Software localization is more than translation, it’s adapting digital interfaces, commands, and user experiences for different cultures and regions. Software localization companies specialize in turning apps, platforms, and SaaS products into truly global tools.
Common questions about software translation answered by our team.
Software localization is the process of adapting a software application, its user interface, help documentation, and associated content for use in a specific language and cultural market. It goes beyond translating text strings to address date and time formats, currency, number formats, keyboard shortcuts, icon design, and culturally appropriate user experience design. Translation Ratings lists 6 software localization specialists in the United States.
Internationalization (i18n) is the process of engineering a software application so that it can be adapted to different languages and regions without structural changes to the code. This includes externalizing all user-visible strings into resource files, supporting Unicode for non-Latin scripts, designing flexible UI layouts that can expand for longer text in languages like German or Finnish, and separating hard-coded locale-specific assumptions from the codebase. Poor i18n makes localization extremely expensive.
Software localization projects typically cover: UI strings (menus, buttons, tooltips, error messages), onboarding flows and tutorials, in-app help and documentation, API documentation for developer audiences, system notifications and alerts, app store listings (titles, descriptions, keywords), release notes and changelogs, marketing website content, privacy policy and terms of service, and end-user license agreements (EULAs).
Software localization agencies routinely work with: XLIFF (XML Localization Interchange File Format), PO and POT files (GNU gettext), Android XML resource files, iOS .strings files, JSON and YAML key-value files, Java properties files, .NET RESX files, and various proprietary CMS or platform export formats. Most agencies support direct Git or API integration for continuous localization workflows in agile development environments.
Continuous localization integrates translation into an agile development workflow so that new or updated strings are automatically detected, sent for translation, and returned to the codebase as development progresses, rather than doing a single large translation effort before each release. This is achieved through TMS integration with GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. Translation Ratings lists software localization agencies offering continuous localization programs.
UI strings without context are among the hardest content to translate accurately. A single word like 'Save' can mean different things in different interfaces. Professional software localization agencies request context through screenshots, in-context review tools that show strings within the live interface, developer notes or comments attached to strings, and glossaries of approved terminology. Skipping context provision is a leading cause of localized UI quality problems.
Software localization pricing is typically per source word for text translation: $0.10 to $0.22 per word for common language pairs. Engineering work (file preparation, integration, testing) may be quoted as a project or hourly fee. A mobile app with 5,000 words might cost $500 to $1,100 for text translation per language, plus engineering fees. SaaS platforms with ongoing development typically use monthly retainer models with per-word rates that decrease with volume.