How to translate PDF: 10 free tools, top tips, and more

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Translating PDF files is essential for organizations that need to bridge language barriers. However, translating PDFs presents unique challenges, such as formatting issues, text extraction difficulties, and file complexity. Fortunately, an AI PDF Translator can help address these obstacles for smooth and seamless PDF file translation. This guide will cover the top 10 free tools to translate PDF files, best practices, and more.

How to translate PDF documents: Top 10 free tools

Here are ten leading tools and platforms to translate a PDF file.

1. Smartcat

Smartcat is the essential translation platform for the enterprise, offering comprehensive services, including cutting-edge AI translation of over 80 file formats, a large linguistic reviewer marketplace, an online translation and editing tool, and collaborative workflows.

  • Supported Languages
    280+ depending on the translation engine chosen.

  • Technology
    Automatic translation, human editing, AI technologies, OCR.

  • Ease of Use
    Create a new project, upload the file, and select language pairs.

  • Accuracy
    Starts at around 85% accuracy, increasing to over 95% as the AI learns user preferences.

  • Best Suited For
    The combination of enterprise-grade quality, high speed of turnaround time, and cost efficiency. Smartcat serves 1,000+ organizations of all sizes across industries that require accurate, timely translations. This includes 20% of the Fortune 500 list of companies.

Pros 

Cons

  • Intuitive interface

  • Enterprise-standard quality

  • Integrates with multiple translation systems

  • Handles large file sizes

  • Requires registration

2. Google Translate

Google Translate is accessible and free, making it a go-to translation tool for speed. It can translate PDF files up to 10MB. You can upload your PDF file to Google Translate, choose your languages, and Google will generate the translation.

  • Supported Languages
    133 languages.

  • Technology
    Machine learning algorithms, community contributions.

  • Ease of Use
    Simply select your source and target languages, drag and drop the file, and wait for it to upload.

  • Accuracy
    Ranges from 55% to 94%, with the overall meaning preserved in around 82% of translations.

  • Best Suited For
    Fast translation of non-confidential documents where 100% accuracy is not required.

Pros 

Cons

  • Easy to use

  • Widely accessible

  • Supports live translation on mobile

  • No security or data protection features

  • Not perfectly accurate

3. DeepL Translator

DeepL Translator is known for its high-quality translations and is a preferred choice for professional use.

  • Supported Languages
    31 languages.

  • Technology
    Neural network-based machine translation.

  • Ease of Use
    Drag and drop your file or paste the text into the translator.

  • Accuracy
    Highly accurate, especially for European languages.

  • Best Suited For
    Professional translations with high accuracy.

Pros 

Cons

  • High accuracy

  • Easy to use

  • Supports various file formats

  • Limited language support compared to some competitors

  • The free version has limited features

4. iLovePDF

iLovePDF offers a suite of tools for PDF management, including translation.

  • Supported Languages
    Multiple languages via integration with Google Translate.

  • Technology
    Integration with Google Translate.

  • Ease of Use
    Upload your file and select the translation option.

  • Accuracy
    Depends on Google Translate's accuracy.

  • Best Suited For
    Quick translations with additional PDF editing needs.

Pros 

Cons

  • Easy to use

  • Free with no registration required

  • Includes additional PDF tools

  • Relies on Google Translate

  • Limited to smaller files in the free version

5. DocTranslator

DocTranslator uses the Google Translate API to offer a straightforward document translator service.

  • Supported Languages
    100+ languages.

  • Technology
    Google Translate API.

  • Ease of Use
    Upload your document, select source and target languages, and download the translated file.

  • Accuracy
    Similar to Google Translate, ranges between 55% and 94%.

  • Best Suited For
    Translating shorter documents quickly.

Pros 

Cons

  • Simple interface

  • No software installation needed

  • Free for documents under 1,000 words

  • Dependent on Google Translate's accuracy

  • Limited features in the free version

6. Canva’s Free PDF Translator

Canva’s Free PDF Translator offers a user-friendly design tool with powerful translation capabilities.

  • Supported Languages: 134 languages.

  • Technology: Uses advanced machine learning technology.

  • Ease of Use: Canva prioritizes the user experience, offering a seamless and delightful interface that is easy to navigate and helps users reach their goals quickly.

  • Accuracy: Believed to be high.

  • Best Suited For: Professional teams needing easy-to-use PDF translation with design tools.

Pros 

Cons

  • Creates a duplicate page for comparison

  • Easy sharing of translated PDFs

  • Preserves original layout and format

  • Requires registration

  • Dependent on Canva for PDF management

7. TransPDF

TransPDF converts PDF files into XLIFF for translation and then back to PDF, ensuring the original format is maintained.

  • Supported Languages
    Multiple languages via integration with various CAT tools.

  • Technology
    Uses XLIFF and integrates with CAT tools.

  • Ease of Use
    Convert to XLIFF, translate using a CAT tool, and convert back to PDF.

  • Accuracy
    Depends on the CAT tool used for translation.

  • Best Suited For
    Professional translators who need to maintain document formatting.

Pros 

Cons

  • Maintains original formatting

  • Integrates with professional CAT tools

  • Supports large files

  • Requires knowledge of CAT tools

  • Not entirely free for all features

8. Smallpdf

Smallpdf provides a suite of PDF tools, including translation via integration with other services.

  • Supported Languages
    Multiple languages through integration with Google Translate.

  • Technology
    Integration with Google Translate.

  • Ease of Use
    Upload your file, choose translation, and download the result.

  • Accuracy
    Depends on Google Translate's accuracy.

  • Best Suited For
    Basic translations with additional PDF editing tools.

Pros 

Cons

  • Easy to use

  • Free for basic features

  • Additional PDF tools included

  • Dependent on Google Translate's quality

  • Limited features in the free version

9. PDFElement

PDFElement by Wondershare offers a comprehensive PDF solution with translation capabilities.

  • Supported Languages
    Multiple languages via integration with translation services.

  • Technology
    Uses OCR and translation services.

  • Ease of Use
    Edit the PDF, use OCR for text recognition, and translate.

  • Accuracy
    High, especially with clear text documents.

  • Best Suited For
    Detailed editing and translation of complex PDF documents.

Pros 

Cons

  • Comprehensive PDF editing features

  • High accuracy with OCR

  • User-friendly interface

  • Not entirely free

  • May require OCR for scanned documents

10. Foxit PDF

Foxit PDF offers robust PDF translation and editing features for professional use.

  • Supported Languages
    Multiple languages through integration with translation services.

  • Technology
    Uses OCR and integrates with various translation services.

  • Ease of Use
    Edit, recognize text with OCR, and translate.

  • Accuracy
    High with clear text documents.

  • Best Suited For
    Professional users needing robust editing and translation features.

Pros 

Cons

  • Professional-grade features

  • High accuracy with OCR

  • Comprehensive PDF tools

  • Not entirely free

  • Requires OCR for scanned documents

How to quickly translate a PDF document?

AI-powered translation software like Smartcat can speed up translations and make the process easy from any device. Here's how:

  1. Go to Smartcat’s website and sign up for free.

  2. Start a new project and choose your languages. Then, drag and drop your PDF file into  Smartcat for AI PDF file translation.

  3. Review and edit the translated text in Smartcat Editor. You can also export your file without review.

  4. Assign someone from your team to review. Another option is to hire a subject matter expert reviewer from the embedded Smartcat Marketplace.

  5. Export your translated PDF file.

Can I translate a PDF via AI?

Smartcat's AI translation software can quickly translate PDF files into 280 languages with high-quality results in seconds. You can also translate your PDF documents into multiple languages at the same time in Smartcat.

How to translate a scanned PDF?

OCR technology scans and extracts text from PDFs and converts it into editable text for translation. Smartcat performs the full process from end to end. This covers PDF file upload, scan and text extraction, AI translation, review and edit, and translated file export.

Wrapping up: Translate PDF files with AI powered translation software

Whether you need a quick or detailed, accurate translation for professional purposes, you have a range of AI translation software from which to choose. By understanding the features and limitations of each tool, you can choose the best one for your specific requirements.

Start translating your PDFs with Smartcat AI PDF translator today for unrivaled, seamless workflow efficiency and results.

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