Which CAT tool fits you? Trados, memoQ, Smartcat, Wordfast and free options compared on price model, Mac support, file compatibility and agency use.
Short answer: if you work for agencies, Trados is the safest choice for compatibility and memoQ is the strongest alternative. If you are a small team that wants everything in the browser, look at Phrase TMS or Trados Go rather than assuming one tool fits everyone. If you are on a Mac or on a tight budget, Wordfast Pro, CafeTran Espresso or the free OmegaT run natively. Smartcat has moved toward AI translation for companies, so it is now a different kind of product. The rest of this guide explains why, tool by tool and head to head.
Prices and editions checked in October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their pricing pages before you buy.
A CAT tool (computer-assisted translation tool) splits the source text into segments, stores your translations in a translation memory (TM), and suggests matches when similar text appears again. It also manages terminology, runs quality checks and handles file formats like Word, InDesign or XLIFF without breaking the layout. The translator stays in control. CAT software is also called translation memory software or a TM tool.
If you are new to the file formats behind all this, read XLIFF, TMX and TBX explained first. Those three standards are what let you move work between tools.
Trados Studio was made by SDL, which RWS acquired in 2020, so the product is now RWS Trados Studio and the current release is Trados Studio 2026. The "SDL Trados" name you still see in job posts refers to the same product line.
memoQ is made by memoQ Ltd. (formerly Kilgray) in Hungary. It is the main desktop alternative to Trados and is known for flexible project settings and good handling of other tools' files.
Smartcat started as a free cloud CAT tool with a marketplace for freelancers. In 2026 it sells itself as an AI translation platform for companies, with "AI coworkers" and a marketplace of human linguists for review and translation.
Wordfast has three main products. Wordfast Pro is a standalone desktop tool for Windows, macOS and Linux. Wordfast Classic works inside Microsoft Word. Wordfast Anywhere runs in the browser.
For a deeper look at alternatives if memoQ is not the right fit, see the best memoQ alternatives.
These two now solve different problems. memoQ is a translator's workbench: you control the TM, termbases, QA and file handling, and you can work offline. Smartcat is a platform for companies that want AI translation and a pool of vendors, priced by words processed rather than by seats.
For a small translation agency, memoQ (translator pro for each in-house translator, or memoQ TMS once you share TMs) gives more control over quality and files. Smartcat makes more sense if your clients want a portal where they upload content and get AI output reviewed by people, and you are comfortable with your work running on Smartcat's platform.
Both are mature Windows desktop tools with server or cloud options for teams. Many agencies, especially large ones, ask for Trados by name, and it has the bigger plugin ecosystem; memoQ is cheaper for one person and handles Trados packages well. If you only take Trados jobs, Trados avoids the occasional compatibility surprise. If you take a mix, memoQ covers most of it for less. The full comparison is in memoQ vs Trados.
Wordfast costs less over time, runs natively on Mac and Linux, and is easier to learn. Trados has more features, more QA depth and the formats agencies send. A Wordfast Pro license covers three years with upgrades; Trados Freelance is a monthly or annual subscription.
Choose Trados if agencies are your main clients and ask for it. Choose Wordfast if you work on a Mac, mostly with direct clients, or want a lower fixed cost. Many translators start with Wordfast and add Trados when an agency requires it.
It depends on how you get work and how many people share it.
Whatever you choose, keep your translation memories in TMX as well, so you can move them if you change tools. Before a migration, run them through a TM cleaner to remove duplicates and broken segments.
Desktop tools (Trados Studio, memoQ, Wordfast Pro, OmegaT, CafeTran) keep projects and TMs on your computer. You can work offline, files load locally, and you control your data. The cost is installation, updates and, for Trados and memoQ, Windows.
Cloud tools (Trados Go, Phrase TMS, Smartcat, MateCat, Wordfast Anywhere) run in the browser. There is nothing to install, collaboration is built in, and they work on any operating system. The trade-off is that you need a connection and your files live on the vendor's servers, which some clients' confidentiality terms do not allow.
Several vendors now combine both: Trados Freelance includes the desktop and cloud editors, and memoQ TMS can be hosted in the cloud or on premises.
Free tools rarely handle every proprietary package, so check what your clients send. To open a Trados TM without Trados, use the SDLTM converter to turn it into TMX.
memoQ translator pro is the edition for an individual translator. It includes everything you need to translate your own projects and to work on projects an agency sends you as packages. If an agency runs memoQ TMS, they usually give you access to their server under their own plan, so you do not need a team product yourself. Start with the monthly plan if your memoQ work is occasional and switch to annual if it becomes regular.
No. DeepL is a machine translation (MT) engine. It translates text automatically, but it does not manage translation memories, terminology, projects or QA the way a CAT tool does. Most CAT tools can connect to DeepL: Trados, for example, offers it through the RWS AppStore. The translator then reviews the MT suggestion alongside TM matches.
No. Google Translate is also an MT engine. It produces automatic translations but does not store your previous work, enforce terminology or check quality. Like DeepL, it can be plugged into most CAT tools as one source of suggestions.
memoQ usually gives the best value for a small agency that does its own translation work, because it is cheaper per translator than Trados and handles Trados files. Smartcat suits agencies whose clients want AI translation with human review, priced by usage. Wordfast is the cheapest desktop option, but has fewer team features.
The lowest-cost options are OmegaT and MateCat, both free and open source, followed by Wordfast Pro's three-year license and Phrase TMS's Freelancer plan. For teams that share TMs, compare Phrase TMS team plans with memoQ TMS Starter and check how many linguist accounts each includes.
Browser-based platforms do: Phrase TMS, Trados Go and Trados Team, Smartcat and MateCat need no installation and keep files, TMs and termbases on one platform. Setup is mostly creating an account and uploading a TM. The trade-off is that your data is stored on the vendor's servers.
Desktop tools such as Trados Studio, memoQ and Wordfast Pro open files and search TMs locally, so speed depends on your computer, not your connection. Cloud tools depend on the network and the vendor's servers. Very large TMs slow every tool down; cleaning duplicates and splitting oversized files with a TMX splitter helps.
Trados Studio is the closest alternative if you need agency compatibility. Phrase TMS is the main cloud alternative, Wordfast Pro and CafeTran Espresso are the Mac-friendly ones, and OmegaT is the best free one. See memoQ alternatives for each in detail.
For most professional translators it is Trados Studio or memoQ, because both have strong TM and terminology management and are widely used by agencies. If you need free software, OmegaT stores TMs in the standard TMX format, which every major tool can import.
They do different jobs. DeepL Pro is a machine translation service; Trados Studio is a CAT tool where you manage TMs, terminology and QA. Many translators use both, with DeepL connected to Trados as an MT source.
Not natively. Trados Studio is officially supported on Windows only, and RWS suggests Parallels on a Mac. memoQ's desktop editor also runs on Windows. Mac users can use Wordfast Pro, OmegaT or CafeTran Espresso natively, or a browser tool like Trados Go or Phrase TMS.
Your tool affects your costs, so factor the license into your pricing. The translation rates guide and the free word count and quote tool help with that.
On TraduQ, translators list the CAT tools they use on their profile, so clients can find someone who works in their format. TraduQ's free translator tools, such as the TMX editor and QA checker, run in your browser and your files never leave your computer.