Polylang Pro is our default for multilingual WordPress: clean per-language URLs, no separate database tables, plays well with Rank Math, ACF Pro, and WooCommerce.
Multilingual WordPress comes down to a real choice between two grown-up plugins: Polylang and WPML. We’ve built and now operate about a dozen multilingual production sites, and our default since 2022 is Polylang Pro. This page covers why, where WPML still wins (it’s rare), and what the Pro license actually buys you over the free version on the .org repo.
Polylang ships as a free plugin (800k+ active installs) with a per-language separate-post model. Each translation is its own WordPress post linked to the original. That detail matters: SEO plugins like Rank Math read each translation as a clean, standalone URL with its own meta, schema, and canonical. No subfolder hacks, no hidden hreflang assembly.
For a real client build where Polylang Pro carried the multilingual load (EN/FR/DE) on a corporate site with custom post types and ACF Pro fields, our WordPress for corporate sites page walks through the build pattern we reuse. Translation memory plus DeepL pre-translation cuts about 60% of the manual work on launch.
For the SEO side specifically (per-language sitemaps, hreflang validation, language-specific canonicals) Rank Math pairs cleanly. We cover the SEO plugin trade-offs separately on Rank Math vs Yoast. If you’d rather have us configure all of this end-to-end, see our WordPress support service.
Each translation is its own WordPress post with its own URL. SEO plugins see them as clean, indexable pages with native meta and schema. No subfolder-hack hreflang assembly.
Drop the switcher anywhere: Gutenberg block, classic widget, nav menu position, or PHP template tag. Works with Elementor, Bricks, and FSE block themes without extra glue.
Sold separately at €99/year. Translates products, variations, categories, attributes, emails, and checkout strings. We use it on every multilingual WooCommerce build.
Bring your own DeepL API key, get draft translations on every post save. Saves about 60% of manual translation effort on a launch with EN + FR + DE. Editor still reviews every string.
We use this in real client projects — here's what we've learned.
Polylang Pro is our default for multilingual WordPress. The free version is enough for most blogs and brochure sites. Pro buys you per-language slugs for taxonomies, DeepL pre-translation, and priority support — worth it on any site where translations are a real workflow, not a one-time chore.
Pick WPML instead if you need the bundled translation marketplace, or your team is already trained on WPML and migration cost outweighs the cleanup gain. Both ship working multilingual sites. We picked Polylang because the data model is simpler and the URLs are cleaner.
For one-language sites that might go multilingual later, install free Polylang from day one. The schema is identical, you just toggle the second language on when ready. Far cheaper than retrofitting WPML onto a 200-page site.
Default to Polylang Pro. Cleaner data model (no custom DB tables), per-language separate posts that SEO plugins read natively, lower friction. WPML still wins if you need the built-in translation marketplace or your team is already invested in it. The plugins are otherwise feature-equivalent for 90% of sites.
Free covers a basic 2-3 language brochure or blog site. Get Pro if you need: per-language slugs for categories and tags, DeepL pre-translation, language-specific custom URL fields, REST API translations, or paid support. The €99/year is worth it the first time something breaks and you need someone to actually answer the ticket.
Yes, with the separate Polylang for WooCommerce add-on (€99/year). It translates products, variations, attributes, categories, checkout strings, and order emails. Without that add-on, the core plugin can’t reach WooCommerce-specific data. Budget €198/year for the full multilingual WooCommerce stack.
Yes, using the free WPML to Polylang migration plugin from the .org repo. We’ve done four migrations: typical run is 30-90 minutes for sites under 500 posts, plus a manual sweep to fix string translations and shortcode formats. Back up the database first. We bill these at $400-800 depending on site size.
Polylang outputs hreflang link tags in <head> for every page that has translations. The x-default points to the primary language. Validate with Google Search Console International Targeting once live. We’ve never had to add custom hreflang code on a Polylang site.
Weglot is faster to set up (proxy-based, automatic translation, but $15-499/month subscription). Good for small brochure sites where you want translations live in a day. TranslatePress uses a single-database model (no separate posts) with a visual editor, useful for designers but slower at scale. Polylang sits between them: real WordPress posts with a moderate setup cost.
Not in our measurements. Polylang adds one extra database query per page load to detect the language. On a Cloudways DigitalOcean 2GB plan we see 3-7ms added to TTFB after enabling Polylang on a 200-page site. Caching plugins like WP Rocket handle per-language cache keys automatically.
For a fresh site: 1-2 hours including language setup, switcher placement, menu translation, and string translation review. For a site with 100+ existing posts that need translating: budget 1-2 weeks even with DeepL pre-translation, since each post still needs editorial review. Our install service runs $90 for plugin setup; full translation projects bill separately.
We can install, configure, or customize it for you.
Don't want to install yourself? Our developer connects via FTP, installs, configures, tests with a real transaction. Usually takes one business day.
