Mate Translate

Overview

Mate Translate brings translation into browser and Apple-device workflows, with tools for people who translate frequently across the day. Its choice of translation styles, pronunciation aids and phrasebook make it more capable than a text-only converter, but the lack of document translation is a meaningful gap for file-focused work.

With support for 250 languages and website translation, Mate suits text and web content in particular. Pro adds offline use and cross-device syncing, though its subscription prices vary by plan and are shown in the app or account.

For a wider comparison, browse Translation Software.

Key features

Translation styles and language aids

Basic, Advanced and AI styles give users some control over how they translate. Pro also adds a formality setting, which is useful when tone matters. Advanced and AI translations have daily and monthly fair-use allowances and a maximum request size; after those limits, Mate falls back to Basic. That preserves access to translation, but people who rely on the more advanced styles should account for the caps.

Mate can speak translations and show phonetics, word genders and synonyms. Those aids make it a stronger fit for checking vocabulary and pronunciation than a service that returns translated text alone.

Browser and app workflow

The extension can translate selected page text, manually translate an entire page, act from a right-click menu and translate Netflix subtitles. Mate for iOS also supports translation in Safari, iMessage, PDFs, Mail and other apps. This breadth makes Mate particularly useful when translation needs to happen in context rather than through a separate copy-and-paste step.

Users can save and categorize phrases. The free extension includes local History and Phrasebook, while Pro syncs both across devices. That distinction matters for anyone who expects saved material to follow them between devices.

Offline use and privacy

Pro includes offline translation, with iPhone and iPad supporting offline use in more than 55 languages. That is useful for travel or unreliable connections, though the offline language coverage is narrower than Mate's overall language count.

Text sent for translation goes to translation providers together with the language pair, and Mate says those providers' terms prohibit using the text for training. Without an account, History and Phrasebook remain on the device; synced account data can be viewed and deleted by the user. Mate says passwords are hashed. Apple handles App Store payments, while Paddle processes purchases made directly from Mate.

Pricing

Mate is freemium, with a free plan and a 7-day trial. The browser extension is free forever at free. It includes popup and on-page translation, three synonyms per translation, local History and Phrasebook, and click-to-translate Netflix subtitles. It is a useful starting point for browser-based translation, but Pro is needed for offline translation, syncing and the formality control.

Mate Pro is billed annually, with a price that varies by plan and is shown in the app or account. One subscription covers Mac, iPhone, iPad and browser extensions. Advanced and AI styles remain subject to fair-use limits, so Pro does not mean unlimited use of those modes.

Mate Monthly, Mate Annual and Mate Weekly are Pro subscriptions, and Mate Educational Annual is an educational subscription; each has custom pricing. The plan names indicate different billing periods, but the terms provided do not establish their exact prices or seat counts. Check the applicable price and subscription terms before choosing a paid plan.

Platforms

Mate supports web, macOS, iOS, Linux, Windows and Android across its listed platforms, but it has no native Windows or Android app. On Windows and Linux, its browser extension provides the route to use; Firefox for Android supports the extension. Browser add-ons are listed for Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Edge. Native-app expectations therefore matter: Mate is strongest for Apple-device users and browser workflows, not people seeking dedicated Windows or Android software.

There is no document translation, despite iOS support for translating within PDF files. That integration is useful for in-app text, but it does not make Mate a document-translation tool.

Who it's for

Mate is best for frequent translators who want translation embedded in browser and Apple-app workflows, plus phrase saving, pronunciation help and optional offline use. It is less suitable for people whose core task is translating documents, or who need a native Windows or Android app. Users who need Advanced or AI styles heavily should also weigh the fair-use caps.

Pros and cons

Pros: Browser selection, full-page translation and Netflix subtitle support keep translation close to the content being read.

Pros: iOS integrations reach Safari, iMessage, PDFs, Mail and other apps; Pro adds sync across supported devices.

Pros: Spoken translations, phonetics, genders and synonyms make it useful for vocabulary and pronunciation checks.

Cons: No document translation, which rules it out for file-centered translation work.

Cons: No native Windows or Android app, despite extension support on those platforms.

Cons: Advanced and AI styles have fair-use allowances and request-size limits, while Pro pricing varies by plan.

Alternatives

Crowdin is a reasonable alternative for readers comparing translation software with a free plan and broad platform support, including API access; its free-plan limits are not established here.

Papago is worth considering if its monthly allowances for image, document and voice translation match the task better than Mate's browser and app workflow.

Localizely is a better fit for localization projects that need hosted string keys, projects, languages and multiple users on a free plan.

iTranslate is another freemium option for text translation, with a Pro plan that includes a keyboard extension and custom phrases.

QuillBot may suit readers who want paraphrasing alongside translation, with a free plan that caps paraphrasing at 100 words and includes two modes.

SimpleLocalize is aimed at project-based localization, with a free Community plan that includes 500 translation keys, 10 projects, 10 languages and one team member.

CafeTran Espresso is a desktop alternative for Linux, macOS and Windows, with a free tier capped at 1,000 translation units and 500 glossary terms.

Docuflair Redact is an alternative for readers comparing paid software that covers document-oriented work.

Verdict

Choose Mate Translate if you translate frequently in browsers or Apple apps and value phrase tools, pronunciation aids and Pro's offline and sync features. Its main advantage is workflow integration; its main reasons to look elsewhere are the absence of document translation, no native Windows or Android app, and fair-use limits on Advanced and AI styles.