Smartcat

Solid CAT tool for small teams

Commentaires : We occasionally use Smartcat to work on game localization projects in a team with other translators and it has never failed us. Solid solution and you can't beat the price because it's free to use.

Avantages :

A free robust CAT-tool makes it extremely attractive for translators, small teams and localization specialists.

Inconvénients :

Navigation within the many dashboard could be improved. Seems like they're trying to be everything at the same time: a CAT tool, project management software and a marketplace for freelancers and it makes it a bit overwhelming.

Smartcat, an excellent tool for freelance translators

Commentaires : In general, Smartcat is a wonderful tool with a great MT/TM motor that allows for rapid translations in all kinds of fields. The best features are the AI behind the segmentation and the fact you can import .xliff files an translation memories. I can use this tool for direct clients or clients through Smartcat without the use for any other translation software, and the price is great. The QA check needs to be improved.

Avantages :

I love it when I receive translation jobs from clients (translation agencies) and I don't have to o any configuring or preparing. I can just start translating. Also, when I receive documents that need to be translated, they can easily be converted into a translation file and at the end you can just download the completed translation in the same original file format. Finally, it has been a huge support for me that Smartcat accepts .xliff files and translation memories from SDL Trados.

Inconvénients :

The QA is one of the least developed features of Smartcat. You can only review each segment at a time (for as far as I know) and when you indicate you want to ignore an error, the software does not apply it automatically to each of the same issues. It therefore takes a lot of time to do the QA. Also, it would be great if you could receive -xliff files, complete them and then export them to the original .docx, .xlsx, etc. Finally, it would be great if the PDF converter becomes more powerful. In this case it is still difficult to upload PDF files with a lot of images.

Still waiting for some improvements

Avantages :

I use SmartCat as freelance translator and it's great to have the possibility to use a CAT-tool anywhere you are, just connecting yourself to their server. It also allows you to communicate with the PM and the other translators working on the same project with other target languages.

Inconvénients :

I think that it still needs some improvements. For exemple, I've asked several times to reintroduce the option to upload more translated files at once in the same project (very useful when you choose to use another CAT-tool to perform the project), but nothing has been done. This option was available at the beginning, but now it has disappeared and it causes a huge loss of time when you're working on projects composed by a great number of files. It would also be useful to have an icon next to each file name indicating if the file contains comments or not, avoiding to open them one by one to check if there are comments to be read (the e-mail alert doesn't work regularly).

Do not recommend this for translation companies

Avantages :

The software is reasonably easy to use and quick to deploy.

Inconvénients :

Management changed the focus of this software to be for businesses, not for translation companies. They don't even mention translation companies on website anymore. They are trying to get rid of translation companies which is very sneaky because we are the ones that helped build this software over the years by providing feedback and funding the software. The software is not well suited for translation companies. We will move away very soon because limited features for translation companies. They can also not be trusted as they changed their fees and model often. The smartwords model is bad. I would advise translation companies to not using this software. There are better options on the market.

Boost your translation profile, or find excellent candidates

Commentaires : Smartcat helps you focus on their translation by splitting files into sentences without worrying about formatting. It is a boon for businesses and freelancers to match and explore work opportunities.

Avantages :

1. It has a web interface dashboard to view all your translation work, files, glossaries, and translation memories in one place. 2. You can pitch for translation, copywriting, transcription, or similar projects on the Smartcat community or apply on the inbuilt job portal. 3. Businesses can also find translator freelancers easily by going through the profile database and selecting as per star rating and credentials. 4. Freelancers can chat with businesses to explore further. 5. You can also set your pay rates to filter clients who meet the minimum price quoted. 6. The best thing about its payment page is that you can also receive payments from non-Smartcat projects. 7. The translation editor interface is easy to use and user-friendly. The best part is that all this comes for free. 8. There are a whole lot of settings to help in your translation work. Set up notifications, choose file formats, use templates, and so on. 9. Productivity services help you use OCR and machine translation. 10. If you complete your profile to 100% and get at least three ratings, you will get regular work from businesses worldwide.

Inconvénients :

1. Machine translation and OCR are handy for freelancers, but they are payment-based services starting from a minimum of $1. 2. You may not get regular work initially. 3. Some jobs listed on the platform are too old to be helpful.