[opensourcedex]

tolgee is a free, open source miscellaneous project written in TypeScript and released under a custom open-source licence. It has 4,102 GitHub stars, 368 forks and 193 open issues, and was last pushed 8 hours ago. On this registry it ranks #20 of 25 tracked projects in Miscellaneous, with 5 head-to-head comparisons available. It gained 3 stars over the last 6 tracked days.

What is tolgee?

What it is

Tolgee is an open-source web-based localization platform for software projects. It lives in the JavaScript and TypeScript web application ecosystem, with topics that include Angular, React, Svelte, i18next, internationalization, localization, and translation.

The concrete problem it addresses is the manual and fragmented work of adding, editing, and coordinating translations in web applications. Instead of requiring contributors to move between source code and bulky .json, .po, or similar files, Tolgee lets users edit strings in the running application, capture visual context, and connect translation work to the deployed app through integrations and browser tooling.

Key capabilities

  • In-context translation lets a user hold ALT or Option and click an element in the app to open a dialog for modifying strings.
  • One-click screenshot capture creates a screenshot of the application with highlighted phrases for translation context.
  • Production translation through the Tolgee Tools Chrome plugin lets a user enter an API key and edit strings without coding.
  • SDK integration embeds translation into the application instead of only synchronizing local data with a backend.
  • Machine translation supports DeepL, Google Translate, AWS Translate, and Azure Translator, with provider selection in settings.
  • AI translation uses surrounding context such as screenshots, key and project descriptions, language notes, translation memory matches, and Tolgee Context.
  • Project topics indicate integration with Angular, React, Svelte, i18next, JavaScript, internationalization, localization, and translation workflows.

Who uses it and how

  • Developers add and edit translation strings while working in the running application, using the in-context dialog rather than editing local files directly.
  • Non-developers or translators update production strings through the Chrome plugin by supplying an API key.
  • Teams capture screenshot context for individual phrases with one click from the in-context interface.
  • Localization teams configure machine translation providers in settings to use DeepL, Google Translate, AWS Translate, or Azure Translator.
  • Web application teams integrate Tolgee through SDKs in JavaScript frameworks and libraries indicated by the project topics.

Getting started

Run Tolgee from the Docker image tolgee/tolgee or deploy a release from GitHub releases. Use the Tolgee Tools Chrome plugin for in-context translation in deployed applications.

When to use it — and when not to

Use Tolgee when you want an open-source alternative to Crowdin, Phrase, or Lokalise for web application localization and can operate the platform yourself. Do not choose it if you need a hosted service confirmed in the provided facts, because the facts mention Docker and GitHub releases but not a hosted deployment option. The facts also do not state database, storage, SMTP, or other self-hosting requirements, and the license appears as Apache 2 / Tolgee EL while metadata says NOASSERTION, so verify licensing and operational needs before adoption.

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

Tolgee
 An open-source localization platform
developers enjoy working with

🤫 Happy with Tolgee? Please review us on G2 🙏

Logo

An open-source alternative to Crowdin, Phrase, or Lokalise

example workflow kotlin Docker github release licence github stars github stars Github discussions Dev.to Read the Docs Slack YouTube LinkedIn X

Tolgee

Why use Tolgee?

It saves you valuable time that would otherwise be spent on localization tasks while ensuring your software is flawlessly translated.

Frame 47

In context translating & One click screenshots

Easily add translations to your code and edit them directly within your app using the Tolgee i18n tool. Simply hold the ALT/Option key and click on an element to open a dialog where you can modify your strings effortlessly—no need to navigate through bulky .json/.po/.whatever files. Plus, in-context translation works seamlessly even in the production environment.

Just one click—that’s all it takes to capture a screenshot of your application with highlighted phrases for translation. Simply hold ALT + click on a string, then hit the camera button. Boom! Your screenshot is instantly generated.

Tolgee in-context editing

Translating on production

In-context translation works seamlessly even in the production environment of your deployed app. With the Tolgee Tools Chrome plugin, simply enter your API key and start translating—no coding skills required. This makes it easy for anyone to contribute to your app’s translations effortlessly.

True integrations

Tolgee isn't just another localization platform that simply syncs your local data with a backend. Instead, it seamlessly integrates into your app through powerful SDKs, providing a truly embedded translation experience.

Machine translation

We support DeepL, Google Translate, AWS Translate, and Azure Translator—simply choose your preferred services in the settings. With machine translation, the localization process becomes significantly faster, allowing translators to leverage AI-powered suggestions for more efficient and accurate translations.

AI translator

Conventional machine translation sees one string at a time. The AI translator sees the situation around it: screenshots of the phrase in your app, the key and project descriptions, your language notes, matches from the translation memory, and Tolgee Context, which the SDK gathers from how keys are actually laid out in your application.

The result is that ambiguous strings stop being a coin flip. A bare "Open" can be a button, a status or a menu item, and the AI translator picks based on where it appears—then tells you which reading it went with, so a reviewer can disagree at a glance.

You can shape it further by describing your project and languages, or by editing the translation prompt directly. Read more.

Translation memory

Tolgee automatically suggests translations based on those you've previously used in the project, ensuring consistency across similar phrases.

Translation memory suggestions include the similarity percentage, the key, and the original text of the translated string, making it easy to maintain accuracy and coherence.

Auto translation

When enabled, Tolgee instantly translates new keys using translation memory or machine translation services, ensuring your strings are translated immediately upon creation. Simply choose whether to use translation memory and select your preferred machine translation service for seamless automation.

Activity log

Easily track who modified, reviewed, or commented on phrases in your project—all with complete clarity.

Comment on translations

If something seems off, let others know what you'd change. You can leave comments on any translation directly within the Tolgee platform.

Translation history

Easily track changes to specific translations of a particular key in a specific language. If something's amiss, you'll know exactly where to point the finger!

MCP Server

Tolgee exposes an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI coding assistants manage translations directly — search keys, create and update translations, manage languages, trigger machine translation, and more — all without leaving your editor. See DEVELOPMENT.md for setup instructions.

Documentation

The docs cover all aspects of using Tolgee. Some highlights include:

Getting Started 🚀

  1. Sign up at app.tolgee.io or access your self-hosted instance
  2. Create a project
  3. Follow a guide in the integration section of your project
  4. Have fun!

Integration guides

Report a Bug

For filing bugs, suggesting improvements, or requesting new features, please open an issue.

How to contribute

You wanna contribute? Great to hear that! You can start right away!

Contributors

contributors

Let us know what you think! #FeedbackWanted ❤️

Frequently asked questions

Is tolgee free to use?

tolgee is open source. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does tolgee do?

Developer & translator friendly web-based localization platform

What is tolgee written in?

tolgee is primarily written in TypeScript. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/tolgee/tolgee-platform, and it has 4,102 GitHub stars.