# Free CAT Tools in 2026: What Each One Can Actually Do

Source: https://traduq.com/blog/free-cat-tools · Updated October 24, 2026

## Key takeaways

- The fully free CAT tools in 2026 are OmegaT (open source, desktop, Windows, macOS and Linux) and MateCat (open source, in the browser, with machine translation).
- CafeTran Espresso is free without a license, but only with TMs up to 1,000 units and glossaries up to 500 terms in total.
- Smartcat, Phrase TMS and Wordfast Anywhere no longer have a free plan for individual translators; Trados and memoQ offer 14-day trials, not free editions.
- TraduQ CAT is a free browser CAT tool for Trados and memoQ files and packages and for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF documents, with TM matches, termbases and QA. It has no MT.

The free CAT tools that still exist in 2026: OmegaT, MateCat, CafeTran's free mode and TraduQ's browser editor. Plus the once-free tools you now pay for.

The best free CAT tools in 2026 are **OmegaT**, an open-source desktop tool for Windows, macOS and Linux, and **MateCat**, an open-source CAT tool that runs in the browser with machine translation built in. **CafeTran Espresso** is free too, but only while your translation memories stay under 1,000 units. If your clients send Trados or memoQ files, or Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF documents, the free [TraduQ CAT](https://traduq.com/tools/cat-tool) translates them in your browser without installing anything. Most other tools that once had a free plan, such as Smartcat, Phrase and Wordfast Anywhere, are now paid or trial-only.

Plans and prices were checked on the vendors' own sites on 21 October 2026; the pages are listed under Sources at the end. Vendors change plans often, so confirm before you rely on one.

## What "free" means for a CAT tool

"Free" covers three different things, and it helps to know which one you're getting:

- **Free and open source:** No price, no account limits, and the code is public. OmegaT and MateCat.
- **Free with limits:** The program works for free, but only up to a size or feature limit. CafeTran Espresso.
- **Free trial:** The full product for a few days, then a subscription. Trados, memoQ, Phrase and Smartcat.

A trial is fine for learning a tool or finishing one job, but it isn't a free CAT tool.

## The free CAT tools at a glance

- **OmegaT:** Free, open source (GPL v3), desktop on Windows, macOS and Linux. Best for translators who want a full desktop CAT tool at no cost.
- **MateCat:** Free, open source (LGPL), in the browser, with TM and machine translation. Best for quick jobs and post-editing without installing anything.
- **CafeTran Espresso (unlicensed):** Free on Mac, Windows and Linux, with TMs up to 1,000 units and glossaries up to 500 terms in total. Best for trying the tool on small real jobs.
- **TraduQ CAT:** Free, in the browser, for SDLXLIFF, XLIFF and memoQ files, Trados and memoQ packages, and Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF documents. Best for translating a file or package an agency sent you when you don't have Trados or memoQ.

## OmegaT

OmegaT describes itself as "a free professional translation memory application". It is distributed under the GNU General Public License v3, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and its downloads come with the Java runtime included, so you don't need to install Java separately. It lists more than 30 supported file formats, including Microsoft Office and LibreOffice files, HTML and PO files, and it can connect to machine translation services.

- **Strengths:** Fully free with no limits, native on all three operating systems, and its TMs are standard TMX that every other CAT tool imports.
- **Weaknesses:** It doesn't open Trados packages, and neither its manual nor the Okapi Filters Plugin lists SDLXLIFF among the supported formats, so test a Trados file with the client before you rely on it.
- **Best for:** Translators starting out, Linux and Mac users, and anyone who wants a desktop tool they will never pay for.

## MateCat

MateCat is a web-based CAT tool that you can "freely use" online at matecat.com. It is open source under the LGPL, and its site says it is free for translation companies, translators and enterprise users. It suggests the best matches from translation memories and machine translation for each segment. Its founders and main contributors are the research centre FBK and Translated, with Université du Maine and the University of Edinburgh. MateCat accepts SDLXLIFF files, but not Trados packages, so you unzip a package and upload the files inside.

- **Strengths:** Nothing to install, machine translation built in, and it opens Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF and InDesign files directly.
- **Weaknesses:** Your files are uploaded to MateCat's servers, and its list of supported files has no Trados packages or memoQ MQXLIFF files.
- **Best for:** Post-editing, quick jobs and translators who work on several computers.

## CafeTran Espresso

CafeTran Espresso runs on Mac, Windows and Linux and handles Trados and memoQ formats. Without a license file it runs indefinitely, with two limits: translation memories of no more than 1,000 translation units in total and glossaries of no more than 500 terms in total. A license removes the limits; CafeTran lists an annual subscription at €80 a year, and €200 as the full price of a one-time purchase.

- **Best for:** Trying a capable cross-platform tool on small real jobs before you decide whether to buy it.

## TraduQ CAT (ours)

We make this one, so read this section with that in mind. [TraduQ CAT](https://traduq.com/tools/cat-tool) is a free browser CAT tool for translating Trados and memoQ files without Trados or memoQ, and Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF documents. Your files are read in your browser and never uploaded, and there's no sign-up.

What it does:

- Opens Trados SDLXLIFF files, memoQ MQXLIFF and MQXLZ files, XLIFF 1.2 and 2.0, Trados project packages (.sdlppx) and memoQ handoff packages (.mqout), up to 200 MB
- Opens Word, Excel and PowerPoint files and gives them back translated in the same format; PDFs open in text mode, without images or layout, and come back as a Word document
- Opens software and text files (PO, JSON and ARB, .properties, .resx, .strings and .txt) and gives them back in their own format
- Uses the translation memory that came in a Trados package automatically; you can add your own TMX or SDLTM files, and what you confirm goes into a working TM you can export as TMX
- Takes termbases as CSV, Excel, TBX, MultiTerm XML or memoQ exports, highlights the terms found in each segment, and adds a new term with Ctrl+Q
- Shows suggestions when you press and release Ctrl: terms, TM fragments, numbers, links and email addresses from the source
- Fills repetitions when you confirm a segment, and underlines spelling errors with built-in dictionaries for more than 40 languages, checked in your browser
- Has concordance search, regex search and find and replace across the file
- Shows tags as chips you insert or copy with the keyboard, and blocks the final download if a segment you edited has broken tags
- Has a QA panel with the same checks as our [QA checker](https://traduq.com/tools/qa-checker), including numbers, tags and termbase terms you didn't use
- Exports a bilingual review table as a Word file for a reviewer, and imports their corrections back
- Saves your work in the browser as you type, so you can close the tab and pick up later
- Exports the translated file with only targets and statuses changed, plus an updated TMX with what you confirmed
- Exports a Trados return package (.sdlrpx) from an .sdlppx, tested in real Trados round trips (check with the agency the first time)

What it doesn't do:

- Machine translation: suggestions come only from your TMs and termbases
- Scanned PDFs: they have no text to read, so run OCR first and open the Word file
- memoQ delivery packages (.mqback): send back the translated MQXLIFF files instead
- Phones: it's designed for a computer with a keyboard

To see what's inside a package before you accept a job, open it in the [package inspector](https://traduq.com/tools/package-inspector) and send it to the editor in one click. For the full workflow with Trados packages, see [how to open an SDLPPX without Trados](https://traduq.com/blog/open-sdlppx-without-trados).

- **Best for:** Freelancers who get the occasional Trados or memoQ job and don't want to buy a license for it, or who want a TM and termbase for an office document without installing anything.

## "Free" tools that are now paid or trial-only

- **Smartcat:** No free plan is listed in 2026. The entry plan, Adapt, starts at $1,200 a year, with a 15-day free trial. Signing up as a vendor in its marketplace is free.
- **Phrase TMS (formerly Memsource):** No free plan is listed. The Freelancer plan is from $27 a month billed annually, and every plan has a 14-day free trial.
- **Wordfast Anywhere:** No longer free for everyone. It costs $1 for a 30-day trial, then $9.90 for each month of credits, and it's free for owners of a valid Wordfast Classic, Pro or Studio license.
- **memoQ:** No free edition. memoQ translator pro has a 14-day trial, then costs $436 a year or $54 a month, on Windows.
- **Trados Studio:** No free edition. Trados has a 14-day trial; Trados Freelance costs $564 a year on its yearly plan.

For a side-by-side of the paid tools, see [Trados vs memoQ vs Smartcat vs Wordfast](https://traduq.com/blog/cat-tools-comparison).

## Which free CAT tool should you use?

- **You want one free tool for everything:** OmegaT.
- **You don't want to install anything:** MateCat or [TraduQ CAT](https://traduq.com/tools/cat-tool) for office files and PDFs; TraduQ CAT for Trados and memoQ files and packages.
- **An agency sent you a Trados or memoQ package:** our free CAT tool or memoQ's trial; with OmegaT or MateCat you first have to unzip the package, and OmegaT may not read the SDLXLIFF files inside.
- **You're on a Mac or Linux:** OmegaT or CafeTran Espresso.
- **You want machine translation in the editor:** MateCat or OmegaT with an MT service connected.

Whichever you pick, keep your TMs in TMX so you can move them to any other tool later. The [TMX editor](https://traduq.com/tools/tmx-editor) opens and cleans them in your browser, and the [QA checker](https://traduq.com/tools/qa-checker) checks a finished XLIFF file before you deliver it.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best free CAT tool?

OmegaT is the most complete free CAT tool: open source, no limits, and native on Windows, macOS and Linux. MateCat is the best free option in the browser.

### Is there a free online CAT tool?

Yes. MateCat is free and open source in the browser. [TraduQ CAT](https://traduq.com/tools/cat-tool) is also free online, for SDLXLIFF, XLIFF and memoQ files and packages and for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF documents, and it doesn't upload your files.

### Is there a free alternative to Trados?

OmegaT and MateCat are the main free alternatives to Trados. Neither imports Trados packages directly; to translate an .sdlppx for free, use TraduQ CAT, or unzip the package and work on its SDLXLIFF files. See [Trados alternatives](https://traduq.com/blog/trados-alternatives) for the paid options.

### Does Trados or memoQ have a free version?

No. Both have a 14-day free trial, then a paid subscription.

### Is Smartcat still free?

Not as a free plan. As of October 2026 Smartcat lists paid plans from $1,200 a year with a 15-day trial. Joining its marketplace as a vendor is free.

### Can a free CAT tool open SDLXLIFF files?

Yes. MateCat and TraduQ CAT open SDLXLIFF files, and CafeTran Espresso handles Trados formats in its free mode within its size limits.

## Sources

Vendor pages checked on 21 October 2026:

- [OmegaT](https://omegat.org/): free, GPL v3, platforms, formats, machine translation
- [OmegaT downloads](https://omegat.org/download): Java runtime included, supported systems
- [MateCat](https://site.matecat.com/): free for companies and translators, LGPL, TM and MT, founders
- [MateCat on GitHub](https://github.com/matecat/MateCat): web-based, free to use online, LGPL-3.0
- [MateCat supported file types (source code)](https://github.com/matecat/MateCat/blob/master/lib/Utils/Registry/AppConfig.php): office, PDF and InDesign files, SDLXLIFF; no SDLPPX or MQXLIFF
- [Okapi Filters Plugin for OmegaT](https://okapiframework.org/wiki/index.php/Okapi_Filters_Plugin_for_OmegaT): supported formats
- [CafeTran Espresso](https://www.cafetran.com/): platforms, free use, Trados and memoQ formats
- [CafeTran Espresso on ProZ.com](https://cafetran.proz.com/): free-mode limits, license prices
- [Smartcat pricing](https://www.smartcat.com/pricing/): plans, trial, no free plan listed
- [Smartcat for vendors](https://www.smartcat.com/suppliers/): free vendor sign-up
- [Phrase pricing](https://phrase.com/pricing/): Freelancer plan, trial
- [Wordfast Anywhere](https://www.wordfast.com/products/wordfast_anywhere): trial, monthly credits, free for license holders
- [memoQ translator pro](https://www.memoq.com/products/memoq-translator-pro/): price, trial, Windows
- [Trados pricing (RWS)](https://www.trados.com/pricing/): trial, Trados Freelance price

TraduQ is a marketplace for translators, and its file tools are free, need no sign-up and run in your browser, so your files never leave your computer.

## Tools for this

- [TraduQ CAT](https://traduq.com/tools/cat-tool) — A free browser CAT tool for Trados and memoQ packages, XLIFF, Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx), InDesign (.idml, Beta), PDF (text only) and software strings (JSON, PO, .resx…), with TM matches, a termbase and QA.
- [Trados & memoQ package inspector](https://traduq.com/tools/package-inspector) — Open a Trados or memoQ package to see its word count, files and TMs, and export a Trados TM as TMX.
- [Translation QA checker](https://traduq.com/tools/qa-checker) — Check numbers, tags, spaces and consistency in bilingual files.
- [TMX editor](https://traduq.com/tools/tmx-editor) — Edit target segments with memoQ-style tags, delete units and save a TMX.

## Related posts

- [How to Open an SDLPPX (Trados Package) Without Trados](https://traduq.com/blog/open-sdlppx-without-trados) — What's inside a Trados .sdlppx package, how to open and translate it in memoQ, Wordfast Pro, Smartcat or by unzipping it, and when you still need Trados.
- [XLIFF, TMX, and TBX: Translation File Formats Explained](https://traduq.com/blog/xliff-tmx-tbx-formats-explained) — Understand the key file formats used in professional translation, when to use each one, and how they improve your translation workflow.
- [Best Trados Alternatives in 2026 for Freelance Translators](https://traduq.com/blog/trados-alternatives) — Trados Studio alternatives for freelancers in 2026: memoQ, Wordfast Pro, Phrase TMS, CafeTran, OmegaT and MateCat on price, Mac and Trados files.

## Glossary

- [CAT tool](https://traduq.com/glossary/cat-tool)
- [Project package](https://traduq.com/glossary/project-package)
- [SDLXLIFF](https://traduq.com/glossary/sdlxliff)
- [Termbase](https://traduq.com/glossary/termbase)
- [TMX](https://traduq.com/glossary/tmx)
- [Translation memory](https://traduq.com/glossary/translation-memory)
- [XLIFF](https://traduq.com/glossary/xliff)