LangRelayVSPolylang
The Polylang alternative that keeps up when your pages change
Polylang gives every language its own WordPress post, translated by hand or, in Pro, with DeepL. LangRelay keeps one post, translates the rendered page with AI, and holds every translation for your approval. Here is how they compare.
- Free plan, no card
- WordPress plugin
- Nothing publishes without you
- Built for
WordPress sites that keep changing
WordPress sites translated by hand, one post per language
- Who does the translating
AI translates every page, then waits for approval
- Keeping translations current
The plugin reports each edit, and only the new text is translated
- Price
Free, or from €19 a month
Polylang lets you translate WordPress by hand, one post per language. LangRelay translates the rendered page for you and asks before it publishes.
Polylang is the right pick if you want a free plugin, every translation as a WordPress post, and you are happy to translate and update each one yourself. LangRelay suits sites that change often: it translates every page, picks up edits about a minute later, holds every translation for approval, and Relay drafts the changes you ask for.
When to choose LangRelay, and when to choose Polylang
Choose LangRelay if
- You want every page translated for you, not one post at a time.
- You edit your pages often and want translations to follow.
- You would rather not manage a copy of every post in every language.
- You want to describe a change in a sentence and have an agent draft it for you.
Choose Polylang if
- You want a free plugin with unlimited languages, and you are happy to translate each page yourself.
- You want every translation stored as a WordPress post in your own database.
- You need a subdomain or a separate domain per language.
- You would rather pay once a year for a licence with no word limit.
Polylang is flexible until the original page changes
Polylang’s own docs say a translation does not update when the original changes. Here is what that, and the rest, means day to day.
01
Who does the translating
In Polylang you translate each post yourself. Pro adds DeepL with your own API key, one post at a time, and its guide says content from some page builders, including Elementor and Divi, is not supported. LangRelay translates every page its crawl finds, with AI that follows your glossary and each language’s formality.
02
When the original changes
Polylang’s DeepL guide says a translation does not update when you edit the original: you edit it by hand, or regenerate it and use DeepL credits again. LangRelay’s plugin reports an edit about a minute later, and only the new text is translated.
03
One post, or one per language
Polylang creates a separate post for each language and links it to the original, so every language is its own content to manage. LangRelay keeps one post and translates the page WordPress renders, theme and page-builder text included.
04
Review before it goes live
Both keep a person in charge. Polylang saves DeepL output as a draft that someone publishes, and Pro can restrict a role to one language. LangRelay holds every translation until someone approves it, and you edit it on the rendered page in the visual editor.
05
Asking in plain language
We found no AI assistant on polylang.pro. Relay, LangRelay’s built-in agent, reads your Site’s pages and translations and drafts the changes you ask for. A separate reviewer agent checks each draft, and Relay can never approve or publish on its own.
06
Where translations live, and what you pay
Polylang’s translations are WordPress posts in your database, and Pro keeps working if you don’t renew. Pro is a yearly licence by number of sites with no word limit; DeepL bills you separately. LangRelay is a monthly plan with a word allowance, and its translations are served through LangRelay.
LangRelay and Polylang, side by side
- No · Not offered
- Partly · With a limit
- Planned · Announced, not shipped
- Not found · Not on the vendor’s own pages when we checked
- Yes · Included
| Capability | LangRelay | |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery and SEOHow translated pages reach visitors and search engines. | ||
| How translated pages are servedHow the translated page reaches visitors: from your own server, through a proxy, or swapped in by the browser. | Yes: WordPress plugin serves translated HTML from your server. A script tag works on any other site, without SEO. | Yes: WordPress plugin. A subdirectory, subdomain or separate domain per language. Source, checked 5 October 2026 |
| WordPress: one post, no copies per languageWhether WordPress keeps one post per page, instead of a separate copy for every language. | Yes: Translates the rendered page. Your posts stay as they are. | No Each translation is a separate post, linked to the original. Source, checked 5 October 2026 |
| hreflang and per-language URLsA URL per language with hreflang tags, so search engines find and index each language. | Yes: Subdirectories (/fr/), hreflang with x-default, a canonical per language, and translated titles and meta. | Yes: hreflang tags, and works with Yoast SEO. Source, checked 5 October 2026 |
| Translated URL slugsURLs in the visitor’s language, like /fr/a-propos instead of /fr/about. | Partly Set by hand per page and language. Automatic slug translation is on the way. | Partly Pro only: translates URL bases for post types and taxonomies. Each translated post has its own slug. Source, checked 5 October 2026 |
| Workflow and reviewWhat happens when content changes, and who decides what goes live. | ||
| Picks up edits to the originalWhen you edit the original page, whether the tool notices and translates what changed. | Yes: The WordPress plugin reports an edit about a minute later, and only the new text is translated. Other sites can call a change hook from their CMS or deploy. | No Editing the original does not update its translation; you edit it by hand or regenerate it. Source, checked 5 October 2026 |
| Approve before it goes liveWhether a person can check a translation before visitors see it. | Yes: Nothing goes live until someone approves it. | Partly DeepL output is saved as a draft that a person publishes. No approval workflow found. Source, checked 5 October 2026 |
| Visual editorEditing translations on the page itself, rather than in a list of strings. | Yes: Click text on the rendered page to edit, at desktop, tablet and mobile widths. | Not found No front-end editor found. |
| GlossaryFixed translations for names and terms, applied every time they appear. | Yes: Per-language terms, “keep as source”, and match case. Paid plans. | Partly Pro: choose a DeepL glossary, managed in your DeepL account. Source, checked 5 October 2026 |
| AI and integrationsHow much of the work AI takes on, and how you reach it. | ||
| Machine translationThe machine or AI translation the tool uses. | Yes: AI translation that follows your glossary and each language’s formality. | Partly Pro only: DeepL with your own API key, one post at a time. Not for Elementor or Divi content. Source, checked 5 October 2026 |
| AI quality reviewAI that checks translations for mistakes, not only writes them. | Yes: A separate reviewer agent checks every change Relay drafts, the way a language expert would. Paid plans. | Not found No AI review found. |
| AI assistant in the productAn assistant inside the product that you can ask in plain language. | Yes: Relay, a chat agent that reads your Site’s pages and translations and drafts changes for your approval. | Not found No AI assistant found. |
| MCP server for your own AILets your own AI assistant, such as Claude or ChatGPT, work with the tool directly. | Planned On the way: connect Claude or ChatGPT to your Sites. | Not found Not found on polylang.pro. |
| APIProgrammatic access for developers. | Planned On the way, for the Growth plan and up. | Yes: Pro: WordPress REST API support and WP-CLI commands. Source, checked 5 October 2026 |
Translation that waits for your yes
The translating is the easy part. LangRelay is built around what happens next: checking it, changing it, and deciding when it goes live.
01
Nothing goes live unapproved
Every translation waits for someone to approve it. Then activate one page, or everything approved at once.
02
Ask Relay in a sentence
Relay reads your Site’s pages and translations and drafts the change you describe, for you to approve. It can never approve or publish on its own.
03
A second agent checks Relay’s work
Every change Relay drafts goes to a separate reviewer agent, which checks it the way a language expert would.
04
Edit on the rendered page
Click any text in the visual editor to change it, at desktop, tablet or mobile width, with titles and meta in the same panel.
Start from your original pages
LangRelay translates from your original pages, so Polylang’s per-language posts aren’t imported. Install the plugin, connect your Site, and LangRelay crawls your pages and translates them into the languages you choose.
What comes across
- Every page the crawl finds, translated into your languages
- Theme, menu and page-builder text, from the rendered page
- hreflang, a canonical per language, and translated titles and meta
Translations are made fresh, so the first crawl uses words from your allowance. LangRelay serves languages under subdirectories such as /fr/. If Polylang used a subdomain, a separate domain or translated slugs, set matching slugs or add redirects so links keep working.
What you pay, and what it counts
A yearly licence by number of sites, with no word limit. Machine translation is billed separately by DeepL, on your own account. Prices exclude VAT.
LangRelay Starter
€19a month
3 Sites, 3 languages per Site and 150K words a month. A word is a source word translated into one language; unchanged and reused text uses none.
Or start free: 1 Site, 1 language, 10K words a month.
Polylang
€99a year
Polylang Pro, €99 a year for 1 site. Renewals are currently half price.
Free plan: Polylang on WordPress.org, with unlimited languages.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask when they weigh Polylang against LangRelay: how each one stores and publishes translations, what the prices count, and what moving involves.
Something we missed? Book a demo or write to us.
Does Polylang translate my site automatically?
No. In the free plugin you translate each post yourself. Polylang Pro adds DeepL with your own API key, one post, page or product at a time; its features page says Pro has no one-click way to translate everything. LangRelay translates every page its crawl finds and holds each translation for approval.
Does Polylang update translations when I edit a page?
No. Polylang’s DeepL guide says there is no automatic synchronisation between the original and its translation. You edit the translation by hand, or regenerate it, which uses DeepL credits again. LangRelay’s plugin reports an edit about a minute later, and only the new text is translated.
Does Polylang create a separate post for each language?
Yes. Polylang’s documentation describes each translation as its own WordPress post, linked to the original. That keeps translations in your database, and means each language is a separate post to manage. LangRelay keeps one post and translates the rendered page.
How does Polylang pricing compare with LangRelay?
The Polylang plugin on WordPress.org is free, with unlimited languages. Polylang Pro is €99 a year for 1 site, excluding VAT, with renewals currently at half price. Polylang sets no word limit; DeepL bills machine translation separately, on your own account. LangRelay is a monthly plan with words included each month; see the pricing comparison above.
Can I switch from Polylang to LangRelay?
Yes, but plan the URLs. LangRelay translates from your original pages, so Polylang’s per-language posts aren’t imported. It serves each language under a subdirectory such as /fr/, and translated slugs are set by hand. If Polylang used a subdomain, a separate domain or translated slugs, set matching slugs or add redirects so existing links keep working.
Does Polylang have an MCP server?
Not that we could find on polylang.pro. LangRelay’s MCP is on the way; today you can ask Relay, LangRelay’s built-in agent, from inside the dashboard.
Keep comparing
LangRelay vs Weglot
The best-known translating proxy. It works on almost any platform; its help center describes machine translation going live automatically unless you switch on manual approval. Pricing caps the total number of translated words and languages.
LangRelay vs WPML
The longest-standing WordPress translation plugin. Each language is its own post in your database, with deep review controls and integrations. AI translation is paid per word on top of a yearly licence.
LangRelay vs TranslatePress
A WordPress plugin that translates the rendered page, with a front-end visual editor even in the free version. Translations live in your database; automatic translations are served without review.
LangRelay vs Linguise
A hosted service that translates everything automatically and serves it straight away. Strong SEO output and unlimited languages; there is no review step before translations go live.
LangRelay vs GTranslate
Best known for its free Google Translate switcher, which translates in the browser without SEO. Paid plans add a translating proxy with indexable pages and no word limits.
LangRelay vs ConveyThis
A plugin and proxy for many platforms, with a visual editor on every plan and a read-only MCP server. Translations go live by default; subdirectories need a higher plan.
The 2026 buyer’s guide
Eight website translation tools compared on delivery, SEO, review, AI and pricing.
Sources
Every Polylang claim on this page comes from Polylang’s own pages: its website, its documentation or its WordPress.org listing. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll correct it.
Polylang
- polylang.pro/documentation/support/developers/rest-api/ (checked 5 October 2026)
- polylang.pro/documentation/support/guides/how-to-use-deepl-machine-translation-with-polylang-pro/ (checked 5 October 2026)
- polylang.pro/features/ (checked 5 October 2026)
- polylang.pro/documentation/support/guides/translating-urls-slugs/ (checked 5 October 2026)
- polylang.pro/pricing/polylang-pro/ (checked 5 October 2026)
Start with one client site.
Pick one site and one language. See how LangRelay handles changes, review, and SEO on a real client workflow.