Quick answer
Loco - Loco wins for most builders because it is a perpetual free tier with clear limits and a cheap, published upgrade path, while SimpleLocalize is only a 14-day trial with no priced entry plan on the page.
How the free tiers compare
These two offers solve the same localization workflow problem, but they differ on something more important than raw quotas: durability. Loco is a real free tier that you can keep using, with 2,000 translations, 2 private projects, and useful features like machine translation, glossaries, and revision history. It is capped, but it is a usable starting point and the paid ladder is public and low-cost. SimpleLocalize is more generous in some structural limits on its community plans, like unlimited strings and projects, but the entry point is a 14-day trial, not a perpetual free plan. That makes it better for evaluating the product or for teams who already know they will pay soon, but weaker as a free-tier choice for builders trying to start small and stay free.
Loco vs SimpleLocalize free tier, side by side
| LocoFTV 48 | SimpleLocalizeFTV 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free access typeSimpleLocalize is not a perpetual free plan at the entry point. | Perpetual free tier | 14-day trial |
| Translation allowanceSimpleLocalize’s paid community/developer tiers raise this to 1,000 and 4,000 keys. | Up to 2,000 translations | 250 translation keys during the trial |
| ProjectsPaid Community/Developer/Team tiers list unlimited projects. | 2 private projects | Access to 10 projects during the trial |
| LanguagesPaid Community/Developer/Team tiers list unlimited languages. | 10 languages per project | Access to 10 languages during the trial |
| Revision or history retentionPaid tiers extend history to 1, 2, or 3 years depending on plan. | Previous edit revision history | 90 days of activity and history log |
| Card requiredThis claim is only because the field is present in the input. | No card required | No card required |
After you outgrow the free tier
Loco has a straightforward flat-price ladder: Pro starts at $5.95/mo, then Business at $19.95/mo, then Agency at $29.95/mo, all with extra translations available as an add-on. SimpleLocalize’s entry plans are not priced on the page, and the first named plan that clearly changes the sales motion is Business, which is contact sales. That means Loco has a much clearer and cheaper self-serve path for small teams. For SimpleLocalize, costs diverge later and are not fully public here, so comparison beyond the trial is limited.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Loco | SimpleLocalize |
|---|---|---|
| small solo app, under the free capSimpleLocalize’s trial is time-limited, so ongoing cost is not defined here. | Free (within tier) | Free during 14-day trial, then not priced on page |
| 2 private projects, 8 languages, 1,500 translationsThis fits Loco’s free limits, but SimpleLocalize has no perpetual free tier in the provided data. | Free (within tier) | Free during 14-day trial, then not priced on page |
| 5,000 translations/monthLoco Pro includes 5,000 translations and unlimited projects/assets/languages. | $5.95/mo +VAT for Pro | Not priced on page |
| 12,000 translation keys with team usageSimpleLocalize Team is listed at 12,000 translation keys; Business is contact sales. | At least $19.95/mo +VAT if you need Business-level scale | Contact sales |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Loco when…
- You want a perpetual free plan for a small app or website and do not want a time limit.
- You need a modest localization setup with a few private projects and a couple thousand translations.
- You want a published, low-cost upgrade path from free to paid without contacting sales.
- You value machine translation, glossaries, and revision history in the free tier.
- You are testing a localization workflow in a side project and want to keep using it indefinitely within limits.
Pick SimpleLocalize when…
- You only need a short trial to evaluate the workflow before committing.
- You care more about unlimited strings and unlimited projects than about having a permanent free tier.
- You expect to move into a team-oriented setup with more users and customer-facing controls later.
- You want longer history retention on paid community/developer plans and can accept that the free entry point is temporary.
- You are already okay with a contact-sales path for business usage and do not need a public self-serve price.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, Loco is the better free-tier pick because it gives you something you can actually keep using, not just a short evaluation window. Its limits are clear, the feature set is practical, and the first paid step is cheap and public. SimpleLocalize may suit teams that are already headed into a paid rollout, but as a free-tier choice it is weaker because the entry point is a 14-day trial and the pricing beyond that is not published here.
Read the full listings: Loco and SimpleLocalize. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.