The short answer
DeepL is a translation service from DeepL SE in Germany that translates text, whole documents and live speech in more than 100 languages. Its free version allows 50,000 characters a month but may use your texts for training, while paid plans delete texts after translation. Since September 2026, DeepL also works inside Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude through MCP.
| Made by | DeepL SE, Germany |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes: 50,000 characters a month, one document a month up to 5 MB, one small glossary |
| Models | DeepL's own language AI and, for speech, DeepL Voice AI models |
| Best at | Natural translation of text and documents, glossaries, live meeting translation |
| Shows sources | Not applicable: it translates your text rather than searching |
| Team plans | Team, Business and Enterprise |
| Your data | Free version texts may train models; paid plans delete texts and never use them for training |
What DeepL is now
DeepL is a translation service from DeepL SE, a company based in Cologne, Germany. Most people know it as the website where you paste text and get a translation that sounds more natural than the alternatives. In 2026 it is a wider set of tools: DeepL Translator for text and documents, DeepL Write for polishing text in the same language, DeepL Voice for live spoken translation, and connections that let you use DeepL from inside Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude.
DeepL Translator covers more than 100 languages. That number jumped in November 2025, when DeepL added about 70 languages at once, including Hindi, Tagalog, Swahili and Urdu. Those newer languages started in beta for enterprise customers, so quality and availability can still differ from long-established pairs such as English, German, French or Japanese.
The biggest change this year is speech. On 16 April 2026 DeepL launched Voice-to-Voice, and on 15 September 2026 it released new Voice AI models that keep each speaker's voice recognisable in 14 languages, made voice-to-voice translation generally available in more than 30 languages, and added a desktop app for meetings.
Where DeepL is genuinely strong
Translation that reads like a person wrote it
DeepL's reputation rests on fluency. For emails, contracts, product pages and reports, it tends to produce text a native speaker would accept with light edits. A general chatbot can translate too, but DeepL is built for one job and gives you controls a chatbot does not, such as glossaries, style rules and translation memory.
Whole documents with the layout intact
Drag a PDF, Word (.docx) or PowerPoint (.pptx) file into the translator and DeepL returns the same file translated, with tables, headings and images where they were. For anyone who has rebuilt a translated slide deck by hand, this alone saves hours. The free version allows one file a month up to 5 MB, while the Business plan accepts files up to 100 MB.
Consistent terminology
Glossaries let you decide how a product name or technical term is always translated. Business and Enterprise add translation memory, which reuses your approved translations. If your company has a house style in several languages, this is where DeepL earns its fee.
Live meetings and conversations
The DeepL Voice desktop app for Windows and Mac detects calls in Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet and shows live translated subtitles in an overlay, with an option to switch to voice-to-voice translation. Voice for Conversations works on mobile and web for face-to-face talks, and Group Conversations lets workshop participants join by QR code. The Individual plan includes 30 minutes of DeepL Voice per user per month.
Inside the AI assistant you already use
Since September 2026 DeepL works inside Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude through MCP, a standard way for AI assistants to use outside tools. You sign in once with your DeepL account, and the assistant can translate text and whole documents and apply your glossaries and style rules. In Claude, DeepL is in the connector directory; in ChatGPT you add it as a custom connector; in Copilot you install it from the Microsoft Marketplace or Agent Store.
Where DeepL falls short
- The free version trains on your text. This is the most important limitation and it is covered in the privacy section below.
- Tight free limits. 50,000 characters a month is fine for emails, but one document a month will not get a busy team far.
- It is not a general assistant. DeepL will not research a topic or draft a post from bullet points. For that, use ChatGPT or Claude and bring DeepL in for the translation step.
- Newer languages are less proven. The roughly 70 languages added in late 2025 began as beta. Ask a native speaker to check anything important.
How to get better translations from DeepL
- Translate whole paragraphs, not fragments. DeepL uses the surrounding sentences to choose words, so a single line out of context is more likely to go wrong.
- Build a glossary early. Add product names, job titles and terms that must never change. Even the free glossary of five entries per language pair helps.
- Translate files as files. Do not copy text out of a slide deck or PDF. Drop the file into the document translator so the layout comes back intact.
- Polish the source first. Run unclear text through DeepL Write before translating it. A clear original gives a clear translation.
- Have a human check anything public. Legal text, marketing headlines and anything with your brand on it deserve a native speaker's eye.
DeepL privacy settings: free versus paid
DeepL's privacy policy is clear about the difference. In the free version, the texts you submit, and the corrections you make, are processed for a limited period to train and improve DeepL's models. The policy describes no opt-out switch for this. On paid plans, texts are kept only as long as needed to produce the translation, then deleted, and they are never used for training. Saved translations and glossaries stay in your account until you delete them. DeepL cites ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certification for its systems.
The practical rule: never paste client data, contracts, HR matters or unreleased plans into the free version. If your team translates anything confidential, a paid plan is not a luxury, it is the privacy setting.
Which DeepL plan suits whom
- Free version: occasional personal use with nothing sensitive, such as reading a foreign website or replying to a short message.
- Individual: freelancers and professionals who translate client work, because of the higher limits and the no-training data handling.
- Team: teams that need bulk file translation, up to five glossaries and admin controls. DeepL lists single sign-on on Team only for 50 or more users.
- Business: companies with large files, a house style across languages and IT rules about user provisioning. Write Pro is included.
- Enterprise: organisations that need custom limits, bring-your-own-key encryption and a dedicated account team.
Check DeepL's pricing page for current prices. To see how DeepL compares with a general chatbot for translation, read DeepL vs ChatGPT, browse DeepL alternatives or our pick of the best AI for translation, and try the lessons at Learn DeepL.
Prompts to copy
Localise a landing page
Use DeepL to translate this landing page into German. Apply our glossary so [product name] stays in English. Then, as a German copywriter, suggest a shorter headline under eight words and point out any line that sounds stiff. [paste page text]
You get: A German version that reads like it was written for that market
Translate with your glossary in ChatGPT or Claude
Use DeepL to translate the attached document into French. Apply our DeepL glossary for [glossary name], keep the original layout, and list any terms that were not in the glossary so I can add them.
You get: A translated file plus a list of terms to add to your glossary
Translate a reply in the right register
Use DeepL to translate my reply below into [German] using the formal form of address, and apply our DeepL style rules [style rule name] if we have them. Then translate your version back into English so I can check that the meaning has not changed. [paste reply]
You get: A translated reply plus a back-translation to check the meaning before you send it
Check a translation with a second opinion
Here is an English original and its Spanish translation from DeepL. As a native Spanish editor, point out any sentence that sounds unnatural, changes the meaning or uses the wrong level of formality, and suggest a fix for each. [paste both]
You get: A short list of fixes before you publish
Prepare a multilingual meeting
I am running a workshop with participants who speak [languages]. Give me a checklist for using DeepL Voice Group Conversations: what to test beforehand, which terms to add as spoken terms, and how to brief participants.
You get: A practical setup checklist for live translation