WPML is the most mature and feature-complete multilingual plugin for WordPress. It handles everything from basic content translation to WooCommerce product localization, string translation, and AI-powered automatic translation. The tradeoff is cost: there is no free version, and the entry-level plan leaves out core features many users actually need. For a serious multilingual project, budget for the CMS plan at €99 per year — that is where the plugin earns its reputation.
Best for: Business sites, WooCommerce stores, and agencies building multilingual WordPress projects that need depth and long-term stability.
Not ideal for: Simple blogs looking for a free solution, or developers who need unlimited site licenses at low cost.
Overall rating: 4.2/5
What Is WPML?
WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin) is a premium WordPress plugin built by OnTheGoSystems Limited. It lets you translate every part of a WordPress site into multiple languages — posts, pages, custom post types, menus, widgets, theme strings, plugin text, URLs, and metadata.
The plugin has been around since 2008, which makes it one of the oldest multilingual solutions in the WordPress space. It is used by hundreds of thousands of sites globally and has ongoing compatibility agreements with major theme and page builder authors including Elementor, Divi, and Avada.
WPML is not available on WordPress.org. You buy it directly from wpml.org, and the license includes one year of updates and support.
Who Is WPML Best For?
WPML works for a wide range of sites, but it shines in specific situations:
- Business and corporate sites that need to reach multiple markets and maintain strict translation quality
- WooCommerce stores selling internationally, where product descriptions, checkout strings, and currency handling all need localization
- Agencies managing multilingual projects for clients across many domains
- Sites using page builders like Elementor where translating design-level content matters
- Teams with dedicated translators who need a workflow tool, not just a simple toggle
If you run a small personal blog and just want to add a second language without paying, WPML is not the right fit. Polylang’s free version handles basic content translation without any cost.
Getting Started: Setup Experience
WPML installs like any premium plugin: download the zip from your wpml.org account, upload to WordPress, activate. There is a setup wizard that walks through language selection, translation method choice, and basic configuration.
I found the onboarding clear for an experienced WordPress user. You pick your site’s default language, add the languages you want, and choose whether you want to translate manually, use the Advanced Translation Editor, or connect an automatic translation service.
The Language Switcher can be placed in a menu, a widget, or embedded with a shortcode. WPML generates separate URLs for each language — either as subdirectories (/fr/, /de/) or as subdomains (fr.yoursite.com) — which is the correct approach for multilingual SEO.
One friction point: The plugin ecosystem. WPML is a collection of components, not a single plugin. You will have WPML Multilingual CMS, String Translation, Translation Management, and possibly the WooCommerce add-on all running at once. For non-developers, the dashboard can feel crowded at first.
Core Features
Content Translation
WPML adds a “Translations” box to every post and page editor. From there you create a translation directly in the WordPress editor, or you send the content to the Advanced Translation Editor.
The standard editor approach is fine for teams who already have translators working natively in WordPress. You get the full Gutenberg editor with all your blocks available. There are no surprises — it behaves like a normal post edit screen.
Advanced Translation Editor (CMS and Agency Plans)
This is WPML’s side-by-side editor. The original content sits on the left; you type the translation on the right. It supports glossaries, translation memory, and automatic suggestions from previous translations. For professional translators or agencies managing consistent terminology, this is a meaningful tool.
The translation memory feature is practically useful: if you have translated a paragraph before, WPML surfaces the previous translation and lets you approve it or edit it. Over time, this reduces repetitive work across large sites.
String Translation (CMS and Agency Plans)
String Translation handles text that does not come from post content — theme labels, plugin text, widget titles, navigation labels, and custom fields that appear in the site interface.
This feature is what separates WPML from simpler multilingual plugins for real production sites. Without string translation, you end up with a site that has translated blog posts but an English header, footer, and checkout flow. With it, you can translate the entire user-facing interface.
AI-Powered Automatic Translation
WPML integrates with multiple machine translation engines:
- Google Translate
- DeepL
- Microsoft Azure Translator
- PTC (WPML’s own engine, described as “human quality at machine speed”)
Translation credits are the currency. The CMS plan includes 90,000 credits per year; the Agency plan includes 180,000. Credit consumption varies by engine: Google and DeepL cost 2 credits per word per language, Azure costs 1 credit per word, and PTC costs 4 credits per word.
In practice, 90,000 credits translates to roughly 45,000 words with DeepL or 22,500 words with PTC. For a large site, you may need to purchase additional credits.
WooCommerce Multilingual
This is a separate plugin (available free on WordPress.org, but requires WPML CMS or Agency) that adds complete WooCommerce translation support. It covers:
- Product titles, descriptions, and short descriptions
- Product variations and attributes
- Category and tag names
- Reviews and notifications
- Checkout and order flow strings
- Multi-currency display with manual or automatic API exchange rates
The workflow is logical: you translate products individually or in bulk, and WPML handles URL routing so each language version has its own slug. The main limitation is that WooCommerce Multilingual requires the CMS or Agency plan. If you start with the Blog plan thinking you will add WooCommerce translation later, you will need to upgrade.
Menu and Widget Translation
Translated menus are managed through a dedicated screen inside WPML. You create separate menu versions for each language rather than editing the original. This keeps things clean and allows different menu structures per language if needed.
Widget translation works through the String Translation component. It is reliable but requires a bit of setup — you need to register the widget text strings first before they appear for translation.
Full Site Editing Support
WPML supports translation of WordPress FSE templates, template parts, and global styles. This covers header and footer blocks, site title/tagline, and reusable blocks that appear across the site. FSE compatibility is included in the CMS and Agency plans.
This is a relevant feature for modern WordPress themes where the theme design is built inside the Site Editor rather than via widget areas.
Page Builder Support
WPML maintains compatibility with major page builders including Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, Visual Composer, WPBakery, and others. Page builder support means translated pages retain the original design structure — you are translating the text content, not rebuilding the layout.
This is significant because building multilingual sites with page builders has historically been messy. WPML’s ongoing compatibility program with theme and builder developers is one reason many agencies standardize on it.
Translation Management
WPML’s Translation Management module (CMS and Agency plans) lets you assign translation jobs to team members or external translation services. You can set translation roles: Translation Manager, Translator, and site editors with limited access.
WPML integrates directly with professional translation services including Lionbridge and WPML Translation Service. The workflow allows you to send content directly from the WordPress admin to a translation provider and receive finished translations back without leaving WordPress.
For agencies or marketing teams managing multilingual content at volume, this integration reduces the copy-paste overhead of coordinating with an external vendor.
WPML Pricing and Plans
| Plan | Price | Sites | AI Credits | Key Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multilingual Blog | €39/yr | 1 production | None | No string translation, no WooCommerce, no page builders |
| Multilingual CMS | €99/yr | 3 production | 90,000 | Full feature set |
| Multilingual Agency | €199/yr | Unlimited | 180,000 | Full feature set |
All plans include one year of updates and support. A 30-day money-back guarantee applies to the license fee; AI translation credits are non-refundable.
Renewals matter. If your subscription lapses, the plugin keeps working and your translations stay live. But you lose access to updates. Over time, an unupdated version of a plugin with this many components can cause PHP compatibility issues or conflicts with WordPress core updates. WPML recommends renewing to stay on supported versions.
The Blog plan is genuinely limited. At €39, it includes only basic content translation with the standard WordPress editor. There is no string translation, no page builder support, no WooCommerce support, and no advanced editor. For a real-world site, most users will find the Blog plan insufficient and need to step up to the CMS plan.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Most feature-complete multilingual plugin for WordPress
- WooCommerce support is solid and well-maintained
- String translation covers the full site interface, not just post content
- Translation memory reduces repeated work on large sites
- Multiple AI translation engine options (Google, DeepL, Azure, PTC)
- Ongoing page builder and theme compatibility program
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- No free version — not on WordPress.org
- Blog plan at €39 lacks features most users actually need
- Annual renewal model: miss a renewal and updates stop
- Multi-plugin setup can feel complex for beginners
- PTC AI credits cost 4x more per word than Azure
- AI translation not included in Blog plan at all
WPML vs Polylang
The most common comparison is WPML against Polylang. Here is an honest breakdown:
Polylang (free) covers basic content translation — posts, pages, categories, menus, and some widgets. It is genuinely capable for simple multilingual blogs. The interface is clean and the setup is minimal. No cost.
Polylang Pro (paid, around €99/yr) adds WooCommerce support, ACF compatibility, and better page builder handling. It competes directly with WPML CMS.
WPML has a deeper feature set overall: more robust string translation, better translation memory, more translation service integrations, and a longer track record of compatibility with complex themes and plugins.
For a straightforward blog or content site, Polylang free is a reasonable starting point. For a WooCommerce store, a complex site with many plugin-generated strings, or a project requiring professional translation workflows, WPML holds an edge.
The switching cost matters too. WPML stores translations in a specific way. Migrating from WPML to Polylang is possible (there is an import plugin) but not trivial. Choose carefully based on where your site is heading.
Alternatives to WPML
- Polylang / Polylang Pro — best free option for simpler sites
- TranslatePress — front-end visual translation editor, beginner-friendly
- Weglot — SaaS-based, proxy-translation approach, simple setup but subscription scales by word count and language count
- Linguise — SaaS multilingual with NMT translation, front-end visual editor
Final Verdict
WPML is the right choice for WordPress projects where multilingual depth matters. WooCommerce support, string translation, professional translation workflows, and page builder compatibility make it a credible all-in-one solution.
The cost is real. The Blog plan at €39 covers too little, and most users end up at €99 for the CMS plan. If you have three or more production sites, the €199 Agency plan becomes the better value. And renewal discipline matters — let the subscription lapse and you are running on borrowed time before a compatibility issue surfaces.
For teams building serious multilingual WordPress sites, WPML’s track record and feature depth justify the spend. For casual projects or limited budgets, start with Polylang free and evaluate whether you need more.
FAQ
Is WPML free?
No. WPML is a premium plugin with no free version. Plans start at €39 per year for the Multilingual Blog plan. It is not listed on WordPress.org.
Does WPML work with Elementor?
Yes. WPML has an ongoing compatibility program with Elementor and most major page builders. Translated pages retain the original Elementor layout with translated text content.
What happens if I stop renewing WPML?
Your site keeps working and translations remain live. You lose access to plugin updates, which means over time your WPML version may fall behind WordPress core updates. WPML recommends renewing to stay on supported versions.
Can I use WPML with WooCommerce?
Yes, with the CMS or Agency plan. The WooCommerce Multilingual add-on handles product translation, checkout strings, and multi-currency display. It requires an active WPML CMS or Agency license.
How does WPML handle SEO for multilingual sites?
WPML creates separate URLs per language using subdirectories (/fr/, /de/) or subdomains. It generates language-specific sitemaps and adds hreflang tags automatically. This is the correct technical approach for multilingual SEO.
Can WPML translate my theme?
Yes. The String Translation module (CMS and Agency plans) handles theme text, plugin strings, widget labels, and other non-post content that makes up your site’s interface.
Is there a trial period?
There is no free trial, but WPML offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. AI translation credits are not refundable.