMS. Priced at €99, this plan allows you to use WPML on 3 websites. You can also translate more content, including your WooCommerce products and pages, and strings such as widget titles. Multilingual CMS also comes with 90,000 automatic translation credits. With that said, this plan is a good option for business websites and online marketplaces that want to translate lots of content, fast.
• Multilingual Agency. For €199, you can use WPML on as many websites as you want. That said, this plan is perfect for WordPress developers, agencies, or anyone who manages a portfolio of client sites. You’ll also get 180,000 translation credits so it’s a good option if you need to automatically translate content in bulk.

WPML Review: Is it Worth It?

After thoroughly reviewing WPML’s impressive feature set, support options, and pricing plans, we’re convinced that it’s the ideal multilingual WordPress plugin for business websites.

It supports 65 languages by default, with the option to create your own variants. WPML can also help you connect with professional translators and offers automated translation services, so you can support additional languages with ease.

Of course, not all websites require the full range of features that WPML offers. If you only need to translate a limited amount of content (say, your site’s most important pages or just the Contact Us form), then the Multilingual Blog plan is an excellent choice.

This plan lets you translate pages and posts within the WordPress content editor – perfect for small-scale multilingual projects.

However, if you want to translate your entire website then we recommend upgrading to Multilingual CMS. This is particularly true if you use WooCommerce to sell digital products, physical items, or services online. With this powerhouse of a plan, you can translate your WooCommerce products and pages, ready to sell to an international audience.

Even better, this plan comes with 90,000 automatic translation credits.

And for agencies and WordPress developers, WPML’s Multilingual Agency plan is the way to go. With this plan, you can install WPML on an unlimited number of sites, making it easy to translate all your client content with ease – no matter how many languages you need to support.

Overall, we’re thoroughly impressed by WPML’s comprehensive feature set and flexible pricing plans. Whether you’re a small business or a large agency, WPML has the tools you need to take your multilingual website to the next level.

We hope this WPML review helped you decide whether it’s the right multilingual plugin for you. You can also check out our guide on how to increase your blog traffic, or see our expert pick of the best analytics solutions for WordPress.

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