WordPress multilingual, advantages & how to implement it

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It is becoming increasingly common for a website to be available in at least two languages. Unfortunately, WordPress does not offer a solution for this out of the box. However, anyone who is familiar with the platform knows about the almost infinite possibilities offered by plugins. As a result, WordPress can be made multilingual using various plugins, which make it easy to implement an international focus. At least that's the claim of the plugins, but do they really deliver what they promise? Today I would like to introduce you to my top five favorites that you can use to set up your WordPress website in multiple languages. But first, let's clarify why you need a multilingual website.

Multilingual WordPress setup raises many questions

What sounds quite simple at first glance reveals its complexity on closer inspection. Even experienced developers can reach their limits here, which is why various options for implementation have become established. Probably the most common are WordPress plugins that enable a multilingual site. This means you no longer have to worry about the page structure and technical implementation and you save a huge amount of developer costs. A real blessing, but why do you need a multilingual website at all?

The advantages of multilingualism

Providing your website in multiple languages offers some obvious advantages, let's look at these in detail.

Internationality Benefits

The Internet knows no national borders in the traditional sense and the chances are good that your products or services can also arouse interest abroad. With a bilingual WordPress setup alone, you can address customers internationally and generate sales. However, a multilingual website that covers all the languages of your target group is of course better than a bilingual website.

Improving the user experience

By offering the native language of your entire target group, you ensure a better user experience. This in turn can have a positive effect on your conversion rate. Although browsers usually offer an automatically translated version, you should do everything you can to prevent your visitors from using this feature. The automatic translation of the browser can be helpful in exceptional situations, but it is only an emergency aid, the quality of the translation is often insufficient and the user experience is noticeably degraded. That's why you should invest in a quality translation.

SEO visibility through multilingualism

Another advantage that should not be underestimated is the increase in SEO visibility. By providing your content in different languages, you have the opportunity to immediately appear more frequently on the search engine results pages. You therefore have the potential to rank for keywords in other languages with content that you have already created.

The increased search volume also speaks in favor of a bilingual setup consisting of German and English. As the English language is widely spoken, the search volume of English keywords can far exceed that of German. This generally applies to languages with a high population.

In addition, competition in other foreign languages can often be lower than in German or English. It is therefore easier to achieve high positions in the search results page there. This allows new markets to be opened up quickly.

There are a few things to consider for an SEO-friendly multilingual setup. Fortunately, the plugins I want to recommend for multilingual WordPress are already set up correctly here.

WordPress multilingual without plugin

Your WordPress can also be implemented in multiple languages without plugins, but this requires the right know-how. You should work with specialists who have the necessary knowledge of site structure, multilingual search engine optimization and programming skills. We would be happy to advise you on the topic of multilingualism.

However, multilingualism can be achieved much more easily using plugins, which are generally also the cheaper alternative. 

WPML, Polylang, Weglot, TranslatePress or MultilingualPress - which plugin is the best for WordPress multilingualism?

All five plugins promise a multilingual website without the usually high workload, but how reliable are the translation tools and which ones do we recommend to our customers? Let's take a closer look at the respective advantages and disadvantages of the different plugins.

WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin)

WPML is one of the best-known and most widely used plugins for multilingualism in WordPress. It offers comprehensive functions for managing multilingual content and is particularly suitable for large websites.

As a premium plugin, WPML offers three price models to choose from. "Multilingual Blog" is suitable for small websites such as niche blogs, here you only get the standard translation control, but the costs amount to 39€ per year. With "Multilingual CMS" you can already access all features of WPML for 3 different websites, this license costs 99€ per year. As an agency, the "Multilingual Agency" license is interesting because it allows you to use the plugin on an unlimited number of websites. If you renew your license after one year, you will receive a further discount and the following costs will apply:

• - Blog: 29,00€
• - CMS: 74,00€
• - Agency: 149,00€

Advantages:

• - Comprehensive language support: WPML supports over 65 languages and allows you to easily add additional languages.

• - Versatile translation options: You can translate posts, pages, custom post types, taxonomies, menus and widgets.

• - Easy integration: WPML is compatible with most WordPress themes and plugins, including WooCommerce, making it ideal for multilingual e-commerce websites.

• - Automatic translation: WPML offers the option of using automatic translations via services such as Google Translate or DeepL, which speeds up the translation process.

• - SEO-friendly: WPML ensures that your multilingual pages are correctly indexed by search engines and supports SEO-optimized URL structures.

Disadvantages:

• - Cost: WPML is a premium plugin and requires an annual license fee, which can be expensive for smaller websites or blogs.

• - Complexity: Due to the large number of functions, setting up and managing WPML can be somewhat complex for beginners.

• - Performance requirements: On very large websites, WPML can affect loading times, which is why a good hosting environment is necessary.

Polylong

Polylang is another widely used plugin for multilingualism in WordPress and is characterized by its ease of use and flexibility. It offers a solid alternative to WPML, especially for users looking for a free solution.

The free basic version gives you access to the most important features, while the Pro version charges per website:

• - 1 page: 99,00€
• - 3 pages: 198,00€
• - 5 pages: 297,00€
• - 25 pages: 495,00€

Polylang for WooCommerce is for the non-Pro version and allows you to translate your WooCommerce store, here the pricing is the same:

• - 1 page: 99,00€
• - 3 pages: 198,00€
• - 5 pages: 297,00€
• - 25 pages: 495,00€

For webshops that want to use the Pro version, the Polylang Business Pack is available at the following prices:

• - 1 pages: - 139,00€
• - 3 sides: - 269,00€
• - 5 sides: - 399,00€
• - 25 pages: - 649,00€

Advantages:

• - Available free of charge: Polylang offers a free basic version, which is sufficient for many users. There is also a Pro version with extended functions.

• - Ease of use: Polylang's interface is intuitive and easy to use, making it easy to set up and manage multilingual content.

• - Integration: Polylang is compatible with many themes and plugins and offers good integration with WordPress native functions.

• - SEO support: Polylang enables SEO-friendly URLs and supports different languages for search engine optimization.

Disadvantages:

• - Lack of automatic translation: In contrast to WPML, Polylang does not offer an integrated automatic translation function.

• - Limited functions in the free version: Some advanced functions, such as support for WooCommerce, are only available in the paid version.

• - Compatibility issues: In rare cases, Polylang may not be fully compatible with certain plugins or themes.

Weglot

Weglot is a SaaS-based translation service that offers a quick and easy way to create a multilingual website. It automatically synchronizes with your WordPress website and creates translated versions of your content within minutes. The price at Weglot is based on the number of words and languages. With annual billing, the price is reduced by another two months.

In my experience, the translation of Weglot is usually already convincing and can achieve SEO results on its own. However, the translation should still be checked for ideal localization. Texts such as country-specific phrases or branding texts can be revised on all pages by entering them once in Weglot, which can save a lot of time. All in all, Weglot is primarily aimed at website operators who are looking for a quick and easy solution for a multilingual WordPress site, which in my experience is usually in line with the requirements of our customers.

Advantages:

• - Quick set-up: Weglot can be set up in just a few minutes and requires no technical knowledge.

• - Automatic translation: Weglot offers instant automatic translations and allows you to edit them manually if required.

• - Support for many languages: Weglot supports over 110 languages and offers an SEO-friendly structure for multilingual websites.

• - Simple interface: The user interface is user-friendly and makes it easy to manage translations.

• - Compatibility: Weglot is compatible with almost all WordPress themes and plugins.

Disadvantages:

• - Cost: Weglot is a paid service based on a monthly subscription, which can be expensive for smaller websites.

• - Dependence on third-party providers: As a SaaS service, Weglot depends on external servers, which could lead to availability problems in rare cases.

• - Limited control: Since Weglot is an external service, you have less control over the translation process compared to plugins like WPML or Polylang.

TranslatePress

TranslatePress is another powerful plugin that is characterized by its intuitive user interface and the ability to make translations directly on the website.

TranslatePress does have a free version, but as this does not offer SEO support, I cannot recommend it. The prices for TranslatePress are made up as follows:

• - Staff: 79,00€
• - Business: 139,00€
• - Developer: 199,00€

Here too, the packages are linked to the number of websites, while only one site is supported for Personal, three sites are supported for Business and unlimited sites are supported for Developer.

Advantages:

• - Live translation editor: TranslatePress offers a visual translation editor that allows you to translate content directly on the page, making the process very user-friendly.

• - Automatic translation: Support for automatic translations by Google Translate or DeepL.

• - Compatibility: The plugin is compatible with all WordPress themes and most plugins, including WooCommerce.

• - SEO support: SEO-friendly URL structures and full control over SEO settings for each language.

• - Simplicity: The user interface is simple and intuitive, making it easy to set up and manage.

Disadvantages:

• - Cost: The free version offers basic functions, while advanced functions are included in the Pro version, which is subject to a charge.

• - Performance requirements: For large websites, TranslatePress can affect performance, especially when automatic translations are used.

• - Limited integrations: Some advanced integrations, such as support for custom fields, are only available in the Pro version.

MultilingualPress

MultilingualPress takes a different approach to the other plugins by using WordPress Multisite to manage each language as a separate website. This provides a robust and scalable solution for multilingual websites.

This approach is more for advanced users and is not recommended in most cases. However, it can be used, for example, for large webshops that are managed by different teams. Again, the prices depend on the number of pages:

• - Standard (1 multi-page): 99,00€
• - Pro (2 multi-sided): 299,00€
• - Agency (9 multi-sided): 599,00€

Advantages:

• - Independent websites: Each language is managed as a separate website within a multisite network, providing high flexibility and scalability.

• - SEO optimization: Fully SEO-optimized structure with individual URLs for each language.

• - User-friendliness: Translations are managed via a central user interface, which simplifies administration.

• - Powerful: As each language is a separate website, you can define specific settings and resources for each language.

• - Compatibility: Support for all WordPress themes and most plugins.

Disadvantages:

• - Complexity: Setting up a multisite network and managing multiple websites can be complicated for beginners.

• - Resource-intensive: As each language is a separate website, the resource requirements can be higher than with other solutions.

• - Costs: MultilingualPress is a premium plugin and requires a license fee, which can be expensive for smaller websites.

Best tool for a multilingual WordPress website?

In the end, it all depends on the specific requirements of your website. All five plugins can be recommended, with my personal favorite being Weglot. The user-friendliness of Weglot means that even absolute amateurs can easily make changes. The automatic translation is also getting better and better, which can save an enormous amount of effort. This is also the focus of Weglot, which is why I recommend Polylang for a rather small website. With the free license, a manually translated version of the website can then be created and managed. If you are not afraid of complexity and like to be independent of third parties, WPML is a good choice.