Phrase
Translation management for products that keep changing, not documents that are translated once
Quick Overview
| Company | Phrase GmbH / Phrase a.s. |
|---|---|
| Category | Translation Services |
| Headquarters | Hamburg, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic |
| Founded | 2010 |
| EU Presence | EU (Germany and Czech Republic) |
| Data Location | AWS and Google Cloud; no EU-only region documented |
| Open Source | No |
| Compliance | ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type I, GDPR |
| Pricing | Quote-based; no public price list |
| Free Option | Free trial |
| Replaces | Lokalise, Crowdin |
Detailed Review
Phrase is a translation management system rather than a translation engine, and that distinction decides whether it is the right tool at all.
DeepL translates a text you hand it; Phrase manages the process around thousands of strings that keep changing — translation memory so the same sentence is paid for once, glossaries that hold terminology across releases, and connectors into GitHub, Figma and the CMS so new strings arrive without anyone exporting a spreadsheet. It plugs into DeepL and the other engines rather than competing with them.
The company is European twice over: Phrase GmbH in Hamburg, registered as HRB 109537 at Amtsgericht Hamburg, and Phrase a.s. in Prague, company ID 247 07 139.
It is the merger of Memsource, founded in Prague in 2010, and PhraseApp of Hamburg, unified under the Phrase name in 2022.
The platform itself runs on Amazon Web Services, with Phrase Studio on Google Cloud, and the published security documentation names no EU-only region. So the company answers to German and Czech law while the data sits with two American hyperscalers. That is worth knowing before a legal team signs, and it is why this page carries no EU-residency claim. ISO 27001 certified and SOC 2 Type I, with Type II expected in 2026. Pricing is quote-based with no public list.
What Phrase does well
- Translation memory and glossaries pay off across releases, not per document
- Connectors into GitHub, Figma and common CMSes remove the export step
- Engine-agnostic: works with DeepL and others rather than replacing them
- Two EU legal entities, ISO 27001 certified
Where Phrase falls short
- Runs on AWS and Google Cloud with no documented EU-only region
- No public pricing — every plan goes through sales
- Overkill for anyone translating occasional documents rather than a product
Standout feature. European ownership on American infrastructure, stated rather than glossed over.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Translation memory and glossaries pay off across releases, not per document
- Connectors into GitHub, Figma and common CMSes remove the export step
- Engine-agnostic: works with DeepL and others rather than replacing them
- Two EU legal entities, ISO 27001 certified
Cons
- Runs on AWS and Google Cloud with no documented EU-only region
- No public pricing — every plan goes through sales
- Overkill for anyone translating occasional documents rather than a product
Alternatives to Phrase
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Phrase?
Phrase is a translation management system rather than a translation engine, and that distinction decides whether it is the right tool at all.
DeepL translates a text you hand it; Phrase manages the process around thousands of strings that keep changing — translation memory so the same sentence is paid for once, glossaries that hold terminology across releases, and connectors into GitHub, Figma and the CMS so new strings arrive without anyone exporting a spreadsheet. It plugs into DeepL and the other engines rather than competing with them.
Where is Phrase based?
Phrase operates from Hamburg, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic, which places it under EU (Germany and Czech Republic). Compliance: ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type I, GDPR.
What does Phrase cost?
Quote-based; no public price list. Free trial.
Who is Phrase best for?
Teams translating a product continuously, not a document once. European ownership on American infrastructure, stated rather than glossed over.
What are the drawbacks of Phrase?
Runs on AWS and Google Cloud with no documented EU-only region. No public pricing — every plan goes through sales. Overkill for anyone translating occasional documents rather than a product.
Is Phrase a good alternative to Lokalise?
Phrase is built as a European alternative to Lokalise: Translation management for products that keep changing, not documents that are translated once. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Phrase compare to other Translation Services?
Phrase is one of several European Translation Services we cover. It is most often compared with Lokalise, Crowdin.