February 17, 2025
Translation services bridge communication gaps and open business opportunities for businesses with over 7,000 languages spoken on the planet. Projections indicate that the market value of the language services industry could reach about 65.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2026.
A business owner or startup looking for translation services has to decide whether to go with an online translation company or a freelance translator. Both are good and bad on quality, cost, speed, scalability, and so forth. In this article, the author explores the important factors that you should take into account when choosing a translation fit.
When it comes to translation quality, both translation companies and experienced freelancers can deliver accurate and linguistically nuanced translations. However, companies, particularly those offering translation services online, typically have more rigorous quality assurance (QA) processes, like using computer-assisted translation tools, having editors review translations, and doing final proofreads.
Freelancers are individuals working independently, so the quality level can vary more widely depending on their skills, experience, expertise, and how much effort they put into QA. Top-notch freelancers will have robust QA built into their process, while those newer to the industry may have more inconsistent quality.
Verdict: Translation companies win for consistency in quality, while freelancer quality varies. Thorough vetting is essential to finding a freelancer who meets your standards.
Online translation companies generally charge per word, with rates starting around 0.05 per word for common language combinations like Spanish to English. The rate can be higher for rare language pairs. Expect to pay at least 100-200 per project.
Freelance translators charge anything from 0.05 per word and upwards. Spanish to English can be as little as 0.03 per word. The minimum per project also varies more, from 50 up to 500+, depending on experience. Top-tier freelancers will charge higher rates.
Verdict: Freelancers offer better value for money on common translations, while companies charge more due to higher overheads. Yet companies can be more affordable for rare language pairs by leveraging their network of linguists.
Translation companies usually deliver projects within 24-48 hours, though rush orders can be turned around in a few hours for an additional fee. They have large teams of translators, so they can easily reassign orders if one linguist is unavailable. This agility means they can handle larger volumes of content.
Freelancers are often slower, delivering in 3-7 days, depending on the project size. As individuals, they can only work so fast and have capacity limitations. However, experienced full-time freelancers can still deliver 24-48 hour rush projects in a pinch. The best ones plan their schedules tightly to accommodate urgent work.
Verdict: Translation companies are faster by keeping tight turnarounds of 24-48 hours as standard. Freelancers take longer but can still offer speedy delivery if needed.
Online translation companies maintain networks of over 5,000 professional freelance translators covering over 150 languages. This gives immense scalability to handle high volumes across vast language pairs. Teams can scale up or down to meet seasonal spikes or dips in demand.
In comparison, individual freelancers have much less capacity to scale. The best they can do is potentially outsource some of your projects to their trusted network, but even then, their capacity is limited. Freelancers work alone, so they cannot scale teams.
Verdict: Translation companies are vastly more scalable through large linguist networks. Freelancers have major capacity limitations as one person.
Reputable translation companies require linguists to have specialist experience in their chosen verticals. So you can access translators focused on legal, financial, medical, or technical translations. This expertise ensures precise vertical-specific terminology.
Freelancers may specialise after years of working in a vertical, gaining knowledge about the associated lingo. But lacking formal procedures, some freelancers claim specialisations without enough expertise. Checking client references is key when sourcing a specialised freelancer.
Verdict: Translation companies vet specialist linguists more rigorously. But some freelancers do develop deep vertical expertise.
As larger businesses, translation companies generally provide excellent customer service and account management. You get an account manager assigned as a key contact point to discuss linguist selection, specifications, queries, and feedback. Service levels are clearly defined.
In contrast, the customer service level among freelancers varies substantially. Some are highly responsive and professional in their communications, while others are difficult to get hold of or make you feel like an inconvenience when asking questions.
Verdict: Translation companies offer vastly superior customer service and account management compared to freelancers. But freelancers’ service quality depends hugely on the individual.
Reputable translation companies have robust IT security, using enterprise-grade software and hardware firewalls to protect confidential documents and data. They comply with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 9001 standards. Rigorous cybersecurity training minimises insider threats.
Individual freelancers rarely invest in expensive security infrastructure or achieve advanced global regulatory compliance. Most use consumer-grade software lacking encryption. Without cybersecurity training, accidental breaches can occur. That said, the most professional freelancers will have strict confidentiality contracts and security protocols in place.
Verdict: Translation companies offer far sturdier security measures and compliance. But freelancers are lower risk for non-sensitive content, and some individuals do prioritise security.
So, should you choose an online translation company or a freelancer? Here's a quick recap:
In essence, large organisations that need scalable, specialised, regulated translation capacity will benefit from translation companies. Such clients also fit the rigors of quality, security, compliance, and customer service standards.
If you are taking a chance that the occasional translation work that you need is going to be so infrequent that it won’t make a dent in your budget, then freelancers can get the job done for you on common language pairs at extremely affordable quality work, as long as you vet them well.
However, due to the variation in translation volumes, sensitivity of content, and the number of target languages that you would wish to translate your content to, the best route will vary depending on your audience, budget, content sensitivity, translation volumes, and risk tolerance. Evaluate your needs, consider the pros and cons, and make a decision on your translation partner based on your business needs.
