Trados Studio apps/plugins

for machine translation

For a long time now, Ive been intrigued by the very large number of apps/
plugins in the Studio appstore which give access free or paid to various
types of machine translation services and facilities. Since I have lately found
that the use of MT may give surprisingly good results at least for En > Sv (as
well as completely useless ones), I was curious to know more about all these
various options. Below is a brief overview of what I found trying to explore
them to the best of my ability.
Some general observations:
Several of the plugins offer to build MT engines based on your own
TMs (with some of them, thats the only option) and, in some cases,
also termbase data. This requires fairly big TMs typically at least
80,000 TUs for reasonable usefulness. This type of service of course
also means full confidentiality (you are its only user). However,
normally such an engine suffers the same problem as other MT engines:
it is not updated while you translate; you have to rebuild the it with the
new TM data and that will take some time. Newer engines, however,
gives the possibility of adding fragments as you go (SDLs Adaptive MT
does this automatically, but only for some language combinations), but
for full usage of all new TUs, the engine must be rebuilt.

Some plugins require you to sign up for an account, free or paid, but
details about that is not always provided with the plugin/app. Others
require purchase of a specific tool, or purchase of internet-based
services but again, this is not always stated in the presentation of the
app.

Those details are sometimes not the only thing that is lacking. I have
tried to provide such information below; in some cases extensive text is
necessary, and if so, it is provided in the Studio manual.
I have not been able to try all plugins in particular, I have not had any MT
engines built based on my own TMS but generally I believe that for most
common language pairs, you may get unexpectedly good results from the big
options: SDL Language Cloud, Google Translate, and Microsoft Translator (which
means that also MyMemory and RyS may be good options).
This document will of course be updated (e.g. prices and availability of
language pairs will change), so any comments/additions/correcions are more
than welcome.
Note on confidentiality: Full means that the service provider (if that is the
case) will not make your data available to others. But as with the data on your
own computer, they are of course susceptible to hacker and similar attacks.
And of course, for services over the internet you need a safe (https)
connection.
App name Comment Web page for Language Price Confidentiality
account/API combinations
key/order/info
AltLang MT for For automatic adaptation of API key by asking Aimed at language Free. Full.
language content into different varieties help@prompsit.com. variant conversion (e.g. (Enhancement or
varieties of the same language. American English-British adaptation comes
English). Supports at a cost.)
variants for Spanish
(es_ES-es_LATAM),
 French (fr_FR-fr_CA),
Portugueses (pt_PT-
pt_BR) and English
(en_UK-en_GB) ; see
AltLang Main Page.
CMLess Trados An instruction booklet for the Systran.io link 19 languages (mainly Free (systran.io); The free service is not
Studio Studio plug-in, SYSTRAN or major European paid (Enterprise secured. The paid
CMLess Trados Studio, can languages + some minor Services, which service is.
Enterprise server link
be obtained by asking for it ones). 34 language pairs. has many
via e-mail options).
(support.team@systrangroup.
com).
In Studio, this app is listed as
SYSTRAN.
Documentation sent on
request.
Convertus Engines can be updated with Swedish/Finnish > Free. Full.
Automated users TM. English, English >
Translation Swedish
Google Not an app. Offered by default Open account or sign > 100 languages; see Per month pro When you send Google
CloudTranslate as one of the TMs listed when in at Language Support. rata; for 01.5 bn text for translation, we
API you select Use. It is also cloud.google.com; characters it is must store that text for a
available via the MT Enhance then Go to console > $20 per mn. See short period of time in
Trados Plugin; that plugin Getting Started > Pricing. order to perform the
offers further provider options Enable APIs and get Trial (up to $300 translation and return the
(see below). Neural MT used credentials like keys. value during 12 results to you. The stored
if possible. See also instructions months) is free. text is typically deleted in
The results are often here. a few hours, although
There is also a
suprisingly good. occasionally we will
Premium edition.
retain it for longer while
we perform debugging
and other testing. For
more, see Data
confidentiality.
Iconic Machine In Studio, this app is listed as Link for contact En <>9 languages incl. Depends on Full.
Translation IPTranslator Plugin. Chinese, Japanese, need. A
Plugin For information, see link. Korean, Russian. See company has a
link. translation need
for a particular
use case and
come to us and
we assess the
suitability /
feasibility of the
project from our
perpective, and
from an MT
perspective in
general.
KantanMT API API Key obtained by Video instruction here. Over 580 language pairs. Pricing from Full.
connector for subscribing. Subscription at 499/month.
Trados Studio Your own TM(s) can be used 499/month.
to customise the engines. Subscription at
999/month.
Microsoft Not an app. Available via the Azure link 52 (including 2 Klingon Free for < 20 mn Microsoft Translator
Translator API MT Enhance Trados Plugin variants) characters per does not use the text you
and the RyS Microsoft month. See this submit for translation for
Translator plugin. The API is Data page. any purpose other than
obtained via the Windows to provide and improve
Azure Marketplace. Translator, including
Information/overview in pdf improvements to the
here. quality and accuracy of
translations provided by
The results are often
suprisingly good. Translator. () The text
we use to improve
Translator is limited to a
sample of not more than
10% of randomly
selected, non-
consecutive sentences
from the text you submit,
and we mask or delete
numeric strings of
characters and email
addresses that may be
present in the samples of
 text. For more, see the
Translator Privacy
Statement
Moses plug-in You need a pre-built Moses Any depends on your None, I think (but Full. since you use your
for SDL Trados engine. Jon Olds tells me that engine. the use of the app own data.
there are various options: needs a pre-built
1) Buy Slate Desktop, which engine which may
is a version of Moses for entail costs).
Windows.PrecisionTranslation
Tools is the vendor.
2) Install VirtualBox and build
a Moses machine on a
Ubuntu VM. This works well
for translating, but the training
stage may be less successful
unless you have a lot of RAM.
This option would cost you
nothing other than time.
3) Use Amazon Web
Services and work with Moses
in the Cloud. Theres a small
per hour charge by AWS.
(In Studio, this app is listed
as Link up a Moses server
with SDL Trados.)
MT Enhanced Gives access to Microsoft As for Google Cloud Free. As for Google Cloud
Trados Plugin Translator API and Google Translate API and Translate API and
Translate (actually Google Microsoft Translator. Microsoft Translator. You
Cloud Translate API). can do batch find&
replace on the source
text before sending it and
on the returned target
text (if you select to send
it, which however is not
the default option).
MyMemory Uses (1) your own uploaded MyMemory link Very large number. Basic version Basic use: Option not to
TM [if any], (2) public TMs, (3) free. Pro version update segments, in
Google and Microsoft. 0.004/source which case there is full
Also Pro version with word (but a free confidentiality. If you
CustomMT; it includes an trial for 7000 update them, they will be
Adaptive MT function. Offers words). available to other
free TMs in .tmx format. translators (but not
Further information here and Google or Microsoft).
here. You can also select to
See also text in the Studio use your private TM in
which case that is what is
manual.
updated, giving full
confidentiality.
Prompsit MT Uses the free/open-source Get API key by asking Aimed at related- Free. Full.
Plugin platform Apertium for rule- via email language pairs (e.g. (Enhancement or
based machine translation (help@prompsit.com). Swedish-Danish). 43 adaptation comes
systems. pairs from 29 languages at a cost.)
(leaning towards
Romance, Scandinavian
and South-Slavic
languages with some
outsiders); see the
Apertium Main Page.
RyS Google Gives reliable and quick User instructions As for Google Translate. For use of the Same as for Google
Cloud Translate access to Google Neural provided on request (I app: US$18 per Translate above.
(NMT) Machine Translation System recommend you to do license. You can select not to
and comes with a robust, so). return translations.
while easy-to-use, pre-and-
post-editing feature that will
instruct Google NMT not to
translate some elements in a
source segment, terms or
sensitive information, for
example, but to return position
information instead and let the
plug-in itself fill these gaps
later with the information you
provide in the plug-ins Pre-
and-Post-Editing List.
Googles neural MT is not
available for all language
 pairs; but the post-editing
function seems interesting.
(In Studio, this app is listed as
Google Cloud Translate by
RyStudio.)
RyS Microsoft Can use your own TMs as User instructions As for Microsoft For use of the Same as for Microsoft
Translator well as Microsoft Translator. provided on request (in Translator. app: US$8 per Translate above.
The results seem to be very this case you can license. You can select not to
much the same as MS manage without). return translations.
Translator via the MT
Enhance Trados Plugin (see
above).
(In Studio, this app is listed as
Microsoft Translator by
RyStudio.)
SDL Language Built into Studio. Offers both Via Studio. (Or start A lot, but for non- Free or paid Full.
Cloud basic MT and specialised here.) European languages (staggered)
MT engines. Also allows use only pairs of Xx > En are depending on
of termbases. supported. what serviced you
For detailed information, see require. Price list
the LC homepage and the here.
Trados Studio manual.

Slate Desktop The app gives access from Start here. 32 languages; 992 Slate Desktop Full.
translation within Studio to the Slate language pairs. lifetime license.
provider Desktop software, which One languge pair:
creates MT engines (no limit) $269
based on your own TMs and
All language
termbases.
pairs: $549
Video instructions here. 30-day trial period
For user experiences, see for with money-back
instance here and here. guarantee.
Sunda Uses Sundas own MT En <> Fi 44 for one Full.
Translator engines. month in either
direction. More
prices in Price
List. For free trial,
see Sunda
Translator in SDL
Trados Studio.
Tauyou Machine The app gives access from Request account at Many language 990 per month Full.
Translation within Studio to the tauyou info@tauyou.com. combinations including and server;
Plugin software, which creates MT combinations of all the includes up to 20
engines (no limit) based on major languages. engines, up to 1
your own TMs and termbases. mn words/ month
and 4 hrs of
ongoing
improvement.
No free demo,
but trial period
can be requested.
Tilde Machine Creates custom MT engines Link for free trial. Any language Free 30 day trial Full.
Translation based on your own TM and combination. period (includes
plug-in termbase data, providing the customization of
full range of professional clients system).
customization services. Users After that monthly
can also customize their own subscription fee
engines on the Tilde MT with a price per
platform using resources from engine.
Tildes multilingual data
repository.
Transistent API Creates MT engines based on Any language A charge for Full.
Connector your own TM and termbase combination. training of the
data. engine based on
your TM; depends
on volume. For
use: ca
.01/word.
VERTO Uses customised MT engines. Probably depends on See link. Probably full.
LinguaCustoda No reply to repeated your material.
questions for information.
In future, I would like to be able to supplement this information with the
corresponding data about MT plugins for other CAT tools, starting with Dj Vu,
memoQ, and Memsource. For the time being, I know that these are the plugins for:
Dj Vu: PROMT, Omniscien
memoQ: Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, itranslate4.eu, SYSTRAN,
LetsMT!, Omniscien, MyMemory, KantanMT, Crosslang MT, Slate Desk-
top, PangeaMT, MyDutchPal, Tauyou
Memsource: Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, SYSTRAN, tauyou,
Apertium, Omniscien, KantanMT, LetsMT, PangeanMT, Safaba, Mor-
aviaMT, NICT, PROMT, Tilde, SDL LanguageCloud, tauyou.