Best Translation Services
Translation services help businesses connect to a broader global market. Read our guide to research the best translation service company for you. Different translation services vary in price structure and turnaround time. We explain features to look for with document, website and software translation.
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Compare Reviews for Top Translation Services | ||||||
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Online translation services. 1,200+ customers worldwide. 100+ languages. Certified linguists. Mobile app. 24/7 customer support. Instant quotes. Dedicated translators. Live reporting available. API automation. | ![]() | Get a Quote Call Center Open (415) 889-8989 | ||||
Translation and localization company. Offers translation in 134 languages. Provides a free consultation. Customers can order single translations or agency-style subscriptions. Case studies help prove efficacy and quality. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | ||||
Offers interpretation, translation, localization, testing and training. Provides services in over 240 languages. Available 24/7/365. Employs 14,000+ professional linguists. Interpretation is available in person or remotely. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | ||||
Straker Translations has offices in nine countries around the world, making them available to clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They specialize in translation for businesses and individuals and video transcription. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | ||||
Founded in 1992, TransPerfect has grown into the largest privately held translation service provider, with 90 offices globally. They offer accurate translation services for businesses in a variety of industries around the world. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | ||||
Read Author Review | Acclaro Translation is designed for businesses and brands with an ongoing translation need and/or who are preparing to tap into new cultural markets. They have several levels of service to offer businesses. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | ALTA Translation Services has been providing language solutions to businesses since 1980.Their services include language training, testing and translation, and they serve a wide range of businesses and industries worldwide. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | Apex Translation is an ISO-9001:2008 and EN-15038:2006 certified translation company that delivers quality translation services to businesses in select industries around the world. They are headquartered in Indiana. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | Day Translations specializes in translation, transcription, interpreting, immigration and localization services. They are based in New York, NY, and have several offices located around the world. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | Gengo has offices in the United States and Japan and specializes in translating business documents. Their online platform makes it easy for clients to submit and receive fast, accurate translations. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent |
What to consider in a translation service
Turnaround time
Some translations need to be done quickly, while others are not as urgent. Figure out how quickly you need your translated document before deciding which company to choose.
- Hourly: Some translation companies offer turnaround time in a matter of hours. These translations might be done by machines and then proofread by humans, which means they will be literally accurate but might lack nuance.
- Daily: Short translated documents can typically be delivered within a matter of days, depending on the language pair. Language pairs that are less typical may take longer to translate, depending on the company.
- Weekly: Longer translations and translations that have unique language pairs might take a week or longer to deliver. It’s important to contact the translation service directly with all the information about your project so you have a clear, accurate timeline.
- Ongoing: Businesses that require ongoing translation services will want to work with a company equipped to handle business accounts. These services will provide continuous support and a team that is dedicated to working with your company to ensure continuity across all translated web and text documents.
Price
Translations are priced differently depending on their purpose. The amount you pay will vary from company to company, with additional factors including rush delivery and notarization costing you a premium amount.
- Certified translations: Certified translations are official documents, such as a birth certificate or passport, that need to be translated. These generally have a flat-rate price ranging from $25 and up.
- Business translations: Business translations include emails, correspondence and other business-related documents. These are generally priced based on word count. You might pay 10 or 20 cents per word, depending on the company, and there is usually a minimum charge allowance.
- Proofreading/editing: Some translation services include proofreading and/or editing as part of their translation package, but others charge extra for this service. Make sure to find out whether or not editing is included with your translation service provider if you want it.
Certifications
Not all translation services are certified. There are two major certifications for translation services, one national and one international.
- ISO-9001:2008 certification: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certifies certain quality management procedures, and ISO-9001:2008 is the most updated version of this certification. It is not specific to translation or localization industries; however, it certifies that there are documented processes to the translation or localization service. It is an objective standard that ensures certain quality measures are being met by certified organizations.
- EN-15038:2006 certification: This certification is a specific European standard for translation services and is designed to provide translation service providers with a detailed set of procedures and requirements that are meant to meet the needs of the market. A translation done by a company with EN-15038:2006 certification is read by a reviewer other than the translator before it can be finalized. Translators who work for a certified translation service must meet specific requirements, such as achieving advanced translation certification, an equivalent qualification in another area of specialization in addition two years or more of documented experience translating and/or a minimum of five years’ experience of professional translating.
Method of delivery
Translation services can deliver their translation in different ways, depending on the company and the specific item being translated.
- Mail: Some translated documents, including certified translations, must be delivered by mail. If you are on a strict timeline, you may need to pay extra for expedited shipping. Make sure you have a tracking number so you can monitor your document’s progress.
- Email: Many translation companies operate on a cloud-based platform and deliver translated documents online. It’s important to make sure these companies use encryption to keep your documents private and secure.
Industry focus
It’s important to work with a translation service that understands the unique needs of your industry.
- Medical: Medical records and documents that need to be translated need to meet HIPAA compliance to ensure privacy and security. It’s best to work with a translation service that specifically handles medical translations.
- Technical: Technical documents have specific nuances and needs that are best understood by translators who have a technical background.
- Legal: Law firms who frequently encounter foreign language documents, including law firms specializing in immigration, may want to work with a translation service who can provide ongoing translation services.
Machine versus human translation
Translations can be performed by humans and machines. There are benefits to each type of translation.
- Machine translation: Machine translation refers to a computer performing the work of translating. Translating services who utilize machine translation employ human editors to proofread and review the machine translation before giving to the client. These translations are often faster than human translations, however, they may lack nuance and cultural fluency. They are a good option when you need a literal translation fast and don’t need it to have exact cultural fluency.
- Human translation: Human translation is performed by people who are fluent in the language pair being translated. The whole process, from translation to proofreading, is performed by people. This type of translation is generally more accurate than machine translation since the humans who translate will account for nuances and cultural context. Because of this, though, it takes longer than machine translation.
Types of translation services
Certified translation services
Certified translation is the translation of official documents, including those needed for immigration, contracts, wills and other papers that need to be accepted by government agencies, educational institutions and other entities. Many organizations require a certified and/or notarized translation for the document.
Document translation services
Businesses in all industries rely on having documents such as emails, policy manuals, advertising campaigns and proposals translated. It’s important to work with a translation service that understands your particular industry so they can accurately address the context and nuances necessary for your documents.
Web translation services
Translation services can translate and localize websites and software to make your business more globally accessible. Localization is an important component of web translation to ensure your message is being accurately conveyed to your targeted cultural market.
Who uses translations services
Healthcare and medical industry
The medical field frequently needs documents, discharge instructions, patient forms and more translated. They may require rapid translation depending on the situation, and will always need to work with a translation service that is HIPAA compliant.
Finance industry
There are many finance documents that can be translated, including loan documents, mortgages, contracts, account statements and credit reports. These can be needed by individuals or businesses and will require a translation service that understands the technicality of finance documents.
Government
Government services often need letters, applications, public outreach information and notices of rights translated. They will require a translation service that is capable of delivering translations professionally and accurately.
General business
Businesses of all types may need translation and localization services for their websites, software and documents to reach a global cultural market. They may also need translation services for in-house documents such as employee materials.
Individuals
Individuals may need certified translations of important documents, particularly for immigration purposes. They may also need literary or personal translations.
Translation services FAQ
What are translation services?
How do you price translation services?
What does content localization mean?
- Translates the information into the desired language
- Uses common phrases and measurement systems that the target audience understands
Content localization makes translated material look as natural as possible in the new language.
What is the difference between translation and localization?
- Translation turns the text into the desired language.
- Localization makes sure the translated text sounds like a native speaker wrote it. Localization includes using common words and phrases that a local reader understands.
What is an interpreting service?
What is a certified translation service?
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Compare Reviews for Top Translation Services | ||||||
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Read Author Review | JR Language Translation Services specializes in translating between English and Spanish. They can also translate over 60 languages. They offer certified translations for official documents, website and commercial translations. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | Founded in 1999 by a group of international engineers and scientists, Language Scientific specializes in translating technical documents. Their translators have industry experience and technical knowledge to ensure accuracy. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | True to their name, One Hour Translation delivers fast translations, sometimes in as little as one hour. They also offer several unique solutions for businesses who frequently work with foreign language clients. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | ProTranslating has been delivering quality translations for businesses since 1973. They are based in Coral Gables, FL, and offer translation, transcription, localization and interpretation services. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | Rev offers translation, transcription, caption and subtitle services for individuals and businesses worldwide. Their translators are highly trained and deliver fast turnaround on most translation projects. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | RushTranslate was founded over a decade ago and provides efficient and accurate translations to businesses in a wide variety of industries. They offer flat-race pricing and do their work online to keep costs low for clients. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Mountain View, CA, SimulTrans specializes in web and document translation and localization for businesses. They have offices worldwide and work with a wide network of professional translators. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | Translate by Humans has been helping individuals and businesses bridge the language gap since 2007. Their simple submission process makes it easy to receive an accurate translation from a native language speaker. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent | |||
Read Author Review | With offices in Europe and the US, United Translation Services is open 24/7 to answer questions and work on translation projects. They support over 500 language combinations and have a team of over 6,000 translators globally. | ![]() | Chat with a ConsumerAffairs decision guide Live agent |
Information in this guide is general in nature and is intended for informational purposes only; it is not legal, health, investment or tax advice. ConsumerAffairs.com makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from its use.
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