MultilingualPress vs Polylang
Updated 6 Oct 2026. 27 features compared side by side.
Premium multisite-based multilingual plugin from Syde: one site per language, translations in your own database, with DeepL, Amazon or OpenAI auto-translation.
Lightweight free multilingual plugin for manual translation of posts, terms, menus and strings, with Pro and WooCommerce add-ons from WP SYNTEX.
Choose MultilingualPress if…
- You need side-by-side editor and AI translation
- You also want auto-translate new content and professional translators
- You want the more complete feature set (84/100 vs 74/100)
Choose Polylang if…
- You need XLIFF / PO import & export
- You want to start with a free version
- You want the lower entry price (€99/yr vs €149/yr)
- You prefer the more widely used option
MultilingualPress includes 6 features that Polylang lacks, including Side-by-side editor, AI translation and Auto-translate new content; Polylang has 1 that MultilingualPress lacks, including XLIFF / PO import & export. Both include 19 of the 27 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
MultilingualPress PolylangTranslating content8/94/9
Translation happens in the post editor tabs; no front-end visual editor.
Translations are edited as separate posts in the standard WordPress editor, not on the live page.
Edit linked translations from tabs in the source post's editor rather than a true split view.
No side-by-side view; Pro can duplicate the original into the translation for editing.
AutoTranslate uses DeepL or Amazon Translate with your own API keys.
DeepL machine translation using your own API key, one item at a time.
AutoTranslate can use OpenAI GPT models for context-aware translations.
No LLM translation service; machine translation is limited to DeepL with your own key.
AutoTranslate can process new and updated posts in the background.
DeepL output is not refreshed automatically when the original content changes.
DeepL glossaries supported since 5.1; no translation memory.
Since 3.8 you can choose a DeepL glossary for machine translation; there is no translation memory.
Free translationMANAGER plugin (Syde and Eurotext) sends content to Eurotext's paid service.
No translation-agency integration; XLIFF files (Pro) can be exchanged manually.
Theme and plugin strings rely on each site's .po/.mo files or Loco Translate.
String Translation panel for theme, plugin and widget text in the free plugin.
Each language site has its own media library; media can be copied between sites.
Media items can be translated with per-language titles and alt text; translations share the same file.
Languages & URLs5/55/5
Starter 2, Professional 6, Advanced 12; unlimited only on Enterprise.
No limit on the number of languages in the free version.
Language sites can use multisite sub-directories, sub-domains or mapped domains.
Language code in the URL, a subdomain or a separate domain per language, all free.
Language switcher widget, block menu, quick links and menu flags.
Language switcher block, navigation block and widget are free since version 3.8.
Redirect module uses browser language or geolocation with a fallback site.
Free setting redirects first-time home page visitors based on browser language.
Each site uses a WordPress locale, so core RTL handling applies.
RTL scripts are supported in the free plugin.
Multilingual SEO4/44/4
The Advanced tab sets a separate slug for each translation.
Translating post, page, CPT and taxonomy slugs requires Polylang Pro.
hreflang tags are output automatically once translations are linked.
Outputs hreflang tags for translated content.
Each language is a full site, so its own core or SEO-plugin sitemap lists its pages.
Translated content is included in sitemaps, including via Yoast SEO.
Yoast SEO compatible; each language site keeps its own SEO meta.
Free plugin is compatible with Yoast SEO for translated titles and meta.
Compatibility5/53/5
Translates products, attributes, coupons; emails and template strings via .po files.
Requires the paid Polylang for WooCommerce add-on (€99/year) for products, emails and stock sync.
Each language shop can use its own currency, but prices are set manually.
Neither Polylang nor its WooCommerce add-on offers multi-currency pricing.
Modules for Elementor, Beaver Builder and Gutenberg blocks; Cornerstone in changelog.
Works with the block editor, Elementor, Divi and Bricks; Pro adds deeper block and Site Editor integration.
No form-plugin integration; you build forms separately on each language site.
No official form integrations; form plugins rely on their own or community Polylang bridges.
ACF module translates field values; AutoTranslate covers ACF fields.
Polylang Pro adds an integration with ACF Pro for translating and syncing fields.
Workflow & hosting3/44/4
All translations live as normal content in your own multisite database.
Translations are stored as linked WordPress posts and terms in your database.
No word or page-view quotas; only your MT provider's own usage costs.
No word or page-view quotas; DeepL usage depends on your own DeepL plan.
Uses standard WordPress roles per site; no translation status or review queue.
Per-language translate capabilities and string-translation access since Pro 3.8.
No XLIFF or translation file exchange in docs or changelog.
XLIFF import and export for working with external translators.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
MultilingualPress Premium
| Starter | €149 per year, 1 site |
|---|---|
| Professional | €499 per year, 1 site |
| Advanced | €899 per year, 1 site |
| Enterprise | €1,499 per year, 1 site |
Polylang Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Polylang Pro (1 site) | €99 per year, 1 site |
| Polylang Pro (5 sites) | €297 per year, 5 sites |
| Polylang Pro (25 sites) | €495 per year, 25 sites |
| Polylang for WooCommerce | €99 per year, 1 site |
| Business Pack (Pro + WooCommerce) | €139 per year, 1 site |
Downloads trend
MultilingualPress
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Polylang
102,207 downloads last week
Verdict
MultilingualPress scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 74/100) and includes side-by-side editor, AI translation and auto-translate new content that Polylang does not. Polylang still has the edge on XLIFF / PO import & export. Only Polylang has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
MultilingualPress: partial. Polylang: not included. Edit linked translations from tabs in the source post's editor rather than a true split view.
MultilingualPress: included. Polylang: not included. AutoTranslate can use OpenAI GPT models for context-aware translations.
MultilingualPress: included. Polylang: not included. AutoTranslate can process new and updated posts in the background.
MultilingualPress: via add-on. Polylang: not included. Free translationMANAGER plugin (Syde and Eurotext) sends content to Eurotext's paid service.
MultilingualPress: partial. Polylang: not included. Each language shop can use its own currency, but prices are set manually.
MultilingualPress: partial. Polylang: third-party. No form-plugin integration; you build forms separately on each language site.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, MultilingualPress or Polylang?
MultilingualPress scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 74/100) and includes side-by-side editor, AI translation and auto-translate new content that Polylang does not. Polylang still has the edge on XLIFF / PO import & export. Only Polylang has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
MultilingualPress includes 25 of the 27 features we track, against 20 for Polylang. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is MultilingualPress free?
MultilingualPress is premium only. Paid plans start at €149/yr.
Is Polylang free?
Polylang has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at €99/yr.
Feature data last changed 6 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to MultilingualPress or Polylang. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.