Google Cloud Translation vs Amazon Translate
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Google Cloud Translation starts at See pricing page and Amazon Translate starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- 189 languages
- Neural machine translation
- Adaptive Translation with Gemini
- Custom translation models
- Document and batch translation
- Real-time text translation
- Batch document translation
- Word and HTML file support
- Custom terminology
- Active Custom Translation
| Feature | Google Cloud Translation | Amazon Translate |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Translation API for text, documents and sites in 189 languages | Neural machine translation API for text and documents on AWS |
| Category | Writing | Writing |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Amazon Web Services | |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Google Cloud Translation starts at See pricing page and Amazon Translate starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free Tier
Free
- 2 million characters per month
- First 12 months only
- Standard text translation
Standard Translation
$15 / 1M characters
- Text and batch translation
- Real-time text and HTML documents
Word Document Translation
$30 / 1M characters
- Real-time .docx translation
- Keeps document formatting
Active Custom Translation
$60 / 1M characters
- Adapts output to your parallel data
- 500K free characters for 2 months
Prices in USD, checked Nov 5, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Google Cloud Translation
- Very wide language coverage
- Free monthly character allowance
- Custom models for domain terms
- Free allowance excludes LLM translation
- Advanced features need more setup
- Requires a Google Cloud account
Amazon Translate
- Simple per-character pricing
- Scales to very large volumes
- Fits existing AWS pipelines
- Requires an AWS account and setup
- Free tier only lasts 12 months
- Custom translation costs four times more
Which one should you choose?
Choose Google Cloud Translation if you want:
- Very wide language coverage
- Free monthly character allowance
- Custom models for domain terms
Watch out: free allowance excludes llm translation.
Choose Amazon Translate if you want:
- Simple per-character pricing
- Scales to very large volumes
- Fits existing AWS pipelines
Watch out: requires an aws account and setup.
Google Cloud Translation vs Amazon Translate FAQ
What is the difference between Google Cloud Translation and Amazon Translate?
Google Cloud Translation: Translation API for text, documents and sites in 189 languages. Amazon Translate: Neural machine translation API for text and documents on AWS. Both are writing tools.
Is Google Cloud Translation or Amazon Translate cheaper?
Google Cloud Translation starts at See pricing page and Amazon Translate starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Google Cloud Translation and Amazon Translate have free plans?
Google Cloud Translation: Yes. Amazon Translate: Yes.
Who makes Google Cloud Translation?
Google Cloud Translation is made by Google, based in United States.
Who makes Amazon Translate?
Amazon Translate is made by Amazon Web Services, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Google Cloud Translation or Amazon Translate?
Choose Google Cloud Translation if you value very wide language coverage and free monthly character allowance. Choose Amazon Translate if you value simple per-character pricing and scales to very large volumes.