head to head · open source
LibreTranslate vs Lingo.dev
LibreTranslate has 17,269 GitHub stars, 1,794 forks, 126 open issues and last shipped 10 days ago. Lingo.dev has 5,402 stars, 811 forks, 34 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. LibreTranslate leads on adoption by 220% (17,269 vs 5,402 stars). LibreTranslate is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; Lingo.dev is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. LibreTranslate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Lingo.dev 15%. Lingo.dev was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| LibreTranslate | Lingo.dev | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 17K | ★ 5.4K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-26 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 811 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LibreTranslate if
- You weight community size — 17K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Lingo.dev if
- You want the Lingo.dev feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Lingo.dev fits your workflow better
About LibreTranslate
LibreTranslate Try it online! API Docs Community Forum Bluesky Free and Open Source Machine Translation API, entirely self hosted. Unlike other APIs, it doesn't rely on proprietary software such as Google or Azure to perform translations. Instead, its translation engine is powered by the open source Argos Translate library. Getting Started Quickstart Usage Instructions Community Resources Credits This work is largely possible thanks to Argos Translate, which powers the translation engine. License GNU Affero General Public License v3 Trademark See Trademark Guidelines
read the full LibreTranslate overview →
About Lingo.dev
Open source localization engineering tools. Connect to Lingo.dev localization engineering platform for consistent, quality translations. Lingo API • Lingo React MCP • Lingo CLI • Lingo GitHub Action • Lingo Compiler for React (Early alpha) Quick Start Localization engines These tools connect to localization engines – stateful translation APIs you create on the Lingo.dev localization engineering platform. Each engine persists glossaries, brand voice, and per locale instructions across every request, reducing terminology errors 16.6–44.6%. Or bring your own LLM. Lingo.dev MCP Setting up i18n in React apps is error…
read the full Lingo.dev overview →
More in Content & Publishing
Related comparisons
More Publishing projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Publishing field.
Frequently asked questions
Is LibreTranslate or Lingo.dev more popular?
LibreTranslate has 17,269 GitHub stars and Lingo.dev has 5,402. LibreTranslate has the larger community by that measure.
Are LibreTranslate and Lingo.dev free?
Both are open source. LibreTranslate is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Lingo.dev under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LibreTranslate and Lingo.dev?
LibreTranslate is written in Python and Lingo.dev in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, LibreTranslate or Lingo.dev?
Choose LibreTranslate if you want the larger community (17,269 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Lingo.dev if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.