Amazon Translate
What Amazon Translate is
Amazon Translate is an API-based machine translation service for translating text on demand between 75 supported languages. It provides real-time and batch translation, and supports website and document translation as well as glossary tools. Its listed uses include multilingual applications, translating company or user-authored content, and processing incoming text in multiple languages.
Real-time API calls have a limit of 5,000 bytes per call. Batch translation accepts up to 5 GB per call; each document can be up to 20 MB and 1,000,000 characters. Batch document translation supports TXT, HTML, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX and XLIFF. Active Custom Translation uses parallel data examples to adapt output at runtime without requiring customers to build and maintain a custom translation model. AWS documentation describes integrations with Amazon Comprehend, Transcribe, Polly, S3, DynamoDB, Aurora, Redshift, Lambda and Glue.
Listed plans charge per million characters, with different rates and Free Tier allowances by service. AWS says content is encrypted at rest and in transit and remains customer owned. AWS may store and use processed text to provide and maintain the service and improve its machine learning technologies; an AWS Organizations opt-out policy is available.
Who it suits
Amazon Translate suits developers building multilingual applications and organizations translating company or user-authored material. Its real-time and batch API options also fit teams processing incoming text in multiple languages or translating documents and websites.
What it does well
- Translates between 75 supported languages.
- Offers real-time and batch translation through an API.
- Includes website, document and glossary tools.
- Active Custom Translation adapts output using parallel data examples.
- Integrations are described for several AWS services.
What to know first
- Real-time calls are limited to 5,000 bytes per API call.
- Real-time document translation has no Free Tier.
- AWS may store and use processed text, with an opt-out policy available.
Limits
Real-time API calls are limited to 5,000 bytes each. Standard text translation and batch document translation include 2 million characters per month for 12 months on Free Tier; Active Custom Translation includes 500,000 characters per month for 2 months. Real-time document translation has no Free Tier.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Text Translation | $15.00 per million characters · 2 million characters per month for 12 months on Free Tier | $15 a month |
| Batch Document Translation | $15.00 per million characters · 2 million characters per month for 12 months on Free Tier; supports TXT, HTML, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, and XLIFF | $15 a month |
| Real-Time Document Translation (Text & HTML) | $15.00 per million characters · No Free Tier for this service | $15 a month |
| Real-Time Document Translation (Docx) | $30.00 per million characters · No Free Tier for this service | $30 a month |
| Active Custom Translation | $60.00 per million characters · 500,000 characters per month for 2 months on Free Tier | $60 a month |
As aws.amazon.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit https://aws.amazon.com/translate/.
- Choose a translation service: standard text, batch documents, real-time documents, or Active Custom Translation.
- Use the API for real-time or batch translation.
- Check the listed per-million-character rate and Free Tier allowance for the selected service.
- For batch document translation, prepare a supported format: TXT, HTML, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX or XLIFF.
Verdict
Choose Amazon Translate if you need API-based translation across supported languages, with real-time, batch and document options. Compare the listed per-million-character rates and Free Tier allowances for the specific service you need, especially for real-time document translation, which has no Free Tier.
Questions
How much does Amazon Translate cost?
The listed plans range from $15 a month for Standard Text Translation and Batch Document Translation to $60 a month for Active Custom Translation. Rates are billed per million characters: $15.00, $30.00 or $60.00, depending on the plan.
Does Amazon Translate have a free plan or trial?
Yes, a free plan and free trial are listed. Standard text and batch document translation include 2 million characters per month for 12 months on Free Tier; Active Custom Translation includes 500,000 characters per month for 2 months. Real-time document translation has no Free Tier.
Which languages does Amazon Translate support?
It supports translation between 75 languages.
What platforms and access does it offer?
The listed platform is API. Real-time and batch translation are available through an API.
What document formats does batch translation support?
The Batch Document Translation plan supports TXT, HTML, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX and XLIFF.
What does AWS say about processed text?
AWS says content is encrypted at rest and in transit and customers retain ownership. AWS may store and use processed text to provide and maintain the service and improve its machine learning technologies; an AWS Organizations opt-out policy is available.
Facts from Amazon Translate's own pages
- API access
- Yes · aws.amazon.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Customization
- Active Custom Translation uses parallel data examples to customize translation output at runtime without requiring customers to build and maintain a custom translation model. · aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Data privacy
- AWS says it may store and use processed text to provide and maintain the service and improve its machine learning technologies, and provides an AWS Organizations opt-out policy for that use. · aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Document translation
- Yes · aws.amazon.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Encryption and ownership
- AWS says content is encrypted at rest and in transit and that customers retain ownership of their content. · aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- No · aws.amazon.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Glossary tools
- Yes · aws.amazon.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Input limits
- Real-time calls are limited to 5,000 bytes per API call; batch translation accepts up to 5 GB per call, with individual documents up to 20 MB and 1,000,000 characters. · aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- AWS documentation describes integrations with Amazon Comprehend, Transcribe, Polly, S3, DynamoDB, Aurora, Redshift, Lambda, and Glue. · docs.aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Languages
- Amazon Translate supports translation between 75 languages. · aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Security
- AWS describes security as a shared responsibility and lists data protection, identity and access management, monitoring, compliance validation, resilience, infrastructure security, and VPC endpoints among the service security topics. · docs.aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- The FAQ directs customers to AWS Customer Service for technical support and says feedback can be submitted through Customer Service or the Translate console. · aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Supported languages
- 75 · aws.amazon.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Translation modes
- The service offers real-time and batch translation through an API. · aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Website translation
- Yes · aws.amazon.com, 20 Sept 2026
- What it does
- Amazon Translate is a machine translation service for translating text between supported languages on demand. · docs.aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Who it is for
- AWS describes use cases including multilingual applications, translating company and user-authored content, and processing incoming text in multiple languages. · docs.aws.amazon.com, 5 Oct 2026
Where Amazon Translate stands on Freedom251
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