Best free DeepL alternatives (open source, 2026)
Updated · 20 repos compared · data refreshed nightly from GitHub
The best free DeepL alternative for most people is LibreTranslate (17k GitHub stars, AGPL-3.0 license). PDFMathTranslate works on a Mac according to its README. All 20 options below are open source and run on your own computer or server, so there's no subscription.
DeepL (AI translation) is a paid, closed-source product. The open-source projects below do the same job and run on your own computer or server. Stars and activity come straight from GitHub.
Top picks
Free and Open Source Machine Translation API. Self-hosted, offline capable and easy to setup.
- Needs:
- Hardware not stated in its README
- Trade-off
- Better than DeepL: very active development. Worse: AGPL: if you run it as a service, you must share your changes.
[EMNLP 2025 Demo] PDF scientific paper translation with preserved formats - 基于 AI 完整保留排版的 PDF 文档全文双语翻译，支持 Google/DeepL/Ollama/OpenAI 等服务，提供 CLI/GUI/MCP/Docker/Zotero
- Needs:
- works on Mac (per README)
- Trade-off
- Better than DeepL: the biggest community (38k stars), very active development. Worse: AGPL: if you run it as a service, you must share your changes.
Comparison
✓ yes · ✗ no · – not stated in the README. Hardware details are read from each README and may be incomplete.
DeepL vs open source: what you give up
- Setup. DeepL is ready as soon as you sign up. These projects need installing, usually with Python, Node or Docker.
- Hardware. Most READMEs don't state hardware needs; heavier models run much faster with a GPU. 4 mention Mac support.
- Polish and support. Paid products usually have a smoother interface, managed updates and customer support. Open source gives you privacy, no usage limits and no monthly bill.
- Maintenance. 16 of 20 were updated in the last 30 days.
- License. 17 of 20 use a standard open-source license (MIT, Apache, GPL and similar). Check the license before commercial use.
How we picked
Projects that describe themselves as a DeepL alternative come first, then projects that do the same job, ranked by how well they match and by GitHub stars. Projects that need a paid API key, and projects from DeepL's own company, are left out. Stars and activity are verified with the GitHub API every night; hardware details come from each README. Full method.
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to DeepL?
Yes. We list 20 free, open-source GitHub projects that do the same job as DeepL. The most popular are PDFMathTranslate, nextai-translator and ml-engineering.
What is the best open-source DeepL alternative?
It depends on your setup. Best overall: LibreTranslate. Mac users: PDFMathTranslate. Compare GitHub stars, license and hardware needs in the table on this page.
Can I run a DeepL alternative on a Mac?
Yes. According to their READMEs, nextai-translator, PDFMathTranslate and sokuji run on macOS.
Do I need a GPU to replace DeepL?
Most READMEs don't state hardware needs. Expect heavier models to run much faster with a GPU.
Are these DeepL alternatives really free?
Yes. All 20 are open source on GitHub, and projects that need a paid API key are left out. 17 use a standard open-source license such as MIT, Apache or GPL; check the license before commercial use.