Translation management system

A cloud translation management system with the editor, AI and QA inside

Most translation management software coordinates the work and sends you elsewhere to do it. LanguageOps puts projects, workflow, CAT editor, translation memory, terminology, AI translation, QA and LQA in one browser-based system, with published prices.

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  • Browser-based, nothing to install
  • Every feature on every plan
  • Plans from £250/month for teams
What a TMS should replace

Stop running translation from inboxes, spreadsheets and desktop licences

Without a translation management system, files are emailed to translators, memories live on individual laptops, terminology sits in a spreadsheet nobody opens, and the project manager’s tracker is the only record of what is done. A TMS makes the project, its language assets and its workflow one shared system.

  • One project, every language

    Upload once, add target languages, and track every file and language through translation, review, QA and delivery from a single overview.

  • Central memory and terminology

    Translation memories and termbases live on the server, update as work is approved, and are available to every translator and AI job immediately.

  • Workflow you can see

    Assign translators, reviewers and proofreaders, split large files, and see segment-level progress rather than waiting for a status email.

The TMS workflow

How work moves through LanguageOps

  1. Intake

    Create the project

    Upload files, connect a repository or CMS, or pull a job from Phrase or Lokalise. Choose languages, memories, termbases and a workflow template.

  2. Prepare

    Analyse and pre-translate

    Word counts and memory matches are calculated. AI pre-translation fills new segments using your memory, terminology and style guide.

  3. Produce

    Translate and review

    Linguists work in the browser CAT editor with memory, terms, comments and QA inline. Reviewers and proofreaders follow in the same project.

  4. Deliver

    Check and export

    QA and LQA run before delivery. Files export in their original format, or push back to the connected system, and approved work updates memory.

TMS features

Everything translation management software needs, in one place

No add-on modules and no feature tiers. Plans differ in words, AI tokens, seats, API access and support.

  • Browser CAT editor

    Fast multi-column editor with memory and terminology matches, tag handling, comments, revision history and inline QA.

  • Translation memory and termbases

    Import TMX and TBX, align legacy translations into memory, and extract terminology from approved content.

  • AI translation

    Frontier models with retrieval from your memory, terms and style guide, plus model comparison and a local privacy mode.

  • QA and LQA

    Rule-based checks for tags, numbers and terminology, and AI-assisted LQA scoring with error categories and severity.

  • 80+ file formats

    Office, InDesign, XLIFF including SDLXLIFF and SDLPPX packages, JSON, YAML, PO, subtitles, scanned PDFs and very large files.

  • Collaboration and assignments

    Split files across linguists, run translation, review and proofreading stages, and keep unlimited production collaborators on every plan.

  • Connectors, API and MCP

    Phrase, Lokalise, WordPress and GitHub connectors, a REST API, and an MCP server for AI agents.

  • Costs and purchase orders

    An account dashboard for words, costs per language and stage timing, plus purchase orders for linguist work.

Published pricing

Know what your TMS costs before the sales call

Linguist £25/month, Professional £250/month, Team £1,000/month, Agency £2,500/month. Every plan includes every feature; annual billing gives two months free.

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What is a translation management system?

A translation management system (TMS) is software for running translation as a managed process rather than a series of emails. It combines two kinds of technology:

  • Process management: projects, files, languages, assignments, workflow stages, deadlines, progress tracking and delivery.
  • Language technology: translation memory, terminology management, machine or AI translation, and quality assurance.

The aim is to automate the repeatable work (file preparation, reuse of past translations, routing, checking) so people spend their time on translation and review.

TMS vs CAT tool vs TBMS

These three terms are often confused, and many vendors sell them separately.

CAT tool Translation management system (TMS) Translation business management system (TBMS)
Main user Translator Project manager, localisation team Agency owner, operations, finance
Core job Translate and edit segments Run projects, workflow and shared language assets Run the business: clients, vendors, quotes, invoices
Includes an editor Yes Sometimes (often a separate product) Usually no, integrates with a CAT tool or TMS
Examples Trados Studio, memoQ Phrase, XTM, Smartling, Lokalise Plunet, XTRF
LanguageOps Browser CAT editor Projects, workflow, memory, terms, AI, QA Quotes, POs, supplier and client invoicing, Xero sync. See translation project management

Cloud-based vs on-premise TMS

A cloud-based translation management system is the default choice for most teams today:

  • Nothing to install: translators and reviewers work in a browser, including freelancers you have never onboarded before.
  • One live copy of every asset: memories and termbases update as work is approved, with no exporting and re-importing between people.
  • Real-time visibility: project managers see progress by file, language and stage without asking.
  • Elastic capacity: large files and busy periods are handled on the server, not on a translator’s laptop.

On-premise deployment still makes sense where policy requires content to stay inside your network, for example in defence, some public-sector work or highly regulated industries. LanguageOps offers an on-premise option on Enterprise plans, and privacy mode lets cloud customers pre-translate with a local model when content must not leave their infrastructure.

Essential TMS features checklist

When you evaluate translation management software, check that it covers:

  1. Editor quality: is the translator’s editor fast, with tags, memory, terminology, comments and QA inline? A slow editor costs more than the licence.
  2. File handling: does it round-trip the formats you actually receive, including bilingual formats from other tools?
  3. Memory and terminology: central, real-time, with TMX/TBX import and export so you are never locked in.
  4. AI translation: is AI included, does it use your memory and terminology, and can you choose models?
  5. Quality measurement: automated QA and LQA, not just spell-check.
  6. Workflow: multiple stages, file splitting, assignments and approvals.
  7. Integrations: connectors for your CMS, repositories and any TMS your clients use, plus an API.
  8. Pricing model: how are words, seats and AI usage counted, and which features are add-ons?

How TMS pricing works

TMS pricing is hard to compare because vendors meter different things: processed words, seats, machine-translation units, AI units, connectors and API calls, often in separate pools with separate top-ups. Enterprise tiers are frequently quote-only.

LanguageOps uses two meters: words for imported source content and AI tokens for AI work. Every feature is on every plan. For a side-by-side view of what 1 million and 5 million words a year cost across LanguageOps, XTM, Phrase, Lokalise, Smartling and Smartcat, see the TMS pricing comparison. Full plan details are on the pricing page.

Switching translation management systems

Changing TMS is less disruptive than it used to be:

  • Language assets move freely: export memories as TMX and terminology as TBX from your current system and import them.
  • Bilingual files open directly: SDLXLIFF, MXLIFF, MQXLIFF and standard XLIFF can be reviewed and returned without conversion.
  • Run both systems in parallel: the Phrase and Lokalise connectors let you work on jobs from an existing TMS inside LanguageOps while you migrate.

Compare LanguageOps with Phrase, Trados Studio, memoQ, Smartling and Lokalise.

Frequently asked questions

Translation management systems, explained

What is a translation management system?
A translation management system (TMS) is software that centralises translation projects, workflow and language assets. It stores translation memory and terminology, routes files through translation and review, tracks progress, and increasingly includes machine or AI translation and quality checks.
What is the difference between a TMS and a CAT tool?
A CAT (computer-assisted translation) tool is the editor a translator works in, with memory and terminology lookups. A TMS manages the project around it: files, languages, people, workflow, shared assets and delivery. LanguageOps includes both, so there is no separate desktop CAT licence to buy.
What is a cloud-based translation management system?
A cloud-based TMS runs in the browser, with memories, termbases and projects stored centrally. Translators, reviewers and project managers work on the same live data from anywhere, and there is nothing to install or synchronise. LanguageOps is cloud-based, with an on-premise option on Enterprise plans.
How much does a translation management system cost?
TMS pricing is usually built from processed words, seats, AI or machine-translation units, and add-on modules, and enterprise plans are often quote-only. LanguageOps publishes its plans, from £25/month for a single linguist and £250/month for a team of five. Our TMS pricing comparison models realistic annual costs across major vendors.
Can I migrate from Phrase, Trados, memoQ or Lokalise?
Yes. Import memories as TMX and terminology as TBX, open SDLXLIFF and SDLPPX packages directly, and use the Phrase and Lokalise connectors to work alongside an existing system during the switch. See our TMS alternatives guides.
Is a TMS worth it for a small team?
Usually yes, once more than one person touches translation or you translate the same kind of content repeatedly. Shared memory and terminology reduce repeated work and inconsistency from the first project. The Professional plan is sized for small teams and in-house translators.

See your own project in a modern TMS

Bring a representative file and language pair. We will set up memory, terminology and a workflow, and show you the whole route from upload to delivery.

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