Phrase Localization Platform
PhraseReviews from AWS customer
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Phrase's Strict Renewal Policy is Disappointing
What do you like best about the product?
Phrase is one of the online CAD and translation management tools. It takes time to get used to the complex project interface. But once I was used to it, it became relatively easy to upload my document and start translating. They were quick to adapt various machine learning and artificial intelligence tools. But you still need to learn basics such as getting an API and finding the right place to put it. I think the translation memory and term base management features are very basic, without more cutting edge semantic alignment tools. Depends on what you are looking for really.
What do you dislike about the product?
For me the most annoying thing was their unexpectedly strict customer retention policy: If you are like me and you review your subscriptions at the last minute, I have some bad news for you. Phrase will charge you for the next years subscription, if you do not cancel it at least 30 days prior to the date of the renewal of your subscription. 30 days! I have been using numberless subscription services in the last decade, but this one was the most hideous. And when I wrote the Phrase team to request for a good will cancellation, they just repeated the Terms of Service and its relevant articles in their emails. I am very disappointed.
Another problem has been the very basic AI integration: In my experience current LLMs such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude usually work better than DeepL and Google Translate. At least on certain documents they are able to come up with better alternative translations or wordings. But Phrase won't allow me to use my tailored prompts for the translation. Which means I have to copy and paste between my windows which is very time consuming if you rely on AI tools rather than machine translation. And the solution they offer through Custom AI won't cut it.
Another problem is the translation memory tool which is very basic. I had some documents I translated years ago but with Phrase it is not easy to turn them into translation memories. Phrase's "align" tool is basically a sentence splitter and I found it very frustrating to use when working on long documents in particular.
Phrase is not practical for people like me who has to work on a lot of footnotes. I lost count of times when I had to go back to the translation interface to find the missing footnote. This is because the footnotes are indicated with a number in a small blue box and I tend to overlook them when I am in a translation flow. And once I complete the translation and export it, I am definitely sure that I will come across to some missing footnotes. It wasted a lot of time for me.
Another problem has been the very basic AI integration: In my experience current LLMs such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude usually work better than DeepL and Google Translate. At least on certain documents they are able to come up with better alternative translations or wordings. But Phrase won't allow me to use my tailored prompts for the translation. Which means I have to copy and paste between my windows which is very time consuming if you rely on AI tools rather than machine translation. And the solution they offer through Custom AI won't cut it.
Another problem is the translation memory tool which is very basic. I had some documents I translated years ago but with Phrase it is not easy to turn them into translation memories. Phrase's "align" tool is basically a sentence splitter and I found it very frustrating to use when working on long documents in particular.
Phrase is not practical for people like me who has to work on a lot of footnotes. I lost count of times when I had to go back to the translation interface to find the missing footnote. This is because the footnotes are indicated with a number in a small blue box and I tend to overlook them when I am in a translation flow. And once I complete the translation and export it, I am definitely sure that I will come across to some missing footnotes. It wasted a lot of time for me.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I only need to do written translations occasionally, such as at the end of the reporting year which tends to be very busy. That's why Phrase's three-month subscription was quite convenient for me. It allowed me to use the service for a set period and then cancel until I need it again. However, Phrase's strict renewal policy is a problem, because like me, if you forget to cancel your subscription 30 days before the renewal, you'll be charged for a full period. And for me there was no use.
Streamlined Localization with Great Flexibility
What do you like best about the product?
I greatly appreciate that the Phrase Localization Platform reduces the initial sunk cost into a translation platform, making it economically feasible for freelance translators like me. I admire how the Translation Management System (TMS) allows me remote access to my translations, including on mobile devices, making workflow seamless and convenient. The platform is characterized by its simple and straightforward user interface, following the 'Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS)' design principle, which minimizes complexity and makes it easy to use. I value its reasonably priced first usage tier for freelancer accounts, which enables accessibility without a heavy financial burden. Additionally, the web-browser access is browser-agnostic enhancing usability; while Comet Browser works best for me, it performs well across various browsers. The option to import and export translation memories (TM) and glossaries is particularly neat and straightforward, facilitating flexibility and preventing user lock-in. I have found the setup process remarkably intuitive despite coming from various other tools. The platform's ability to compartmentalize and deploy accumulated assets across platforms is extremely beneficial for my work. Although it has its challenges, I am inclined to recommend it highly due to its overall functionality and practicality, having already recommended it to numerous students and colleagues.
What do you dislike about the product?
I find it frustrating when the loading screen gets stuck sometimes at login or when trying to open an uploaded file to begin translation. This issue often occurs on WiFi, but it seems to resolve when I switch to mobile data tethering, although identifying the exact cause is difficult. Additionally, I think the platform could benefit from a more intelligent use of color-coding outside the translation UI to enhance overall design and make it more informative for users. Moreover, while I found the initial setup intuitive due to my experience with similar tools, my students, who are aspiring linguists and translators, find it confusing and non-intuitive, possibly due to its deviation from the design languages of their familiar operating systems (MAC/WIN).
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I find the Phrase Localization Platform reduces upfront translation costs, allows remote access, simplifies importing/exporting of TM and glossaries, and maintains simplicity while being browser-agnostic, which is beneficial for my freelance work.
Effortless and Time-Saving CAT Tool Experience
What do you like best about the product?
Compared to other CAT tools, Phrase is very straightforward to use. Additionally, since there is nothing to download, it saves a lot of time—you don't have to worry about updates or waiting for installations.
What do you dislike about the product?
Trying to add a plug-in that isn't part of your subscription can be difficult, and sometimes it may not even be possible.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
With Phrase Language Portail AI, we are able to provide our colleagues with access, which helps us avoid relying on multiple machine translation websites. This approach leads to greater consistency in our translated texts. Additionally, the ability to incorporate our own termbase and translation memory truly makes a significant difference.
Effortless and Accurate Translation Tool
What do you like best about the product?
I love how easy the interface of Phrase Localization Platform is to use. It simplifies the process of translation for my school work, helping me avoid mistakes efficiently. Additionally, the fact that it is free to use with a license adds immense value for me. The initial setup was also extremely easy, which made integrating it into my routine seamless. Overall, these features make Phrase Localization Platform an incredibly user-friendly and accessible tool, earning a recommendation score of 10 out of 10 from me.
What do you dislike about the product?
I do not have anything to mention.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use Phrase Localization Platform for school work translation. It is very easy to use, helps me avoid mistakes, and is available for free with a license.
Smooth Experience
What do you like best about the product?
User-friendly CAT tool, mostly seamless workflow, automatic TM suggestions
What do you dislike about the product?
Research of old projects not as user-friendly, UI and layout still improvable
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use it to work as a translator
Easy Localization with Seamless Integration
What do you like best about the product?
I really appreciate how the Phrase Localization Platform simplifies the process of localization for our app. It significantly streamlines our workflows, making tasks quicker and more efficient. I love that it’s easy to use, which saves time and reduces complexity for our team. The ease of integration into existing workflows is another standout feature, allowing a seamless transition and adaptability with our current processes. Additionally, setting it up initially was a breeze, indicating an intuitive interface and user-friendly design. This usability, combined with the fact that it offers a more straightforward workflow than our previous tool, Google Sheets, makes it a valuable asset. Overall, my experience with the Phrase Localization Platform has been highly positive, and I am very likely to recommend it to others, as evidenced by my high recommendation rating.
What do you dislike about the product?
I find the navigation of the web app challenging.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use the Phrase Localization Platform to simplify app localization, integrating easily into existing workflows for straightforward usage.
Intuitive, but with File Issues and High Cost
What do you like best about the product?
I love how intuitive the Phrase Localization Platform is, as it allows us to manage our projects efficiently and have a clear view of their status. The ease of use has really made our lives easier. I greatly value how it optimizes costs and ensures consistency in the quality of translations. Additionally, the customer service team is very quick to resolve issues, which is invaluable when problems arise. The initial setup was also quite simple, making the transition to using the platform seamless. Despite some challenges, I am so satisfied with its features that I give it a rating of 10 out of 10 in terms of the likelihood of recommending it to a friend or colleague.
What do you dislike about the product?
Multilingual files often present problems, forcing us to spend a lot of time uploading them. Sometimes we give up and leave them as regular files due to errors when uploading them. We also face difficulties downloading them because of errors in the tags. There are many global issues that complicate our operations. There used to be an app that worked well on mobile, but now it no longer works. Additionally, if there is no internet connection, the tool cannot be used, which is a major inconvenience. Finally, it is a very expensive tool.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
The Phrase Localization Platform optimizes costs, ensures consistency in the quality of translations, and facilitates control and an overview of the status of projects.
Intuitive and User-Friendly Localization Platform
What do you like best about the product?
It is quite intuitive to use this software. Most of the localization platforms look similar but there are some tools that I find it inconvenient to use. Phrase isn’t the case.I could see the doc when the revision are applied, QA was easy and TM was visible.
What do you dislike about the product?
I didn’t find anything I dislike. It is easy and comfortable to work on translations on Phrase.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I often use Phrase and easily complete my tasks. The layout is easy to track and the function buttons are easy to understand.
Great overall but Need quick non-file-upload translation & text recognition
What do you like best about the product?
Light load on PC. Very easy-to-understand UI. Good functions & services, including built-in MT. Great & timely customer service.
What do you dislike about the product?
Always have to upload files - it'd be great if you could directly type in source texts for quick translation. It'd be even more wonderful if Phrase could recognise texts from PDF or image files.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
As a translator, it saves me lots of time and effort building my own term/phrase base. No need to look up/search past translation works for reference. The word/character count function is particularly useful, especially for translating Excel or PowerPoint files, as I charge my clients based on word/character counts and it saves lots of time to create invoices.
Phrase fits well for our needs, but some features lack better structure
What do you like best about the product?
Phrase successfully separates strings and their translations, with easy management of the multiple languages required. We use it daily for new or updated translations. Customer support was agile and assertive when I needed to recover some translations I had mistakenly deleted.
What do you dislike about the product?
The interface for translators could benefit from better approaches. There is no way to batch upload screenshots to contextualize translators better. I'm not sure if there is a way to integrate Figma for this. Our product lacks real-time integration, and we have to upload new translations manually; however, I'm not fully aware of the explanation behind this.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Phrase removed the AI translation suggestions for our plan. For me, not having at least a small amount of it and showing how an upgrade for this could have benefits, the platform won't have the workers asking for the upgrade. This can also apply for other types of use/integration we don't even know exist or how we could plan to implement.
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