# Which Google Translate alternative works for documents and scans?

The right Google Translate alternative depends on your file. Google's Documents tab takes .docx, .pdf, .pptx and .xlsx files up to 10 MB but leaves text in scanned pages untranslated[1]. For a scan, pick a tool that reads the page with OCR first, such as DeepL's desktop and mobile apps[2] or LoreAI, which returns an editable Word file.

## What we compared

This comparison covers document translation. Text boxes, voice and websites are outside its scope. Each tool's help or pricing page supplies the answers to these five questions:

1. Which file types and sizes does it take?
2. Does it translate scanned pages and photos of documents?
3. Do you get a file you can edit, with the layout kept?
4. Can you use it on a phone?
5. What does the free tier allow?

We did not rank the tools on translation quality, because that changes with the language pair. Test the first page of your own document in two tools before you choose.

## Which alternatives can translate your file?

**DeepL.** It translates PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML, SRT and TXT files[3]. For scanned documents it recommends its desktop and mobile apps, which translate the text extracted from the file[2]. The free version allows 1 file a month of up to 5 MB, and paid plans go up to 100 files a month and 100 MB per file[4].

**Microsoft Word.** With a Microsoft 365 subscription or Office 2021, Review, then Translate, then Translate Document opens a translated copy of the file in a separate window[5]. Word is the only Microsoft app that translates a whole file, and the help page says nothing about scanned images or PDFs[5].

**Google Drive, then Google Translate.** Drive can turn a PDF or a JPEG, PNG or GIF photo of 2 MB or less into a Google Doc with OCR[6]. You can then translate the text. Drive warns that lists, tables, columns and footnotes are not likely to be detected, so a form loses its structure[6].

**Google Translate's Images tab.** For a single photo, the Images tab on the website translates the picture and lets you copy the text or download a translated image[7]. You get an image or plain text, not an editable document.

**ChatGPT.** You can attach a document and ask for a translation. A 2023 study found that large language models sometimes produce text that is not in the source, mostly in low-resource language pairs and out of English[8]. Our page on [translating a document with ChatGPT](https://www.loreai.org/compare/chatgpt-translate-document) covers what to check.

**LoreAI.** It reads scanned PDFs and JPG or PNG photos with OCR and detects the source language. It then translates into one of 105 languages and returns an editable Word file with headings, lists and tables in the original order. It works in a phone browser. It only takes PDF and image files, so for slides or spreadsheets use one of the tools above.

## Google Translate, DeepL 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[3] | PDF, JPG and PNG |
| File size | Up to 10 MB[1] | Free 5 MB, paid up to 100 MB[4] | Free 3 MB, Basic 10 MB, Pro 25 MB |
| 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] | Desktop and mobile apps, from text extracted by OCR[2] | Read with OCR, then translated |
| Photo of a document | Images tab, returns an image or text[7] | Desktop and mobile apps[9] | Upload the JPG or PNG directly |
| What you download | A translated file[1] | 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[2] | Works in a phone browser |
| Price | Free | Free version, then paid plans[4] | First document free, then Basic at $12.99 a month |

## What can you translate for free?

- **Google Translate**: Free, files up to 10 MB, PDFs up to 300 pages, no scanned text[1]
- **DeepL free version**: 1 file a month, up to 5 MB[4]
- **DeepL images, free**: 1,500 characters a day[9]
- **Google Drive OCR**: PDF or photo files of 2 MB or less[6]
- **Microsoft Word**: Needs Microsoft 365 or Office 2021[5]
- **LoreAI**: First document free, up to 3 pages and 3 MB, no card

## Which ones keep the layout and give you an editable file?

Microsoft Word gives you a translated Word copy of a Word file[5]. DeepL lists a .docx download for PDFs among its Pro features[2]. The Drive route gives you an editable Google Doc, and Drive's own help page warns that tables and lists are not likely to be detected[6]. Google's Images tab gives you a picture or plain text[7].

LoreAI was built for scans and photos of forms. It returns a Word file with tables intact so you can correct a name or date before handing it in. The difference is in what each tool returns, by its own documentation. This page did not run the same scan through each of them.

## None of them certifies a translation

Every tool on this page, LoreAI included, produces a machine translation. When USCIS asks for a translation, the translator certifies it as complete and accurate and certifies their competence in the language[10]. The [guide to getting a certified translation](https://www.loreai.org/how-to-get-a-certified-translation) explains how to get one.

For details on each tool, see [Google Translate and scanned PDFs](https://www.loreai.org/compare/google-translate-pdf), [DeepL vs Google Translate](https://www.loreai.org/compare/deepl-vs-google-translate) and [DeepL document translation](https://www.loreai.org/compare/deepl-document-translation).

## Questions people ask

### What is the best alternative to Google Translate for PDFs?

For a typed PDF, DeepL takes more file types, though its free version allows 1 file a month of up to 5 MB[4]. For a scanned PDF, use a tool that runs OCR first, such as DeepL's apps or LoreAI.

### Is there a free alternative to Google Translate for scanned documents?

Google Drive can run OCR on a PDF or photo of 2 MB or less, and you then translate the text, though tables are not likely to be detected[6]. LoreAI's first document is free.

### Which AI PDF translator returns a Word file?

DeepL offers a .docx download for PDFs on Pro[2]. LoreAI returns a Word file on every plan, including the free first document.

### Can Microsoft Word translate a whole document?

Yes. Review, Translate, Translate Document opens a translated copy in a new window, with Microsoft 365 or Office 2021[5].

## 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: AI document translation](https://www.deepl.com/en/features/document-translation), accessed November 2, 2026
4. [DeepL: Plans and pricing](https://www.deepl.com/en/pro), accessed November 2, 2026
5. [Microsoft Support: Translate text into a different language](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/translate-text-into-a-different-language-287380e4-a56c-48a1-9977-f2dca89ce93f), accessed November 2, 2026
6. [Google Drive Help: Convert PDF and photo files to text](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop), accessed November 2, 2026
7. [Google Translate Help: Translate images (computer)](https://support.google.com/translate/answer/6142483?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop), accessed November 2, 2026
8. [Guerreiro et al., Hallucinations in Large Multilingual Translation Models, Transactions of the ACL, vol. 11 (2023)](https://aclanthology.org/2023.tacl-1.85/), accessed November 2, 2026
9. [DeepL: Translate images](https://www.deepl.com/en/features/translate-image), accessed November 2, 2026
10. [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