Polylang
CMS tools
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€99 per year
Free Trial unavailable
Free version
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Medium
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- Real estate and property management
- Accommodation and food services
- Media and communications
What is Polylang
Polylang is a WordPress plugin used to create and manage multilingual websites by adding language versions for posts, pages, custom post types, taxonomies, menus, and widgets. It is typically used by site owners, content editors, and WordPress agencies that need language switching and translated content structures within WordPress. Polylang stores translations as separate WordPress content items and links them together, which keeps it aligned with standard WordPress editing workflows. A paid tier adds features such as translation management integrations and additional automation options depending on the edition.
Native WordPress content model
Polylang works within WordPress by creating and linking language-specific versions of content rather than replacing the CMS layer. This approach fits common editorial workflows for posts, pages, custom post types, and taxonomies. It also supports language-specific menus and widgets, which helps teams maintain localized navigation structures. For WordPress-centric teams, this reduces the need for a separate localization system.
Broad theme and plugin compatibility
Polylang is designed to coexist with typical WordPress themes and many common plugins because it relies on standard WordPress objects and metadata. It supports custom post types and custom taxonomies, which is important for sites that extend WordPress beyond basic blogging. This makes it practical for agency builds and content-heavy sites with structured content. Compatibility still depends on how third-party plugins handle language-specific data, but the baseline integration is straightforward.
Flexible multilingual configuration
Polylang supports multiple languages and provides configurable language switchers that can be placed in menus or widgets. It allows per-language content, media associations (depending on setup), and localized URLs based on configuration. This flexibility helps teams implement different multilingual patterns without changing CMS platforms. It is well-suited to organizations that need control over how languages map to site structure.
Translation workflow is manual
Polylang does not function as a full translation management system on its own; it primarily links translated content items. Teams often need additional processes or services for translation assignment, review, and approval. For larger editorial teams, this can create operational overhead compared with platforms that include built-in translation workflow. Automation and integrations may require paid editions or additional tooling.
Separate content increases maintenance
Because each language version is typically a separate WordPress post/page, editors must keep multiple items synchronized when layouts or shared information changes. This can lead to drift between languages if governance is not enforced. The approach can also increase content volume in the admin interface, which affects search, filtering, and editorial organization. Larger sites may need stricter content modeling and conventions to manage this effectively.
Ecosystem-dependent edge cases
Multilingual behavior can vary across third-party themes and plugins, especially for SEO metadata, custom fields, and dynamic content generated outside standard WordPress loops. Some scenarios require additional configuration or developer work to ensure correct language output and URL handling. Organizations with complex WordPress stacks should plan for testing across critical plugins and templates. This is a common constraint for multilingual implementations built on extensible CMS ecosystems.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Polylang (Free) | €0 — Free (permanent) | Basic multilingual WordPress plugin (available on WordPress.org). Community support; no official premium support or DeepL integration. Referenced on official pricing page. |
| Polylang Pro — 1 site | €99 / year (ex. VAT) | Yearly license: updates + professional support; DeepL machine translation integration; multilingual SEO, URL/slug translation, XLIFF import/export, renewal discount (50%). |
| Polylang Pro — 3 sites | €198 / year (ex. VAT) | Same Pro features; multisite/site-count licensing (volume pricing). |
| Polylang Pro — 5 sites | €297 / year (ex. VAT) | Same Pro features; multisite/site-count licensing. |
| Polylang Pro — 25 sites | €495 / year (ex. VAT) | Same Pro features; multisite/site-count licensing; largest site tier. |
| Polylang for WooCommerce — 1 site | €99 / year (ex. VAT) | WooCommerce addon: translate products, categories, emails, sync stock/cart; requires Polylang or Polylang Pro for full functionality. |
| Polylang for WooCommerce — 3 sites | €198 / year (ex. VAT) | Same WooCommerce addon features; volume pricing. |
| Polylang for WooCommerce — 5 sites | €297 / year (ex. VAT) | Same WooCommerce addon features; volume pricing. |
| Polylang for WooCommerce — 25 sites | €495 / year (ex. VAT) | Same WooCommerce addon features; volume pricing. |
| Polylang Business Pack — 1 site | €139 / year (ex. VAT) | Bundle: Polylang Pro + Polylang for WooCommerce; includes updates + premium support; promotional pricing shown on official site. |
| Polylang Business Pack — 3 sites | €269 / year (ex. VAT) | Bundle features; volume pricing. |
| Polylang Business Pack — 5 sites | €399 / year (ex. VAT) | Bundle features; volume pricing. |
| Polylang Business Pack — 25 sites | €649 / year (ex. VAT) | Bundle features; largest site tier. |
