Comparing Polyglot and Tolgee for developer teams. See how a CLI-first detection tool compares to an open-source translation management system you can use in the cloud or self-host.
Tolgee is an open-core translation management system you can use on Tolgee Cloud (including a free plan) or self-host. Polyglot is a CLI-first tool that finds hardcoded strings in your source code, translates them with LLMs, and previews locally. They solve different parts of the i18n problem — and can work alongside each other.
The core difference: Tolgee is a TMS platform, in the cloud or on your own servers. Polyglot starts in your codebase: scan, plan, wrap and preview run on your machine, and generated translations are reviewed in the Polyglot dashboard (automatic approval is off).
| Feature | Polyglot | Tolgee |
|---|---|---|
| Hardcoded-string detection (AST-based) | ✓Yes | ✕No |
| AI/LLM translation | Built-in | ✓Yes (AI translator on Optimise and up, plus MT integrations) |
| Local preview | ✓Yes (polyglot preview) | Via in-context SDK in your running app |
| CI/CD integration | ✓Yes (GitHub Action) | ✓Yes |
| CLI support | Primary interface | ✓Yes |
| Web dashboard | ✓Yes (translation review) | Full-featured |
| Self-hostable | ✕No | ✓Yes (Docker) |
| Open source | GitHub Action + benchmark harness (MIT) | Open core (Apache-2.0 core; ee/ under Tolgee EE license) |
| Free tier | Free local scanning, 500 source strings (lifetime) | ✓Yes (Cloud free plan; or self-host) |
| Starting price | $0 (free scanner) | $0 / paid cloud from about €58/mo billed annually |
| In-context editing | ✕No | ✓Yes (click-to-translate) |
| Translation memory | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
Tolgee is one of the best open-source projects in the localization space:
Tolgee Cloud has a free plan, and you can self-host Tolgee on your own infrastructure. For teams with the ops capacity to maintain a Docker deployment, self-hosting is genuinely compelling — full data ownership and less vendor lock-in.
Tolgee's standout feature is click-to-translate: you install their SDK, and translators can click on any string in your running app to translate it directly. It's an excellent in-context editing experience.
Tolgee's core is Apache-2.0 licensed, with enterprise features in an ee/ directory under the Tolgee EE license. You can inspect, modify, and contribute to the codebase. For organizations with open-source policies, this matters.
Tolgee's AI translator (Optimise plan and up) sits alongside integrations with MT engines like Google, AWS, and DeepL.
Tolgee has a clean API, a CLI, good SDK support, and a modern UI.
Polyglot uses tree-sitter to parse your source code and report untranslated strings — JSX text, attributes, template literals, framework-specific patterns. Detection covers Next.js, Astro, SvelteKit, Vue, Angular, React Native and Flutter; runtime support varies by setup, and Next.js App Router with next-intl is the best-tested path. Tolgee manages strings that are already extracted into translation files, so finding and wrapping them is up to you.
Polyglot is a CLI binary you install, plus a hosted service for translation and review. No Docker, no database, nothing for you to maintain.
Polyglot translates with fine-tuned LLMs, sending component context, glossary terms, and translation memory alongside each string. It scored 4.96/5 across 49 languages on our June 2026 pipeline, AI-judged — reproducible benchmark.
Polyglot ships a VS Code extension that flags untranslated strings inline as you code (scan-on-save, sidebar, wrap actions you review before applying), and an open GitHub Action that calls out new untranslated strings right on the PR.
polyglot preview shows you translations in your app before deploying. Tolgee's in-context editing works on deployed or locally running apps, but requires SDK installation.
| Polyglot Free | Polyglot Pro | Tolgee Self-Hosted | Tolgee Cloud | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $49/mo ($39 annual) | $0 | €0 free plan; paid from about €58/mo (annual) |
| String detection | Unlimited (local) | Unlimited (local) | N/A | N/A |
| Translation | 500 source strings (lifetime) | 10,000 source strings (lifetime) | Unlimited | Varies by plan |
| Self-hosting required | No | No | Yes | No |
| In-context editing | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Maintenance burden | None | None | You manage it | None |
The pricing is comparable for cloud versions, and both have a free way to start. The real cost difference is in ops if you self-host: Tolgee self-hosted requires ongoing maintenance (Docker, PostgreSQL, updates, backups). Polyglot has no infrastructure for you to run.
Competitor pricing checked September 22, 2026.
Tolgee and Polyglot aren't necessarily competing. A practical setup:
1. Polyglot scans your codebase, wraps hardcoded strings into your catalogs, and generates initial AI translations 2. Tolgee manages ongoing translation reviews, provides in-context editing for non-technical translators, and handles strings that need human refinement
There's no native integration between them — they meet at your catalog files. Decide which tool writes each file so the two don't overwrite each other.
Start in your terminal
Install the CLI, run a scan, and see exactly what you're missing. Free, no account required.