What's the Difference between DeepL's Free Version and Paid Version (DeepL Pro) – Pricing, Security, Character Count

1. What Are the Pricing Plans for DeepL's Paid Version (DeepL Pro)?

DeepL Pro offers three pricing plans, ranging from "Starter" to "Ultimate," with annual contracts and monthly fees ranging from 1,150 yen to 7,500 yen.
None of these plans have a limit on the number of translatable characters.
The main difference between them is the number of files that can be translated.
More details are given down below.

2. What Is the Difference in Security for DeepL's Free Version and Paid Version (DeepL Pro)?

When using web translation services such as Google or DeepL in a business setting, security is a concern.
Both the free and DeepL Pro versions use HTTPS to encrypt communication.
However, with the free version, the data sent is stored on DeepL's servers for a certain period of time for the purpose of improving translation algorithms. This means that the original text and translated text may be reused by DeepL, posing a risk for information management.
On the other hand, DeepL Pro explicitly states that data is encrypted and that pre- and post-translation data is not stored. Therefore, there is no need to worry about information leakage.

From these, it can be said that using DeepL Pro is essential when translating documents containing confidential information in a business setting.

For more details, check out the post below.

> Confidentiality with DeepL Translations. Is It Secure?

3. What Is the Difference in the Number of Translatable Characters for DeepL's Free Version and Paid Version (DeepL Pro)?

The main difference between the free version and DeepL Pro is the difference in the number of characters that can be translated.

In the free version, the maximum number of characters that can be translated at once is 1,500.
With DeepL Pro, the number of characters that can be translated is unlimited regardless of which plan you choose.

In addition to the number of characters, the number of terms and glossaries that can be registered also varies by payment.
In the free version, the number of glossaries is one, and the number of terminoloy pairs is 10. This is not enough for business use.
In the case of DeepL Pro, depending on the pricing plan, 1 to 2,000 glossaries with up to 5,000 term pairs each can be registered.

4. What Is the Difference in the Number of Translatable Files for DeepL's Free Version and Paid Version (DeepL Pro)?

There are limitations on the number of files and file size that can be translated in the free version.
In one month, only 3 files can be translated and the file size limit is 5MB per file.
In addition, translated files are protected and cannot be edited. Even if there are mistranslations or expressions that need to be reviewed, they cannot be corrected. In other words, if the purpose is to quickly check the contents of the file, it may be sufficient even if it cannot be corrected. However, it may not be enough when translating documents that require accuracy.

For DeepL Pro, the number of files that can be translated per month depends on the pricing plan, ranging from 5 to 100 files. However, there is a file size limit of 10MB for Starter, 20MB for Advanced, and 30MB for Ultimate per file.
Translated files can be edited.

The types of files that can be translated are Word files (*.docx), PowerPoint files (*.pptx), and PDF files, for both the free version and DeepL Pro. Translation of Excel files (*.xlsx) is not available.

How to translate Excel files (*.xlsx) is explained in the following post.

> Translating Excel Files with DeepL

5. How to Use DeepL for Business

For business use, we recommend using DeepL Pro due to considerations such as information leakage prevention and the quantity of characters and files that can be translated.

In addition, if you are considering using DeepL Pro, you have the option of directly applying to DeepL or using the service of MTrans for Office, which is equipped with the DeepL translation engine.
We will introduce the benefits of using MTrans for Office.

Features of MTrans for Office

① An unlimited number of file translations, registered terms, and glossaries

② A glossary function for Japanese terms

③ Peace of mind with secure API connection

④ Japanese language support by a Japanese company

Try out MTrans for Office with our 14-day free trial offer. Please contact us for more information.

Translate Office products with the easy translation software MTrans for Office