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BasicCAT vs Lokalize

BasicCAT

basiccat.org

Lokalize

apps.kde.org

Side by side

FigureBasicCATLokalize
Price fromFreeFree
Free planYesYes
Free trial——
Open source——
WindowsYesYes
macOSYesYes
LinuxYesYes
Plans published11
Spec score · Computer-Assisted Translation Software8.0 (#11)7.7 (#15)
PurposeBasicCAT is an open-source, free computer-aided translation tool aimed at providing a simple tool for translators.Lokalize is a localization tool for KDE and other free and open-source software, and a computer-aided translation system for translating OpenDocument files.

Plans

BasicCAT

  • BasicCATFree

BasicCAT pricing →

Lokalize

  • LokalizeFree

Lokalize pricing →

In their own words

BasicCAT

BasicCAT is a free, open-source computer-aided translation tool intended to give translators a simple desktop workspace. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and includes translation memory, terminology management, language checking, Quickfill, AutoCorrect, and interactive machine translation. Users can merge or split segments, export Word files for external review, and create bilingual paragraph files. Listed file support includes TXT, IDML, XLIFF, and Gettext PO, alongside TMX, TBX, and SRX standards. Its documentation lists built-in connections to 12 machine translation services, including Baidu, Google, Microsoft Bing, MyMemory, Tencent Cloud, IBM Watson, and Amazon. Most services require API keys; MyMemory instead requires an email address. Language checks use LanguageTool through its API or locally. Translation memory and terms can be shared through a server program, while Git collaboration is for work files and does not sync those resources. The sharing server requires Java 8 or later.

Visit basiccat.org

Lokalize

Lokalize is a free desktop localization tool for KDE and other free and open-source software, and a computer-aided translation system for OpenDocument files. For OpenDocument work, Translate-Toolkit extracts text from.odt files into.xliff files and merges translated text back into the document. Lokalize provides translation memory, terminology management, and quality assurance checks. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Linux installation is available through Discover, other AppStream application stores, or a distribution package manager. KDE links to Windows and macOS installers, including Intel and ARM builds, and lists nightly installers intended for testing. The listed release is version 26.08.2, dated 2026-10-08. Lokalize is licensed under GPL-2.0+ and listed at free. KDE provides a handbook and forum, plus links for bug reports, source code, and localization-project participation. KDE describes itself as a voluntary, international community rather than a for-profit company, legally represented by KDE e.V.

Visit apps.kde.org