# Smartcat Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Smartcat the right Translation Management solution for you? Explore 140 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/155255/smartCAT/reviews --- Smartcat 4.5 (140) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/155255/smartCAT/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 17th, 2026 # Reviews of Smartcat Ease of use 4.6 Customer Service 4.4 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews RK Raj K DGM MarketingMining & Metals, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “The best thing about its payment page is that you can also receive payments from non-Smartcat projects.“ March 5, 2022 DP Darya P Freelance translatorTranslation and Localization, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The QA feature is not the best and could be improved, for example it could show a recap of all the issues found and there should be a way to better filter out false positives.“ October 3, 2025 Tiago M TranslatorTranslation and Localization, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “SmartCAT allows me to organize my work and simplify my translations.“ April 12, 2021 YK Yi Hong K translatorTranslation and Localization, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I have worked some projects for clients through this platform, but my concern is that I have to create new database in this platform while I can't upload other database (from trados, from Memsource , MemoQ).“ February 11, 2023 Gurvitch D Digital CreatorDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It is a CAT tool that helps me deliver accurate translation work to clients.“ September 2, 2021 SB Sertaç B freelance translatorTranslation and Localization, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “There is nothing I don't like for Smartcat. But sometimes refreshing and deleting old and expired projects stay too long on my dashboard“ May 11, 2022 EG Emmanouil G TranslatorTranslation and Localization, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It's a free tool that offers to translators everything that paid options do.“ March 29, 2022 Franti¿ek V Freelance TranslatorTranslation and Localization, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I have experienced server issues several times, always very near the deadline, which makes it very frustrating....“ June 14, 2022 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 140 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Dmitry K. Founder Translation and Localization Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Solid CAT tool for small teams" July 19, 2019 5.0 We occasionally use Smartcat to work on game localization projects in a team with other translators and it has never failed us. Solid solution and you can't beat the price because it's free to use. Pros A free robust CAT-tool makes it extremely attractive for translators, small teams and localization specialists. Cons Navigation within the many dashboard could be improved. Seems like they're trying to be everything at the same time: a CAT tool, project management software and a marketplace for freelancers and it makes it a bit overwhelming. Alternatives considered [Phrase Localization Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/276186/Phrase/) Reason for choosing Smartcat Smartcat's workflow seems a bit more straightforward and robust. Team collaboration features are much better as well, making it very easy for project mangers to overview the project and assign tasks. Review Source PKD Prodip Kumar D. Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Scope of upgradation" July 23, 2019 5.0 Hi, Thanks and congratulation for making SmartCat very useful CAT tool. I use Smart Cat from the beginning and very much satisfied compare to Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast and some other online CAT tools. Previously I had informed about some bugs in this Cat tool for working with xliff file for compatibility with Trados. And thank you very much Team to solve those issues. Now It works fine. I am mainly Bengli/Hindi Translator, working with all Indian languages. Working in this industry for 17+ years. I am requesting you if possible solve following 2 points only. 1. SmartCat allows to export bilingual file but working with this it is not uploaded/updated. In other Cat tools like Trados and MemoQ I can export bilingual word file and can work or edit offline and after that it easily upload/update. For this facility one can work offline in a exported word file. Also for this facility translation done on CAT tool can be reviewed by other translator who do not CAT tool. After reviewing the file Translator can update. 2. Proofreading very much important part for translation and some times client want proofread files along with changes marking, i.e track change mode. Where Reviewer's changes are shown on that file. This facility can be done with Trados in Review by active Track change mode. This is very important facility in trados for Proofreading. If you can add above two facilities Smart Cat will be a complete number one CAT tool. Feel free to write me if any support require. Pros Showing text normal size, does not show small or big as shown in original document compare to Trados. Very simple tag management Cons Unable to update the translation after working on SmartCAT exported doc file. Switched from [memoQ TMS](https://www.capterra.com/p/162762/memoQ/) Because SmartCat is very much user friendly than other Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Freelance Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Avarege CAT tool with some annoying flaws" June 14, 2022 3.0 It is a very average tool, it has several pros, but too many cons. Pros There are several MT tools you can choose and use, that is nice to have (some are more suited to specific projects), it is cloud based and available from anywhere (see also cons). Cons It is cloud based (see also pros) without the option to work offline. I have experienced server issues several times, always very near the deadline, which makes it very frustrating.... Shortcuts could be better, you cannot see hidden characters, cannot add specific tags (upper/lower index, etc.), most translators tend to work without touching the mouse, this software makes you break this habit, which is annoying (one second each segment means many minutes/hours in the long run), not very smart navigation within the segment (double down moves you to the end of the segment which is terrible if you just need to edit something in the third line of this segment, etc.) Review Source RB Roel B. Freelance Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Smartcat, an excellent tool for freelance translators" July 23, 2019 4.0 In general, Smartcat is a wonderful tool with a great MT/TM motor that allows for rapid translations in all kinds of fields. The best features are the AI behind the segmentation and the fact you can import .xliff files an translation memories. I can use this tool for direct clients or clients through Smartcat without the use for any other translation software, and the price is great. The QA check needs to be improved. Pros I love it when I receive translation jobs from clients (translation agencies) and I don't have to o any configuring or preparing. I can just start translating. Also, when I receive documents that need to be translated, they can easily be converted into a translation file and at the end you can just download the completed translation in the same original file format. Finally, it has been a huge support for me that Smartcat accepts .xliff files and translation memories from SDL Trados. Cons The QA is one of the least developed features of Smartcat. You can only review each segment at a time (for as far as I know) and when you indicate you want to ignore an error, the software does not apply it automatically to each of the same issues. It therefore takes a lot of time to do the QA. Also, it would be great if you could receive -xliff files, complete them and then export them to the original .docx, .xlsx, etc. Finally, it would be great if the PDF converter becomes more powerful. In this case it is still difficult to upload PDF files with a lot of images. Switched from [Phrase Localization Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/276186/Phrase/) I had a lot of trouble with the automatic segmentation and the features were not as good as those of Smartcat. Review Source MA Moazzam A. Translator & Interpretor Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best cloud based CAT tool for translation" July 21, 2019 5.0 I prefer to use SmartCat and choose to use other CAT Tool software only when the client requires me to work on SDL Trados or MemoQ. It also supports Xliff projects and easy to use. Pros 1\. Itis could based so no need to take you files with you. Just login and start your work. 2. It uploades almost all kinds of document format and give good export options 3. Machine Translation assistant, QA checking System, Translation Memory and Glossary are vice easy to use, handly and very easy to import and export. Cons It does not have support for Punjabi.western language and we need to manually adjust the right-to-left context direction for tables, Phone numbers, coding strings etc after exporting the target file. Switched from [Trados Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/151746/Trados-Studio/) It offers cloud support and all of its tools even on the free account. Their customer support is also very good and caring. Review Source PD Pasquale D. Freelance Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Amazing free tool" July 23, 2019 5.0 It's perfect for my needs and the volume of translations I do. I know it's not perfect but I like it and I keep mentioning it to all the translators I know and the agencies I work with. I like the fact that clients can pay through it, so I don 't have to chase invoice payments. Pros It's free and it's heaven for those who cannot afford the expensive cost for the licence of other CAT tools. Moreover, it's compatible with 99% of file formats and that means I can accept jobs from many translation agencies. Every time I needed help the support team was there for me and was quick in replaying. Cons They have two servers (Europe and USA) and if you are logged on one, you don't get notification about chat messages received on the other. Sometimes you lose connection to the server too often. They used to send you SMS notifications, which was a great feature, but then they had issues back in December 2018 and never fixed them. I got the feeling that they have stopped developing the software and become less tech guys and more salesmen. I hope they will fix the tech issues with SMS notifications. Switched from [Trados Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/151746/Trados-Studio/) Trados issues software upgrades that force you to buy new licence. Smartcat is free. Review Source MC Myriam C. Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "User-friendly software" February 4, 2020 5.0 I've been working with Smartcat since more than 3 years and I keep using it as my preferred software for translations as it's user-friendly, as lot of features which are very helpful on my job. Pros This software is very easy to use and has lot of features which are really helpful in my job. I think this it the best software for translatios at all! Cons In 3 years I did not have any problem with this software. The only problem is that sometimes I cannot upload very heavy files. Switched from [Trados Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/151746/Trados-Studio/) I had problems with Trados, especially I lost my job and could not recover it. This doesn't happen with Smartcat as all the job is saved automatically. Review Source NC Nikolai C. Freelance Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "SmartCAT review" July 23, 2019 4.0 Overall, a nice working tool helping with daily translation tasks Pros Ease of use Availability on multiple devices Multiple file formats Cons Few free AI translation engines Sometimes formatting glitches Experienced a few unscheduled downtimes Switched from [Trados Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/151746/Trados-Studio/) Had to find an urgent replacement because Trados stopped working after the change of my notebook configuration Review Source AB ANDREEA B. Freelance Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I recommend" July 24, 2019 5.0 Smartcat is the main CAT tool i use in my translation work. I've tried out different softwares and none of them were as complex, but easy to use. Pros The complex package of services offered The simple, but efficient workspace The intuitive design That it is a cloud based app Cons I can't say i didn't like something about Smartcat Switched from [Trados Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/151746/Trados-Studio/) I travel a lot so Smartcat was the better option for me, being cloud based. I just found myself using it more. Review Source IKY Ibrahim Kursad Y. Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Companion!" July 23, 2019 5.0 Pros Easy to use. Convenient user interface. Cloud based. Free to use. Cons Personal dictionary doesn't work properly. When you add a word to the dictionary it just ignores for the segment not for the rest of the document and in the future with another project it does not recognize the word either. Switched from [Trados Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/151746/Trados-Studio/) Since it's cloud based I can reach my projects anywhere. Also it's free to use. Review Source IC Ignacio C. Freelancer Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A good option to translate and manage translation projects online." September 29, 2020 5.0 Smartcat is an online platform where you can manage and work on translation projects. It's easy to use (especially if you are from the industry) and you can integrate your own TMs/glossaries, add new terms and apply standard quality check routines. It has an embedded online CAT tool, but it also allows you to download the .xliff file and work offline on your preferred tool (to upload it back to the platform). Also, it works as a whole project management system, where you can contact/hire translators, organize different language pairs in a same project and track each file status. For translators, it also allows you to work online, submit your job and get paid directly on the platform (although I personally had a slightly bad experience with that, described in the cons). Overall, it's a useful option for translators and Project Managers and it's worth trying it. Pros It's easy to use and, if you are already familiar with a CAT Tool, you won't miss any basic feature on their online alternative. It's 100% online, so you can access it anywhere and keep working. It has a simple, yet intuitive interface. It allows you to work both online or offline with your preferred third-party tool. Cons I had a bad experience when receiving payments from one project delivered on their platform. Their page said there would be no charges, but I've got charged USD 3.00 on my first transfer, which was a high percentage, considering the paid amount. Their support team was kind, but didn't solve my problem, saying that this charge was probably from my selected receiving method (Payoneer). The real con here is that they automatically transfer your funds after any small payment if you keep a chosen method. Thus, you may want to be careful with your receiving method and do not leave any selected until you actually want to transfer your funds, avoiding unnecessary charges. This should be better explained there! Review Source HZ Hussam Z. Translator and Interpreter Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Almost a perfect software" July 23, 2019 5.0 I have worked on more than five CAT tools, including MemoQ, Trados, MateCate, Memsource, google translator toolkit, etc, and I've never been satisfied until I tested SmartCat. I've been using SmartCat for more than two years and I am satisfied with the experience, but I hope that SmartCat handles the features I mentioned in the "Cons" section, especially the Auto-complete feature, which I would pay for it if it was available. Pros Completely free project management CAT tools support Receiving Payments Requesting payments for non-SmartCat projects Receiving job projects Cons The look-up feature is not working probably No auto-complete feature like other Cat tools (ex: Memsource). Review Source RK Raj K. DGM Marketing Mining & Metals Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Boost your translation profile, or find excellent candidates" March 5, 2022 5.0 Smartcat helps you focus on their translation by splitting files into sentences without worrying about formatting. It is a boon for businesses and freelancers to match and explore work opportunities. Pros 1\. It has a web interface dashboard to view all your translation work, files, glossaries, and translation memories in one place. 2. You can pitch for translation, copywriting, transcription, or similar projects on the Smartcat community or apply on the inbuilt job portal. 3. Businesses can also find translator freelancers easily by going through the profile database and selecting as per star rating and credentials. 4. Freelancers can chat with businesses to explore further. 5. You can also set your pay rates to filter clients who meet the minimum price quoted. 6. The best thing about its payment page is that you can also receive payments from non-Smartcat projects. 7. The translation editor interface is easy to use and user-friendly. The best part is that all this comes for free. 8. There are a whole lot of settings to help in your translation work. Set up notifications, choose file formats, use templates, and so on. 9. Productivity services help you use OCR and machine translation. 10. If you complete your profile to 100% and get at least three ratings, you will get regular work from businesses worldwide. Cons 1\. Machine translation and OCR are handy for freelancers, but they are payment-based services starting from a minimum of $1. 2. You may not get regular work initially. 3. Some jobs listed on the platform are too old to be helpful. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Translator Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Smartcat platform review" July 26, 2019 4.0 I have been able to use my translation knowledge along with various companies and get paid. To conclude, I am satisfied with SmartCat. Pros I liked UI of this platform the most. Besides that, Cons For different languages with different grammatical structure, the segmentation of the source language is not always correct. It sometimes made translations ambiguous which I liked the least. Review Source KS Kultida S. Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Kultida Smith" July 23, 2019 5.0 SmartCat has a very good tracking payment system. This feature makes me manage my tasks a lot easier because I can not remember all my orders and outstanding payments. With the pre-translation and filling the repeated sentences automatically features, they are saving me my time and translation errors. I also get jobs from here as well. Pros Save time for typing since the software fills the repeated word for me automatically. Cons Web-Based only. I can access the SmartCat only when I am connecting to the internet. The desktop application would be ideal for me. All data on the destop app can sync with the Web-based data when connecting to the internet. Reason for choosing Smartcat As a translator, SmartCat helps me to save time and translation errors. Review Source MM Md. M. Freelance Translator Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Smartcat Review" July 23, 2019 4.0 In a nutshell, I'm happy with this software. I can't work from anywhere, clients can see the progress of work realtime, which give them mental peace. Pros I use the free version of this software and the most interesting thing with this software, which attract me more are, clients can hire and pay me directly. That means, jobs, CAT tools, and Payment methods are all in one, which is unparallel in this industry. Obviously, the payment policy is also convenient to me. I can receive my payments directly into my bank account, I don't have to think about sending the invoice to my clients. That's the beauty of this. Cons I can't use the Glossary in this software. I'm not sure about the reason. I've tried to create one, but unlike other CAT tools, during the translation, those glossary words don't suggest automatically. It doesn't help me saving my typing time. Review Source GG Georgia G. Translator EN-GR Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Smartcat is here to stay!" July 23, 2019 5.0 I found many clients through Smartcat! I love the chat space where you can chat with clients. Pros You cannot imagine how Smartcat HELPED me. I started as a freelancer but could see only obstacles, paid services and expensive CAT tools. I particularly like that you can switch the CAT tool to the bottom or on the right hand side of the page. Cons Unfortunately the Greek translation is poor. Review Source EG Emmanouil G. Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent tool for every translator" March 29, 2022 5.0 Pros It's a free tool that offers to translators everything that paid options do. Cons The only aspect of Smartcat which leaves something to be desired is the support, as it takes them a lot of time to respond to emails even though they are always polite and willing to help. Review Source ND Nina D. Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great product" July 23, 2019 4.0 I love Smartcat. I have gained new clients and kept my work organized -- and it's free! Pros Smartcat is an amazing product. It's free to use, and has almost all the features I'd like out of a CAT tool. I love that I can log in anywhere -- no download necessary. It helps me keep my work organized, and it helps me find clients. Cons Some features could be more robust, compared to other CAT tools. Review Source TG Theodore G. Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great tool for translators" July 23, 2019 5.0 Pros easy to use, receive payments, talk to customers and other people working on the same project Cons different servers, so we have to switch every time, no away from work notification, no dates and links for and to the projects on the payments page (I often don't remember what project it was I am getting paid and don't know when I completed it) Review Source MD Maximiliano D. Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review of the SmartCAT platform." July 23, 2019 5.0 I have to say that SmartCAT is a very good alternative. It's functional, it's user friendly and it's mostly free. Also it's got good costumer support. Also its job market is fairly active. Pros It's free to use almost entirely. It's being actively maintained and updated. Its customer support is good. Since it's web-based, it runs on any platform. It has a job market. It has several methods to receive payments. You can use it to collect payments from clients outside of the SmartCAT platform. Cons It has layout issues when working from a mobile (elements overlap). Since it is web-based, you can't use it if your internet connection is not working. You have to pay to use machine translation. Review Source AQ Andres Q. Translator Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best CAT tool on the market" February 9, 2020 5.0 This is my main tool for translation and client searching Pros Great Marketplace for Translation Company and Customers. You can find different leads for translations jobs. Cons I can't work on my computer and the upload it to the Editor Page so I don't loose the correct format of the document. Review Source JD Jasna D. Translator Entertainment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Smartcat for freelance translators" July 23, 2019 4.0 Pros Smartcat is an easy to use, comprehensive software. Highly recommendable for new freelance translators. Supports various input types. Cons Frequent deletion from archives, lacking some editing options, sometimes slow server response Review Source mH mohammad H. Linguist English Arabic and Urdu Accounting Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Smart is Smart" July 24, 2019 4.0 Most valuable thing which I like for the software is that it is an source between vendor and customer which make you free from getting touch with agency. Pros I am using the software for getting work from our client. Whenever client uploads any job, I receive it immediately. Most valuable thing which I like for the software is that it is an source between vendor and customer which make you free from getting touch with agency. Cons The software should in multiple Languages. So that people would get the actual benefit of it. it is only one Language. Review Source RS Rasa S. translator Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "short review" July 23, 2019 5.0 I use 3 years to work with translations, the main thing is to always keep it open) Pros convenient to use, availability for any customer Cons I stopped receiving SMS messages about invitations to work Review Source Similar Products Featured