LibreTranslate

Overview

LibreTranslate is a free, open-source machine translation service that can be completely self-hosted. Built on the Argos Translate library, it offers a privacy-respecting alternative to Google Translate for users who want complete control over their translation data.

For privacy purists and organizations handling sensitive information, LibreTranslate is the only translation option that guarantees your text never leaves your own infrastructure. While translation quality doesn’t match commercial services, the privacy benefits are unmatched.

Key Features

Complete Self-Hosting

LibreTranslate can run entirely on your own hardware, meaning your translations never touch third-party servers. This is essential for handling confidential documents, legal texts, medical information, or any sensitive content.

Open-Source Transparency

Licensed under AGPL-3.0, LibreTranslate’s code is fully auditable. You can verify exactly how your data is processed and ensure there are no hidden data collection mechanisms.

REST API

LibreTranslate provides a clean REST API that makes it easy to integrate translation into your own applications, scripts, or workflows. This is perfect for developers building privacy-respecting applications.

Offline Operation

Once installed with the necessary language models, LibreTranslate can operate completely offline - no internet connection required. This is ideal for air-gapped environments or situations where network access is restricted.

Privacy & Security

LibreTranslate offers the highest possible privacy for machine translation:

• Self-Hosted: All processing happens on your own infrastructure
• No Telemetry: The software doesn’t phone home or collect usage data
• No Accounts: No registration or login required
• Offline Capable: Can operate without any network connection
• Auditable: Open-source code can be inspected for security

When using the public libretranslate.com instance, basic request logging occurs, but no translations are stored long-term.

Getting Started

Using the Public Instance

1. Visit libretranslate.com
2. Enter your text and select languages
3. Click translate

Self-Hosting with Docker

docker run -ti --rm -p 5000:5000 libretranslate/libretranslate

Self-Hosting with pip

pip install libretranslate
libretranslate

Then access the web interface at http://localhost:5000.

Installing Language Models

By default, LibreTranslate downloads language models on first use. To pre-download specific languages:

libretranslate --load-only en,es,de,fr

Who Is It Best For?

LibreTranslate is ideal for privacy advocates, organizations handling sensitive data, developers building privacy-respecting applications, and anyone who wants translation capability without any external data sharing. It’s also useful for offline or air-gapped environments.

Final Verdict

LibreTranslate is the most private translation option available - when self-hosted, your data never leaves your control. The trade-off is lower translation quality compared to DeepL or Google. For sensitive documents where privacy is paramount, LibreTranslate is the clear choice. For everyday use where quality matters more than absolute privacy, consider pairing LibreTranslate for sensitive content with DeepL for general use.