THE VERDICT

DeepL fits freelancers delivering the same document in two languages, French businesses writing to clients abroad, consultants who prefer a European vendor best. Its clearest advantage is glossaries hold product and client names steady across every document.

THE DECISION AT A GLANCE
Best for
freelancers delivering the same document in two languages, French businesses writing to clients abroad, consultants who prefer a European vendor
Avoid if
teams wanting a general assistant that also drafts and reasons
Cheapest useful plan
€8.99/mo · Individual
Free plan
Yes
Setup effort
easy — minutes
Main strength
Glossaries hold product and client names steady across every document
Main limitation
The free plan caps text at 50,000 characters a month and one file translation
Evidence level
Vendor documented (1/3)
GOOD FIT
  • Glossaries hold product and client names steady across every document
  • File translation returns a document that still looks like the original
NOT FOR
  • teams wanting a general assistant that also drafts and reasons
  • anyone translating occasional short sentences, which the free tier already covers

What it actually does

document translation preserving layout, glossaries, style rules, DeepL Write rewriting, translation memory on upper tiers, API.

translating client documentsbilingual proposalsrewriting for tonekeeping product terms consistent across languages

The limits to know

  1. The free plan caps text at 50,000 characters a month and one file translation
  2. Prices for France include VAT, so the figure is not comparable with US-listed tools
  3. It translates and rewrites; it will not draft from a brief the way an assistant does

The evidence record

Evidence level
Vendor documentedOfficial documentation and pricing page reviewed and dated. No independent verification, no hands-on test recorded.
Pricing note
Observed on the official pricing page for France with monthly billing: Free 0 EUR with 50,000 characters per user per month and 1 file translation, Individual 8.99 EUR/mo, Team 29.99 EUR per user/mo, Business 59.99 EUR per user/mo, Enterprise on quote. Prices include VAT. Annual billing is advertised at 16% less, and a 30-day trial is offered. The API is priced separately.
Billing condition
8.99 EUR/month billed monthly, VAT included; annual billing is advertised at 16% less
Platforms
web, windows, mac, ios, android, browser extension, api
Integrations
Word, Outlook, Chrome, CAT tools, API
Setup
easyminutes
Affiliate status
No affiliate link on this record — no commission.

Pricing & billing commitment

Rate on record
€8.99/mo · Individual
What that figure is
Month-to-month rate per account, read on the vendor's monthly view.
Commitment
None — payable one month at a time
The vendor's exact condition
8.99 EUR/month billed monthly, VAT included; annual billing is advertised at 16% less

Hands-on test

No automated hands-on test has been completed for this review cycle. This record rests on the vendor's official documentation and pricing page, re-read and dated. We say so rather than imply otherwise.

The research record

05.09.2026
€8.99/mo · Individual

Read on the vendor's monthly view

Sources

The official pages this record rests on. No tracking links here: these addresses name the vendor.

What the vendor states

These statements come from the vendor's own documentation. They are useful, and they remain the vendor's: we report them attributed rather than adopt them as our own findings.

  • data residency

    DeepL states that translation is processed on its own infrastructure in Germany and that texts are deleted after translation.

    deepl.com

We have not independently verified this statement during this research cycle. Official documentation is valid evidence — it is just not our own finding.

Evidence freshness

Each kind of check has its own clock and its own threshold. A price ages in weeks and a feature list in months; sharing one date between them would let an old review pass for a recent check.

CheckWhenState
PricingChecked 8 days agoFresh
FeaturesChecked 24 days agoFresh
Privacy & dataNever checkedNot independently checked
Hands-on testNever checkedNot independently checked
Page reviewChecked 24 days agoFresh

What remains unverified

  • No workflow was run inside the product. Everything here comes from the vendor's documentation and public pages.
  • Data handling and the privacy policy were not independently verified during this research cycle. We therefore publish no conclusion about security or where data is stored.
  • Export terms and the real cost of leaving are not on this record: we have not tested them.
  • The price has been read once only. A single observation says nothing about where the price is heading.
PLAN B

Alternatives to DeepL

Frequently asked questions

What is DeepL?

DeepL is a tool from DeepL SE, in the writing category. It is mainly used for: translating client documents, bilingual proposals, rewriting for tone.

How much does DeepL cost?

The paid entry point is €8.99/mo · Individual. Month-to-month rate per account, read on the vendor's monthly view. The exact condition attached to that figure: 8.99 EUR/month billed monthly, VAT included; annual billing is advertised at 16% less. Read on the official pricing page on 05.09.2026. Prices move quickly — confirm before subscribing.

Does DeepL have a free plan?

Yes. DeepL publishes a permanent free plan. Check this before settling on it: the free plan caps text at 50,000 characters a month and one file translation.

Who is DeepL for — and who is it not for?

Good fit: freelancers delivering the same document in two languages, French businesses writing to clients abroad, consultants who prefer a European vendor. Not for: teams wanting a general assistant that also drafts and reasons; anyone translating occasional short sentences, which the free tier already covers.

What is the main limitation of DeepL?

The free plan caps text at 50,000 characters a month and one file translation. Our evidence level on this record: Official documentation and pricing page reviewed and dated. No independent verification, no hands-on test recorded.