What Is LibreTranslate? Is It Free, API Key, Docker Setup, Turkish Translation and License

You install LibreTranslate on your own computer or server (Python or Docker); your app sends text to this API and gets the translation back. It is free and open source (AGPL-3.0); its engine relies not on Google or Azure but on the open-source Argos Translate library. It has English-Turkish and Turkish-English models. If you don't want to install it, libretranslate.com offers a hosted service, but an API key is required and no free keys are given.

What it does: A free translation API that runs on your own server
Software: Free, AGPL-3.0
Hosted service: API key required; from $14/month
Turkish: English↔Turkish model available; no quality benchmark
No-code: No; requires Python or Docker

What is LibreTranslate for? Can I use it without code?

LibreTranslate translates text (or a file) from one language into another. It is not a ready-made app but an API: a service that another program or your website calls with “translate this”. Because the translation happens on your own server, your text doesn't go to Google or Microsoft.

Translate text to or from TurkishWhat you get: Translated textNeeds a separate setup Translate a fileWhat you get: Translated fileNeeds a separate setup

Can I use it without code?

Partly. Installing it requires knowing Python or Docker. Once installed, there is a translation screen that opens in the browser (http://localhost:5000). If you don't want to install it, libretranslate.com has a ready translation screen; but using it from a program (via the API) requires a paid key.

Who it's for: technical teams that don't want to send text out for translation; developers who want to add translation to their site or program. The official documentation has no separate list of use cases; the above is derived from the tool's description.

How to install LibreTranslate: Docker and Python

Install Python 3.8 or later.
Install the package: pip install libretranslate
Run it: libretranslate. For only some languages: libretranslate --load-only en,tr
Open http://localhost:5000 in your browser. All languages load by default; selecting only the ones you need shortens startup.

Download the repository: git clone https://github.com/LibreTranslate/LibreTranslate
Go into the folder. Run ./run.sh on Linux and macOS, run.bat on Windows.
To accelerate with an NVIDIA graphics card (requires CUDA 12.4.1 and nvidia-docker): docker compose -f docker-compose.cuda.yml up -d --build

No installation. You buy a monthly plan at portal.libretranslate.com and send the API key in the request as api_key. Prices are in the “Is it free?” section.

Don't run Python directly in production: the documentation recommends Gunicorn or Docker to prevent memory leaks. There is no official figure for minimum RAM, CPU or disk. Language models are 62-187 MB each; if you load them all, disk and memory needs grow accordingly.

How to use LibreTranslate: ready-made examples

While the server is running, you send it a request. The command below translates “Hello” from English into Turkish (no key is needed on your own server):

Text translation (your own server)› curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/translate -d q="Hello" -d source=en -d target=tr

Language detection› curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/detect -d q="Bonjour"

Task	How
Let it detect the source language	Write `auto` for `source`; the detected language also comes back in the response.
Translate without breaking HTML tags	Set the `format` field to `html`.
Alternative translations	Put a number in the `alternatives` field.
File translation	Send the file to `/translate_file`. The libretranslate.com front end lists the .txt .odt .odp .docx .pptx .epub .html .srt .pdf formats.
Give it to an AI agent	MCP package `@libretranslate/mcp` (npx). Tools: detect, translate, languages.

The commands are adapted from the examples in the official API documentation. On the hosted service, api_key is sent with the request.

Is LibreTranslate free? API keys and pricing

Your own server$0 AGPL-3.0

Software is free
No key needed
Text stays on your server
Server, maintenance and updates are on you

Starter$14 /month

Up to 25 calls per minute
Unlimited translations
Email support
7-day money-back guarantee
No free trial

Pro$29 /month

Up to 80 calls per minute
No infrastructure setup
No free trial

Business$58 /month

Up to 200 calls per minute
No infrastructure setup
No free trial

Call limit

Every plan has a limit of 2,000 characters per call. Splitting longer text into pieces and translating them separately is recommended. The per-minute figures are “burst” limits; if you translate continuously, the portal gives the real rate as about 6, 20 and 50 calls per minute.

No free key

Portal FAQ: there is no free trial and no low-volume free key either (“not sustainable”). The free route is to set up your own server. If you will use libretranslate.com in production, the documentation requires you to get a key.

Pricing in Turkey

The portal shows prices in US dollars; the official sources don't mention a Turkish lira price, taxes or a Turkey discount. Don't confirm on the checkout page before you see the amount that will be charged to your card.

Cancellation and refunds: according to the portal, you can cancel at any time, the key stays valid until the end of the period, and there is no extra fee. A refund can be requested within the first 7 days.

Prices were read from portal.libretranslate.com on October 15, 2026. The official sources don't give server costs for “Your own server”; they depend on your provider.

Official pricing page last checked on October 28, 2026.

Does LibreTranslate translate Turkish?

Turkish translationYes	There are English→Turkish (119 MB) and Turkish→English (115 MB) models, version 1.5. libretranslate.com lists 51 languages.
Turkish with other languagesPartly	Pairs without a direct model are mostly translated via English (documentation: “pivot”). So the two-step translation can lose quality; there is no official quality benchmark.
Turkish interface and docsUnclear	The documentation is offered in English, Italian, French and Spanish; there is no Turkish documentation. The official sources don't say whether the translation screen's interface is available in Turkish.

What you can do: before translating important text in bulk, try a few paragraphs of your own text and have a person check the result.

LibreTranslate license and commercial use (AGPL-3.0)

Allowed

Use, modify and distribute the software for free (following its terms)
Run it on your own server (AGPL doesn't restrict running it)

Not allowed

Offering your modified version to users over a network without giving them access to the source code (AGPL section 13)
Using the LibreTranslate name and logo without permission (separate trademark rules apply)

This is not legal advice. The AGPL rules on modification and offering over a network are detailed; if you are building it into your product, read the license text and trademark rules or consult a lawyer.

Frequently asked questions

What is LibreTranslate?

A free and open-source translation API you can run on your own server. Its engine relies not on Google or Azure but on the open-source Argos Translate library.

Is LibreTranslate free, and does it need an API key?

The software is free (AGPL-3.0) and needs no key on your own server. The hosted service at libretranslate.com requires a key; Starter starts at $14/month and no free keys are given.

Does LibreTranslate support Turkish?

Yes, it has English-Turkish and Turkish-English models. Translation between Turkish and another language is mostly done via English. There is no official quality benchmark.

How do you install LibreTranslate with Docker?

Clone the repository and run ./run.sh on Linux and macOS or run.bat on Windows. If you'd rather install it with Python, pip install libretranslate is enough.

Can LibreTranslate replace DeepL or Google Translate?

The official sources give no quality comparison. The difference is that it doesn't depend on Google or Azure and runs on your own server. For important work, test it with your own text.

Can I use LibreTranslate for commercial work?

The license is AGPL-3.0: you can use it, but if you offer a modified version over a network you must share the source code. This is not legal advice.

Tasks and setup kits that use LibreTranslate

Translating website copy into another language

Related guides

Sources

Not clear in the official sources: Minimum RAM, CPU and disk · Turkish translation quality · a Turkish interface for the translation screen · libretranslate.com privacy policy · plan prices in local currency and with tax. Each is covered in its section, with what you can do.