Bing Translator
Bing Translator provides text translation through a web page, with a limit of 1,000 characters per request.
What Bing Translator is
Bing Translator provides text translation through a web page, with a limit of 1,000 characters per request. Its apps add live translated conversations that users can host or join; other participants can join from a browser on desktop or mobile. App users can pin and share translations, play them at three speeds, and view alternate translations and word meanings. Downloaded language packs allow offline text translation and photo translation from a camera or gallery image, and the app includes more than 200 offline phrasebook phrases. Microsoft lists text, speech, image, and text-to-speech support, with availability depending on language. Bing Translator is available on the web, Android, and iOS, and a Microsoft Edge extension translates web pages. The consumer service has a free plan at no cost. Document translation, translation memory, and glossary tools are not available. Microsoft separately describes Translator as a business API; the Azure Translator F0 plan is listed as free, billed per month, with 2 million characters of standard translation and custom translation training. Consumer app translations may be recorded for service improvements.
Good
- Free plan for consumer translation.
- Offline text and photo translation with downloaded language packs.
- Live translated conversations support browser participants.
- Edge extension translates web pages.
Watch out
- Web page requests are limited to 1,000 characters.
- No document translation, translation memory, or glossary tools.
- Language support varies by feature.
Who it suits
It suits people who need free text translation on the web or mobile, including offline text or photo translation with downloaded language packs. It may also suit people hosting translated conversations or translating web pages in Microsoft Edge.
Verdict
Bing Translator combines web and app-based text translation with offline options and live conversations. The 1,000-character web limit and lack of document translation and glossary tools are important constraints.
Plans and prices
From Bing Translator's own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Bing Translator | Free | The page shows a 1,000-character input limit |
| Azure Translator F0 | Free | 2 million characters of standard translation and custom translation training · per month |
The facts
Each one read from Bing Translator's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- API access
- Nochecked 21 Sep 2001
- API use
- Microsoft describes Translator for business use as an API for building applications, websites, tools, and other multilingual solutions.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Compliance
- Microsoft lists Translator as GDPR compliant as a data processor and says the service has FedRAMP High authorization.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Data handling
- Microsoft says data submitted to Azure Translator and the Translator API is not written to persistent storage; its page says consumer app translations may be recorded for service improvements.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Document translation
- Nochecked 21 Sep 2001
- Glossary tools
- Nochecked 21 Sep 2001
- Image translation
- The app can translate text in photos using its camera or uploaded gallery images, including offline with downloaded language packs.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Input limit
- The page states that only the first 1,000 characters can be translated at once.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Language features
- Microsoft lists text, speech, image, and text-to-speech support, with availability varying by language.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Live conversations
- The Translator app can host or join live translated conversations, and people can join conversations in a browser on desktop or mobile.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Offline use
- The app supports offline text translation with downloaded language packs and offers more than 200 offline phrasebook phrases.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Purpose
- Bing Translator provides text translation through a web page.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Support
- Microsoft directs consumer product questions about Translator for Bing to its consumer feedback page.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Text features
- The app can pin and share translations, play them at three speeds, and show alternate translations and word meanings.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Translation memory
- Nochecked 21 Sep 2001
- Website translation
- Yeschecked 21 Sep 2001
Where it runs
- Browser extension
- Microsoft provides a Translator extension for the Microsoft Edge browser to translate web pages.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Mobile platforms
- The app download page links to Google Play and the Apple App Store.checked 11 Oct 2001
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 21 Sep 2001
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