One of the first questions clients ask us is: how much does a translation cost? The honest answer is that it depends on several factors — but that doesn’t mean pricing has to be a mystery. In this guide, we break down exactly how translation rates work, what drives costs up or down, and how to get the best value for your budget.
How Are Translation Rates Calculated?
Most professional translation agencies, including Ecrivus International, quote prices per word in the source document. This is the industry standard across Europe and gives you a transparent, predictable cost before work begins.
Some providers charge per page, per hour, or per project — but per-word pricing remains the most transparent method because you know exactly what you’re paying for. A typical source word count can be generated in seconds from a Word document, PDF, or website export.
Minimum fees apply to very short texts. If you need a single paragraph translated, expect a minimum charge of around EUR 30–50, regardless of word count.
Key Pricing Factors
1. Language Pair
The most significant cost driver. Translations between widely spoken European languages (English, French, German, Spanish) tend to be more affordable because there are many qualified translators available. Rarer combinations — think Finnish to Japanese, or Icelandic to Arabic — command higher rates due to limited supply.
2. Specialisation
A general business email costs less to translate than a pharmaceutical patent or a court judgement. Specialised translators in fields like legal, medical, financial, or technical translation have additional qualifications and charge accordingly. At Ecrivus International, we match every project with a translator who has proven expertise in the relevant domain.
3. Deadline
Standard turnaround is typically 2,000–3,000 words per day. Need your translation faster? Rush surcharges of 25–50% are common for same-day or next-day delivery. Planning ahead is the single easiest way to save money on translation.
4. Volume
Larger projects often benefit from volume discounts. Translation memory (TM) technology also reduces costs on repetitive content: sentences or segments that match previous translations are charged at a lower rate (sometimes 0% for exact matches).
5. File Format
Clean, editable files (Word, Excel, XML) are cheapest to process. Scanned PDFs, images, or complex InDesign layouts require extra preparation time, which adds to the cost.
6. Certification
Certified (sworn) translations require a court-approved translator and formal declarations, adding EUR 15–40 per document on top of the translation fee.
Price Ranges by Translation Type
The table below gives indicative per-word rates in EUR for translations into English. Rates for other target languages may differ.
| Translation type | Rate per word (EUR) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General / business | 0.08 – 0.14 | Emails, internal comms, general web content |
| Marketing / creative | 0.12 – 0.20 | Brochures, ads, campaigns — may include transcreation |
| Legal | 0.12 – 0.20 | Contracts, terms & conditions, court documents |
| Medical / pharmaceutical | 0.14 – 0.22 | Clinical trials, patient information, regulatory |
| Technical / engineering | 0.10 – 0.18 | Manuals, data sheets, patents |
| Financial | 0.12 – 0.20 | Annual reports, audit documents, compliance |
| Certified / sworn | 0.12 – 0.18 + cert. fee | Plus per-document certification fee |
| MTPE (post-edited MT) | 0.04 – 0.10 | Machine translation + human review |
Rates are indicative and depend on language pair, volume, and deadline. Request a free quote for an exact price.
How to Reduce Translation Costs
You don’t have to compromise on quality to keep costs manageable. Here are practical strategies:
- Plan ahead. Avoid rush surcharges by building translation time into your project schedule.
- Provide clean source files. Editable formats save preparation time. Include glossaries or style guides if you have them.
- Use translation memory. If you translate regularly, TM accumulates over time and reduces costs on every subsequent project. At Ecrivus International, your TM is stored securely and applied automatically.
- Bundle projects. Sending multiple documents together is more efficient than submitting them one at a time.
- Consider MTPE for suitable content. Not every text needs full human translation from scratch.
When Is MTPE an Option?
Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE) combines the speed of neural machine translation with human quality assurance. It can reduce costs by 30–60% compared to full human translation, depending on the content type.
MTPE works well for:
- Large volumes of informational content
- Internal documentation
- Knowledge base articles and support content
- Product descriptions with repetitive structures
It is not recommended for marketing copy, legally binding documents, or highly creative content where tone and nuance are critical.
Curious whether MTPE is right for your project? Read our in-depth guide on how machine translation post-editing works or contact us for advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an exact quote?
Send us your source files via our contact page. We’ll analyse the word count, subject matter, and language pair, and return a fixed-price quote — usually within a few hours.
Is a more expensive translation always better?
Not necessarily, but very low rates can indicate inexperienced translators or fully unedited machine output. A professional agency balances cost with quality by assigning the right translator and workflow for each project.
Do I pay for repeated words?
With translation memory, repeated and similar segments are discounted. Exact matches (100% repetitions) are often charged at 0–30% of the full rate, saving you money on consistent, repetitive content.
Are there hidden costs I should watch for?
Reputable agencies include project management, quality assurance, and file delivery in the quoted price. Ask upfront whether DTP (desktop publishing), certification fees, or rush surcharges apply. At Ecrivus International, our quotes are all-inclusive with no surprises.
How much does it cost to translate a full website?
Website translation costs depend on the number of pages and words, the CMS used, and whether SEO optimisation is included. A 20-page corporate website with around 10,000 words typically costs EUR 800–2,000 for one target language. For a step-by-step approach, read our multilingual website guide. Get in touch for a tailored estimate.
The editorial team at Ecrivus International shares practical insights on translation, interpreting and multilingual communication. With over 20 years of experience in the language industry, we bring knowledge from daily practice.
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