Technical translation is hard. Most tools handle business documents fine, but throw code, commands, or technical terms at them, and things fall apart.
Here's how DeepL and Lint compare for technical translation.
The Translation Problem for Developers
DeepL is widely considered the best machine translation tool. It handles 30+ languages with impressive quality. But when translating technical content:
- "Run npm install" becomes a literal translation — commands get translated instead of kept as-is
- "The API returns JSON" — technical terms may get localized incorrectly
- Code blocks get translated — variable names and function calls end up in the target language
- Formatting gets lost — markdown, indentation, and structure can break
How Lint Handles Technical Translation
Lint's translator was designed with technical content in mind:
- Code block preservation — code stays in its original language, only comments and surrounding text get translated
- Technical term protection — "API", "endpoint", "deploy" are recognized as technical terms and preserved
- Format-aware — markdown, code fences, and lists maintain their structure
- Custom glossary support — define how specific terms should be translated
Feature Comparison
| Feature | DeepL | Lint |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages | 30+ | 12+ |
| Document translation | ✅ | ❌ |
| Glossary/term base | ✅ (Pro) | ✅ (free) |
| Code-aware | ❌ | ✅ |
| Technical term preservation | ❌ | ✅ |
| Format preservation | Partial | ✅ |
| Price | $8.99/mo | $3/mo |
| BYOK (free with own key) | ❌ | ✅ |
What Lint Can Translate
Lint's translator currently supports:
- English ↔ Chinese, Japanese, Korean
- English ↔ French, German, Spanish, Portuguese
- English ↔ Arabic, Russian, Hindi
More languages are being added.
When to Use Each
DeepL is better for: Large document translation, business correspondence, general content in many languages.
Lint is better for: Technical documentation translation, API docs, code comments, developer guides, README files.
Try Lint free at https://tools.aicreditsapi.com/tools/translator
Originally published on Lint Tools Blog.
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