head to head · open source
LibreTranslate vs WritingTools
LibreTranslate has 17,269 GitHub stars, 1,794 forks, 126 open issues and last shipped 10 days ago. WritingTools has 2,480 stars, 165 forks, 79 open issues and last shipped 3 months ago. LibreTranslate leads on adoption by 596% (17,269 vs 2,480 stars). LibreTranslate is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; WritingTools is written in Swift under GPL-3.0. LibreTranslate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, WritingTools 7%. LibreTranslate 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.
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Side by side
| LibreTranslate | WritingTools | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 17K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-10-26 | 2026-08-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 165 |
| 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 WritingTools if
- You want the WritingTools feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and WritingTools 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 WritingTools
Writing Tools 🍎 Using a Mac? Jump to the macOS (Native Swift Port) section → macOS Instantly proofread and optimize your writing system wide with AI: Summarize content (webpages, YouTube videos, documents...) in a click: Add your own buttons for unlimited potential! ✨ What is Writing Tools? Writing Tools is an Apple Intelligence inspired application for Windows, Linux, and macOS that supercharges your writing with an AI LLM (cloud based or local). With one hotkey press system wide, it lets you fix grammar, optimize text according to your instructions, summarize content (webpages, YouTube videos, etc.), and…
read the full WritingTools overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LibreTranslate or WritingTools more popular?
LibreTranslate has 17,269 GitHub stars and WritingTools has 2,480. LibreTranslate has the larger community by that measure.
Are LibreTranslate and WritingTools free?
Both are open source. LibreTranslate is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and WritingTools under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LibreTranslate and WritingTools?
LibreTranslate is written in Python and WritingTools in Swift. 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 WritingTools?
Choose LibreTranslate if you want the larger community (17,269 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose WritingTools if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.