Side-by-side comparison · Writing & Translation
DeepL vs Google Translate vs ProWritingAid
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Businesses that sell, support or write in more than one language, and anyone who regularly translates documents.
Pick it if: Anyone who needs a quick, free translation, from travellers reading a menu to small businesses answering an overseas customer.
Pick it if: Authors, bloggers and anyone writing long documents who wants detailed feedback on style as well as typos.
Overview
| Attribute | DeepL | Google Translate | ProWritingAid |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Translates text, whole documents and live conversations, with natural-sounding results. | Free translation of text, documents, photos and conversations in 240+ languages. | Grammar and style checker for authors, with in-depth reports on long manuscripts. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | $10.49/mo | Pay per character | $0 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | DeepL | Google Translate | ProWritingAid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.2 | 4.5Winner | 3.9 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 5.0 | 5.0 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | DeepL | Google Translate | ProWritingAid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | Yes | No | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes | – |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | No | No |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | – |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | – |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | No | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | – |
| Capabilities score | 12/ 17 | 9/ 17 | 6/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | DeepL | Google Translate | ProWritingAid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Occasional emails and short text. | Google TranslateOur pick Free Everyone. | Free $0 Trying the reports on short pieces. |
IndividualOur pick $10.49/mo, or $8.74/mo billed yearly One person translating most weeks. | Cloud Translation API Pay per character, with a free monthly allowance Developers adding translation to an app or website. | PremiumOur pick $30/mo, or $10/mo billed yearly ($120) Writers editing regularly. | |
Team $34.49/user/mo, or $28.74/user/mo billed yearly Small teams sharing glossaries. | Premium Pro $36/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly ($144) Authors who want feedback and a community. | ||
Business $68.99/user/mo, or $57.49/user/mo billed yearly Teams translating all day. | |||
Enterprise Custom Large organisations with security reviews. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Start on Free. If you translate documents or customer emails every week, Individual on a yearly plan is the sweet spot and stops DeepL keeping your text. Move to Team only when several people need the same glossary. | Use the free app and website. Only look at the Cloud Translation API if you're building translation into your own website or system. | Try Free on a chapter or a long blog post. If it clicks, Premium on yearly billing is good value, and the lifetime deal pays off after about three years. Premium Pro is for authors who want daily critiques and the workshops. |
Key features
| Attribute | DeepL | Google Translate | ProWritingAid |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | DeepL | Google Translate | ProWritingAid |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | DeepL | Google Translate | ProWritingAid |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, DeepL, Google Translate or ProWritingAid?
Google Translate scores highest overall in our ratings (DeepL 4.2/5, Google Translate 4.5/5 and ProWritingAid 3.9/5). DeepL is best for Translating Word, PowerPoint and PDF files with layout kept and customer emails in another language. Google Translate is best for quick translations of emails and messages and reading signs and menus with your camera. ProWritingAid is best for editing a novel or long manuscript and finding repeated words and clunky sentences.
Which is cheaper, DeepL, Google Translate or ProWritingAid?
DeepL: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10.49/mo. Google Translate: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at Pay per character. ProWritingAid: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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