WPML

WPML is a commercial multilingual WordPress plugin for translating site content, theme and plugin strings, menus, page-builder layouts, and WooCommerce stores. It supports manual translation, translator workflows, professional translation services, and AI-assisted automatic translation depending on the license and translation setup.

Quick take

WPML is built for sites where multilingual content is part of the site’s operating model, not just a few translated pages. Its strongest case is a business, publication, membership site, or WooCommerce store that needs structured translation management across posts, custom post types, strings, menus, templates, and plugins. The main buying decision is which plan matches the complexity of the site and how much automatic translation you expect to use.

What WPML handles

WPML adds language management across WordPress content. Administrators can translate posts, pages, custom post types, taxonomies, menus, theme strings, plugin strings, and other interface text. The Multilingual CMS and Agency plans also include the Advanced Translation Editor and String Translation, which are important for more complex sites.

For teams, WPML can assign translation work to internal translators or connect to supported professional translation services. That workflow matters when multilingual publishing needs approval, responsibility, and repeatability rather than one person manually editing every language version.

Features that matter

Content translation. WPML manages translated versions of posts, pages, custom post types, taxonomies, and other WordPress content while maintaining language relationships between them.

String Translation. Higher plans can translate text generated by themes and plugins, which is often necessary for navigation, forms, widgets, checkout interfaces, and other non-post content.

Advanced Translation Editor. The editor provides a side-by-side translation workflow with translation memory and automatic-translation support.

WooCommerce support. Multilingual CMS and Agency include eCommerce support for translating stores, products, and related WooCommerce content.

Page-builder and Full Site Editing support. WPML supports translating layouts and template content created with popular builders and WordPress site-editing tools.

Translation management. Teams can assign jobs to translators, use translation services, and manage larger multilingual workflows from inside WordPress.

Plans and automatic translation

As checked September 18, 2026, Multilingual Blog costs €39 and covers one production site plus three development sites. It is aimed at basic WordPress blogs and does not include String Translation, the Advanced Translation Editor, WooCommerce support, or broader translation-management tools.

Multilingual CMS costs €99 and supports three production sites plus nine development sites. It includes the advanced translation workflow, String Translation, page-builder support, WooCommerce support, translation management, and an included AI translation allowance. Multilingual Agency costs €199 and extends the full feature set to unlimited websites with a larger included AI allowance.

Automatic translation can create a separate usage cost after the included allowance is consumed. WPML currently offers pay-as-you-go and prepaid options, so a site with a large catalog or frequent content updates should estimate translation volume before assuming the license price is the total multilingual cost.

Who should use WPML?

WPML fits businesses and agencies that need multilingual control across the whole WordPress stack. It is particularly relevant when WooCommerce, custom post types, page builders, theme strings, or team translation workflows make a simple page-by-page translation plugin insufficient.

For smaller sites, TranslatePress, Polylang, or GTranslate may offer a simpler workflow depending on how content is translated and who manages it. WPML makes more sense as site complexity grows and translation becomes an ongoing editorial or commerce process.

PluginSuggest verdict

WPML remains one of the major commercial multilingual systems in WordPress because it handles both visible content and the deeper translation layer around themes, plugins, menus, templates, and commerce. I would shortlist it for complex multilingual sites, while carefully budgeting for the correct license tier and any automatic-translation usage beyond the included allowance.

WPML FAQs

Related guide: 7 Multilingual WordPress Plugins Compared for 2026: Manual, AI & Cloud Translation