How Contextra compares

Contextra is a desktop CAT tool for Word, Excel and PowerPoint: Translation Memory, Term Base, keyboard-first review and a Quality check. Your memory answers first; the AI drafts the rest on your own API key or AI Credits. Here's where it goes further, and where the big suites still lead.

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Free 14-day trial — the full app, no credit card needed. The 14 days start when you create your account. AI isn't included: use your own API key or buy AI Credits.

Other tools' details come from our July 2026 research.

Where Contextra goes further

The CAT fundamentals are here: Translation Memory and Term Base with TMX and TBX, Concordance, Word count & quote, keyboard-first review and a Quality check. The cards below are where Contextra goes further; each “Elsewhere” line comes from our July 2026 research.

Your original file back, not a rebuilt copy

Export writes the translation into a copy of your original Word, Excel or PowerPoint file^¹ and leaves everything else as it was.

In Word, headers, footers, footnotes and text boxes are translated too, and logos, seals and signature images stay in the file.

Bold, italic, underline, superscript and subscript follow the translated words, set with a click, not inline tags.

Check formatting as you review: nothing flags a link or emphasis an AI draft drops, and memory matches place mixed formatting approximately.

Elsewhere: In our research, Trados, memoQ, Wordfast and Phrase showed formatting as tags you place in the translation.

Analyze reads the document first, when you ask

One click and the AI reads the document and works out its field, jurisdiction and register.

Every translation of that document then takes them into account.

Your Term Base terms that occur in the document take precedence in the glossary it proposes.

Select a phrase and click Analyze, or click Analyze term on a glossary entry, for a definition, alternatives by register, usage examples and warnings such as false friends.

Both are optional AI steps, on your own API key or AI Credits.

Analyze term's usage examples, and the sources it names for them, are AI-written and unverified: check them first.

You can't edit what Analyze works out, and running it again replaces the document's glossary.

Elsewhere: No other tool in our research offered this kind of document and term analysis.

Your own API key or AI Credits, with an estimate of each document's AI cost

On your own API key, requests go straight to your provider, which bills you at its prices, and Contextra adds nothing to that bill.

No key? Prepaid AI Credits run on models Contextra provides.

The Usage dashboard shows the AI cost of each document and project, and exports it as CSV.

AI needs an internet connection. Your own key needs a Contextra plan or trial.

AI Credits need no subscription: after the trial, a positive balance keeps the AI working and your exports clean.

AI Credits are priced above the providers' list prices.

Usage covers this computer only.

Elsewhere: In our research, most cloud platforms sold AI only in their own metered units, and none showed a per-document AI cost.

Local-first, on macOS and Windows

Your Library, memories and Term Bases are stored on your computer.

Document text leaves your computer only to reach the AI, or when you share work with your team.

Native builds for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs (macOS 13 or later) and Windows 10 and 11 (x64).

Otherwise your Contextra account receives metadata only, such as exported file names (which often name the client), languages and page counts.

Contextra needs your account: your license is checked online at least every 14 days (7 on a Team seat).

On Windows, Contextra keeps its data in your roaming profile; if your organization uses roaming profiles, it's copied to its server too.

Where your data goes →

Elsewhere: In our research, Trados and memoQ were Windows-only, and the cloud platforms kept your documents on their servers.

^¹More under Where the big suites still lead →

Feature by feature

Contextra against the best-known tools translators compare it with. The other tools' cells come from our July 2026 research. Every other tool is in the full lineup below.

Swipe sideways for more tools →

Contextra compared with Trados, memoQ, Wordfast, Phrase and DeepL. Other tools as researched in July 2026.
Capability	Contextra (this site's product)	Trados	memoQ	Wordfast	Phrase	DeepL
Native desktop app for both macOS and Windows
Contextra: Apple Silicon and Intel Macs (macOS 13 or later) and Windows 10 and 11 (x64). No Linux.
Choose among Claude, GPT and Gemini models
Contextra: On your own key, you pick the model for each document; AI Credits offer a shorter list.
AI on your own API key, at the provider's price
Contextra: On your own key, requests go straight to your provider, which bills you at its prices; Contextra adds nothing. Needs a plan or trial.
Per-document AI cost (estimated on your own key)
Contextra: In the Usage dashboard, per document and project, with CSV export. This computer only.
Your original Word file back, no inline tags to place
Contextra: Also Excel and PowerPoint.^¹ You set formatting with a click. Nothing checks that AI drafts keep every link and emphasis.
Formats beyond Word: Excel, PowerPoint, InDesign, XLIFF
Contextra: Excel and PowerPoint: yes, returned in the same format.^¹ InDesign (IDML) and XLIFF: no.
Agency packages in and out (SDLPPX, MQXLIFF)
AI works out each document's field, jurisdiction and register
Contextra: Optional, one click, an AI step. Not a word-count analysis: that's Word count & quote, below.
On-demand term analysis with warnings
Contextra: An AI step; its usage examples and their sources are AI-written and unverified.
Local-first: documents parsed and kept on your computer
Contextra: Document text leaves your computer only to reach the AI or your team. Your account receives export metadata such as file names. The license is checked online at least every 14 days (7 on a Team seat).
One-time perpetual license option
Contextra: $499 once (USD, taxes excluded), no subscription. Its license is re-verified online at least every 14 days; without that check, the AI pauses and exports carry an “UNLICENSED TRIAL” notice until it can be checked again.
TMX and TBX import and export
Contextra: Plain text only, and one language pair per memory.
Shared team memories and Term Bases
Contextra: Team plan. Teammates get a read-only copy; only the member who shares a memory adds to it.
Optional end-to-end encryption for shared memories
Contextra: Off until an owner or manager turns it on for the team, and it can't be turned off. It covers entries sent from then on, and memory names, language pairs and owners stay readable to Contextra. Key distribution relies on Contextra's member and device list, which the app doesn't yet let you verify. How team encryption works →

Yes Partial or limited No

The Contextra note under a row is part of its answer.

^¹More under Where the big suites still lead →

Other tools change often. If a cell looks out of date, tell us at support@contextra.pro.

Also in Contextra

Added since our July 2026 research, so this describes Contextra only. Established CAT tools have their own quality checks, concordance and word counts, and the big suites' quality checks are configurable, which Contextra's isn't. Where the big suites still lead →

Quality check before delivery: Checks numbers and dates (between seven European languages), glossary terms and consistency, on your computer at no extra cost. It isn't configurable, and correct renderings can be flagged.
Consistency check across a project: One click on a project page compares its active documents that translate into the same language and counts each one's disagreements.
Concordance across Term Bases, memories and documents: Select a phrase and press ⌘⇧K (Ctrl+Shift+K). Same language pair; results are capped.
Word count & quote from your own memories: From 102% to no match, for languages that separate words with spaces. Your rate, weighting and minimum fee; laudas (Brazilian pages); CSV. One document at a time.
Instructions to the AI at three levels: General (optionally per target language), workspace project and document; the AI is told the most specific one wins. AI steps only, not Analyze term.

For certified and sworn translators

Four details that matter when your name goes on the translation.

A stored sentence that differs from yours only in capitalization shows as 99%, never as 100%.
Only the numbers or codes changed? You get your translation with the new figures, as a 100% match for your review.
Fix a typo in the source and your memory gets the corrected sentence; the client's wording in the file you deliver never changes.
Edit a confirmed translation and its ✓ comes off until you accept it again.

The full lineup

Fourteen tools translators weigh up, grouped by what they are, plus Contextra. Other tools' prices and features are as we found them in July 2026 and change often: treat them as a guide, not a quote. Contextra's prices are current, in USD, taxes excluded.

Desktop CAT tools

Contextra (this site's product)
PriceProfessional $27/mo or $240/yr · Perpetual $499 once^¹ · Team $45/seat/mo, billed annually, minimum 3 seats · optional AI Credits from $12
PlatformsmacOS 13+ (Apple Silicon and Intel) · Windows 10 and 11 (x64)
AIYour own Claude, GPT or Gemini key at the provider's price, or prepaid AI Credits · per-document AI cost in Usage (estimated on your own key)
Trados Studio (RWS)
Price~£340/yr Freelance · no new perpetual
PlatformsWindows only (+ cloud)
AIBYO key for GPT, Claude & Gemini (AI Bridge, Studio 2026)
memoQ translator pro
Price~$436/yr · or $770 perpetual + SMA
PlatformsWindows only
AIGPT, Claude & Gemini via the Intento aggregator, on your key
Wordfast Pro
Price$480 / 3-year term
PlatformsWindows · macOS · Linux
AIClassic MT (DeepL/Google) on your keys
CafeTran Espresso
Price€80/yr · €200 perpetual · free size-limited version
PlatformsWindows · macOS · Linux
AIBYO key, no markup: GPT/Claude/Gemini + more
OmegaT
PriceFree · open-source
PlatformsWindows · macOS · Linux
AILLM via plugin; classic MT connectors
Déjà Vu X3 (Atril)
Price€420 perpetual · still sold, no major update since 2015
PlatformsWindows only
AIClassic MT only — no LLM

Cloud platforms and TMS

Powerful for agencies and teams — your documents live on the vendor’s servers.

Phrase (ex-Memsource)
Price$27/mo Freelancer · then $525+/mo
PlatformsCloud + desktop editor (cloud-dependent)
AIAI metered (MTUs/AIUs); no native GPT/Claude/Gemini picker
Smartcat
PriceFree tier · paid $1,200–$60,000/yr
PlatformsWeb only
AIAI billed as Smartwords credits
XTM Cloud
Price$16,500/yr+ · AI Agent +$20k/yr
PlatformsWeb SaaS
AIGPT/Claude/Gemini + MT; BYOK gated to enterprise
Redokun
Price€95 project pass · €289/mo+
PlatformsWeb only
AIDeepL / Google / OpenAI, word-metered
MateCat
PriceFree · open-source
PlatformsWeb only
AIModernMT adaptive NMT (no BYO LLM key)
Pairaphrase
Price$3,420/yr+
PlatformsWeb only
AIGPT / DeepL / Google, word-metered

AI translators and productivity tools

DeepL
PriceFree · ~$8.74/mo+
PlatformsWeb + desktop/mobile apps
AIDeepL’s own engine only — no model choice, not a CAT
GT4T
Price$19.90/yr BYO-key (metered)
PlatformsWindows · macOS add-on
AI29+ MT + LLM; per-character fee even on your key

^¹Perpetual: one payment, no subscription. Free updates for life when you order by December 31, 2026. Its license is re-verified online at least every 14 days. After 14 days without a check, the AI pauses and exports carry an “UNLICENSED TRIAL” notice until Contextra can check again; the work on your computer is never locked away.

Where the big suites still lead

Contextra isn't trying to be everything. Here's where an established tool is still the better call.

Office formats only

Contextra translates Word, Excel and PowerPoint files (.docx, .xlsx and .pptx) and gives you back the same kind of file.

It doesn't open legacy .doc, .xls or .ppt files, macro-enabled, template or password-protected files, or PDF, RTF, ODT, InDesign (IDML), XLIFF and agency packages.

Charts, SmartArt, comments, slide masters and layouts aren't translated, nor are Excel sheet names, headers and footers, pivots or formula results. Longer text isn't re-fitted to its box.

In Word, accept or reject tracked changes first: text inside them, or inside inline content controls, isn't translated, with no warning. Page-number and date fields become fixed text.

In Excel, a translated word that a formula looks for can stop that formula from matching.

Contextra doesn't change the proofing language, so Word and PowerPoint may flag the translation as misspelled.

Hidden text, rows, columns and sheets are translated, and sent to the AI, like the rest.

If your work arrives as InDesign files or agency packages, a broad suite like memoQ or Trados fits better today.

Teams, but not a TMS

On the Team plan, a manager uploads a Word file, picks the translator and due date, and follows progress on the web.

The translator hands it back with Complete once every segment is translated and reviewed. Quality-check errors don't block it.

Teammates subscribe to the Translation Memories and Term Bases the team shares and get a read-only copy. Only the member who shared a memory adds to it.

It isn't a workflow platform: no co-editing, reviewer role, approval step, vendor management or automated routing. Each upload is one Word file for one assignee.

For an agency routing dozens of freelancers through a pipeline, a cloud TMS is still the right tool.

See how teams work

A Quality check, not a QA suite

The Quality check runs on your computer, with no AI and no extra cost.

It compares numbers and dates by value, between English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Dutch. It also checks reference numbers and IDs written with dots, slashes or hyphens, glossary terms, and consistency within a document and across a project.

It doesn't check spelling, grammar, meaning, style, formatting or links, and you can't add your own rules or profiles.

Correct renderings, such as numbers written out in words, can still be flagged: treat a finding as a question.

If you depend on configurable QA profiles, an established suite still leads.

New, and open by design

The established suites have 15–30 years and deep agency adoption behind them. Contextra is new.

Your memories and Term Bases go in and out as TMX and TBX, with or without a plan, and a whole project exports as one .zip with its original and translated files.

After the trial, translated files export with a visible “UNLICENSED TRIAL” notice until you choose a plan or hold a positive AI Credits balance.

The 14-day trial needs no card; AI isn't included, so use your own API key or AI Credits.

What Contextra doesn't do →

Try the full app free for 14 days

No credit card needed. The 14 days start when you create your account. AI isn't included: use your own API key or buy AI Credits.

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macOS 13 or later (Apple Silicon or Intel) · Windows 10 and 11 (x64) · Download