# DeepL vs Google Translate for your document

For documents, DeepL vs Google Translate comes down to limits and scans. Google Translate takes files up to 10 MB and 300 pages for free, but leaves text in scanned pages untranslated[1]. DeepL says it translates scanned PDFs and recommends its desktop and mobile apps for them[2], and its free version allows 1 file a month of up to 5 MB[3].

## Which one takes bigger and more files?

Google Translate takes more for free. Its Documents tab accepts .docx, .pdf, .pptx and .xlsx files up to 10 MB, and a PDF can have up to 300 pages[1]. Google's help page names no monthly cap, and for more or larger files it points to the Cloud Translation API.

DeepL limits monthly file translations to 1 file of up to 5 MB on the free version, 3 files of up to 30 MB on Individual, 20 on Team and 100 files of up to 100 MB on Business[3]. DeepL supports more formats than Google, including PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML, SRT and TXT[4].

The plans page we saw was the German one, priced in euros, with Individual at €7.49 a month billed annually[3]. Check the page for your own country before you buy.

## Which one reads scanned documents and photos?

DeepL says it uses OCR to extract and translate text from scanned PDFs and PNG and JPG images[4]. Its PDF page recommends the desktop and mobile apps for scans. They return a translation of the extracted text, though OCR may raise the error rate[2].

For pictures, DeepL's apps take BMP, PNG, JPG, JPEG, TIF, TIFF and GIF files. The free plan allows 1,500 characters of image translation a day, and DeepL says handwritten text is difficult and may not translate accurately[5].

Google Translate splits the two jobs. In the Documents tab, text in images and scanned PDF pages shows up in the output but is not translated[1]. A photo goes to the separate Images tab instead, where you can copy the translated text or download a translated image[6].

## DeepL, Google Translate and LoreAI side by side

*Checked on November 2, 2026, against Google's and DeepL's own pages*

| What you need | Google Translate | DeepL | LoreAI |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| File types | .docx, .pdf, .pptx, .xlsx[1] | PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML, SRT, TXT and more[4] | PDF, JPG and PNG |
| File size | Up to 10 MB[1] | 5 MB free, 30 to 100 MB on paid plans[3] | Free 3 MB, Basic 10 MB, Pro 25 MB |
| Files per month, free | No cap named on the help page | 1[3] | First document free |
| PDF length | Up to 300 pages[1] | Not stated on the pages we checked | Free 3, Basic 30, Pro 100 pages |
| Scanned pages | Not translated[1] | Translated in the desktop and mobile apps from text extracted by OCR[2] | Read with OCR, then translated |
| Photo of a document | Images tab, separate from documents[6] | Desktop and mobile apps[5] | Upload the JPG or PNG directly |
| What you download | A translated file, or a translated image from the Images tab[6] | The translated file, with a .pdf or .docx choice for PDFs on Pro[2] | An editable Word file (.docx) |
| On a phone | Document translation is not available on mobile[1] | Mobile app for scans and photos[2] | Works in a phone browser |
| Price | Free | Free version, then paid plans[3] | First document free, then Basic at $12.99 a month |

## Which one is more accurate?

We did not run a quality test for this page, so it makes no claim about which engine translates better. Quality changes with the language pair and the kind of text, and a ranking from one pair says little about another.

Test the first page of your own document in both tools and read the results next to the original. On an official document, check every name, date and record number line by line, because one wrong digit in a date of birth makes a translation useless for an office.

## What happens to the files you upload?

DeepL's privacy policy treats the free and paid versions differently. On the free version, DeepL processes your content and its translation for a limited period to train and improve its models, and its terms say you may not translate texts containing personal data of any kind[7]. On DeepL Pro, submitted documents and their translations are deleted after the job, and your texts are not used to improve the service[7].

So by DeepL's own rules, a passport, a birth certificate or a bank statement belongs in DeepL Pro, not in the free version. Google's help page on document translation does not say how long uploaded files are kept.

LoreAI deletes your upload right after reading it, and deletes the results about an hour later unless you turn on Keep my translated documents.

## Neither one certifies a translation

DeepL, Google Translate and LoreAI all produce machine translations. When USCIS asks for a translation, the translator certifies that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate the language[8]. No tool can sign that statement for you.

A tool gives the person who signs a draft to check. The [guide to getting a certified translation](https://www.loreai.org/how-to-get-a-certified-translation) covers the rest.

## When LoreAI is the better fit

LoreAI turns a scan or phone photo of a form into an editable Word file. You can use it in a browser without installing an app. It reads the page with OCR, translates it into one of 105 languages and rebuilds headings, lists and tables in the original order. Names, dates and numbers stay as written.

For a typed PDF you only need to understand, start with Google Translate. For more on each tool, see [Google Translate and scanned PDFs](https://www.loreai.org/compare/google-translate-pdf), [DeepL document translation](https://www.loreai.org/compare/deepl-document-translation) and [translating a document with ChatGPT](https://www.loreai.org/compare/chatgpt-translate-document).

## Questions people ask

### Is DeepL better than Google Translate for PDFs?

It depends on the PDF. Google takes up to 10 MB and 300 pages free but leaves scanned pages untranslated[1]. DeepL reads scans in its apps but allows 1 free file a month of up to 5 MB[3].

### Can DeepL translate a scanned PDF?

Yes. DeepL recommends its desktop and mobile apps for scanned documents and returns the translation of the text it extracts, with a warning that OCR may raise the error rate[2].

### Can Google Translate translate a photo of a document?

Yes, in the Images tab on the website, where you can copy the translated text or download a translated image[6]. The Documents tab does not translate text in images[1].

### Is it safe to upload personal documents to DeepL?

DeepL's terms say not to translate texts with personal data on the free version, and that DeepL Pro deletes documents after translation[7].

## Sources

1. [Google Translate Help: Translate documents and websites (computer)](https://support.google.com/translate/answer/2534559?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop), accessed November 2, 2026
2. [DeepL: Translate PDF documents](https://www.deepl.com/en/features/document-translation/pdf), accessed November 2, 2026
3. [DeepL: Plans and pricing](https://www.deepl.com/en/pro), accessed November 2, 2026
4. [DeepL: AI document translation](https://www.deepl.com/en/features/document-translation), accessed November 2, 2026
5. [DeepL: Translate images](https://www.deepl.com/en/features/translate-image), accessed November 2, 2026
6. [Google Translate Help: Translate images (computer)](https://support.google.com/translate/answer/6142483?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop), accessed November 2, 2026
7. [DeepL: Privacy policy, sections 3 and 4](https://www.deepl.com/en/privacy), accessed November 2, 2026
8. [8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), Translations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-103/subpart-A/section-103.2), accessed November 2, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 2, 2026