Thanks to technology, we can connect with people around the globe at any time. Consequently, many businesses are eager to reach an international audience and provide services to individuals worldwide. Do you want multiple languages on your website? Creating a multilingual website is essential if you aim to connect with those who don’t speak your language.
Think about your business. Is there an international audience that would benefit from learning about your products and services in their own language? If so, WordPress plugins make it simple and easy to add languages to your website. Here are four WordPress Language Plugins to consider.
Translation Plugins vs. Multi-Language Plugins
There are a couple of options if you want to build a site that displays in other languages: a translation plugin or a multilanguage plugin.
1) WordPress Translation Plugins: typically translate content automatically using machine translation (like Google Translate) or allow for manual translations. It doesn’t necessarily let you manage multiple language versions of your website. Instead, it provides translated text dynamically.
2) WordPress Multilanguage Plugins: allow you to create and manage separate versions of your website in different languages. These plugins let you manually translate content, assign different language versions to posts/pages, and provide users with a language switcher.
WordPress Translation Plugins
The following two plugins are offered by the same company, and both can automatically translate your website into different languages using Google Translate.
1. Translate WordPress with GTranslate
by Translate AI Multilingual Solutions
Translate WordPress with GTranslate offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it simple to integrate multilingual functionality into any WordPress website. It supports both automatic and manual translations, ensuring a balance between speed and accuracy for website owners. Learn more here: https://wordpress.org/plugins/gtranslate/
2. Google Language Translator
by Translate AI Multilingual Solutions
Google Language Translator allows you to run Google Translate right on your website so visitors can see the machine-translated version of the site in any of the languages that Google supports. This is probably the quickest way to make your site multi-lingual. Find out more about this plugin on this page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-language-translator/
Example:
See the drop down on the site that let’s you pick between Spanish and English
https://casaterramarsayulita.com/
WordPress Multiple Language Plugins
These plugins allow you to create different versions of your site in different languages yourself. This is for the person who wants to be more in control over how the translations appear. These plugins do NOT use the automatic Google Translate engine.
1. Polylang
by WP SYNTEX
With Polylang, you can use as many languages as you want for your site. Your website visitor can use the language switcher in the widget area or in the navigation menu to view your site in the language they want. This plugin is very popular because of its simplicity and flexibility. The pro version comes with a machine translation function (powered by DeepL). Learn more about Polylang here: https://wordpress.org/plugins/polylang/
2. The WordPress Multilingual Plugin
by WPML.org
This paid plugin offers many impressive features. Here’s how it works. You create a post or page in each language that you want. Then, this plugin will link translated versions together, indicating one post/page is the translation of another. The WordPress Multilingual Plugin comes with 40 languages and lets you add your own language variants. Check out the WordPress Multilingual Plugin here: https://wpml.org/
Changing the Language Inside Your WordPress Dashboard
Many years ago, WordPress introduced an easy way to switch your back-end language. Today, WordPress is available in 57 different languages. This option is for YOU, as you work inside your WordPress website.
Here’s a screenshot of the admin panel in Italian. To change the language in your dashboard, go to Settings —> General. Then, about midway down the page, you should see Site Language.
If your native language is not English or if you’d prefer to work in a different language, it’s easy to select the language of your choice from the drop-down.
Final Thoughts on Multiple Languages
Do you want to create a multilingual website to connect with more people around the globe? Will your product or service benefit people, no matter what language people speak?
Since I teach my classes in English, my students need to be proficient in English. So, I don’t have multiple languages on my main website. However, one of my students has a bed and breakfast. She wants to attract visitors from all over the world, so it makes sense to offer her website content in multiple languages. (see image above)
Several WordPress plugins can help translate your site. The four above are just a few of my favorites. Do some research on your own to find the one that you like. Of course, be sure to evaluate any plugin before you install it to ensure that it’s what you need.
(Originally published Feb. 2015; Updated Feb. 2025)
