memoQ
Budapest CAT tool with translation memory, term bases and LiveDocs reference alignment
Quick Overview
| Company | memoQ Translation Technologies Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Category | Translation Services |
| Headquarters | Budapest, Hungary |
| EU Presence | EU (Hungary) |
| Open Source | No |
| Pricing | Starter from €2,750/year (1 PM licence + 5 linguist subscriptions); Essential, Professional and Enterprise tiers by quote |
| Free Option | Free trial available |
| Replaces | Trados, Wordfast |
Detailed Review
memoQ is the CAT tool of choice for translators who would rather own a licence than rent a translation management platform.
Every segment translated is stored in a translation memory that proposes matches on the next similar sentence, term bases enforce agreed vocabulary, and LiveDocs lets a translator align existing bilingual documents into reusable reference material without retyping anything. Both a desktop client and a browser-based online editor are available, so work is not tied to one machine. Alongside Trados, memoQ is the other name freelance and in-house translators actually mention when picking a CAT tool.
memoQ Translation Technologies Ltd. operates from Budapest under Hungarian and EU jurisdiction, publishing a Starter licence at about €2,750 per year for one project manager plus five linguist subscriptions — cheaper and more transparent than most CAT competitors' entry pricing for a small team, though Essential, Professional and Enterprise tiers step up to quote-only pricing as a team grows.
A free trial is available before buying, which several of the business-management tools further down this list do not offer. The trade-off is scale: Trados' installed base and RWS ecosystem remain larger for agencies buying at volume.
What memoQ does well
- Translation memory, term bases and LiveDocs reference alignment built in
- Desktop and browser-based editors, so work is not tied to one machine
- Starter licence priced and published, unlike most CAT competitors here
- Free trial available before buying
- Hungarian company, EU jurisdiction
Where memoQ falls short
- Essential, Professional and Enterprise tiers are quote-only
- A CAT tool for translators, not a full business-management platform for agencies
- Not open source
- Interface has a learning curve like any professional CAT tool
Standout feature. A published Starter price: memoQ is one of the few professional CAT tools here that states the entry cost before a sales call.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Translation memory, term bases and LiveDocs reference alignment built in
- Desktop and browser-based editors, so work is not tied to one machine
- Starter licence priced and published, unlike most CAT competitors here
- Free trial available before buying
- Hungarian company, EU jurisdiction
Cons
- Essential, Professional and Enterprise tiers are quote-only
- A CAT tool for translators, not a full business-management platform for agencies
- Not open source
- Interface has a learning curve like any professional CAT tool
Alternatives to memoQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is memoQ?
memoQ is the CAT tool of choice for translators who would rather own a licence than rent a translation management platform.
Every segment translated is stored in a translation memory that proposes matches on the next similar sentence, term bases enforce agreed vocabulary, and LiveDocs lets a translator align existing bilingual documents into reusable reference material without retyping anything. Both a desktop client and a browser-based online editor are available, so work is not tied to one machine. Alongside Trados, memoQ is the other name freelance and in-house translators actually mention when picking a CAT tool.
Where is memoQ based?
memoQ operates from Budapest, Hungary, which places it under EU (Hungary).
What does memoQ cost?
Starter from €2,750/year (1 PM licence + 5 linguist subscriptions); Essential, Professional and Enterprise tiers by quote. Free trial available.
Who is memoQ best for?
Translators who want to own their toolkit. A published Starter price: memoQ is one of the few professional CAT tools here that states the entry cost before a sales call.
What are the drawbacks of memoQ?
Essential, Professional and Enterprise tiers are quote-only. A CAT tool for translators, not a full business-management platform for agencies. Not open source. Interface has a learning curve like any professional CAT tool.