Translate your TranslatePress site automatically, without an API key.

TranslatePress is one of the easiest ways to make a WordPress site multilingual. But its built-in automatic translation needs a Google Cloud or DeepL API key, and both bill you per character once you pass the free allowance. For a small business or a personal site, that is often a reason to stop before you start.

The good news: you can get automatic translation in TranslatePress for free, with no API key and no credit card, using the free Hybrid AI Translator for TranslatePress plugin.

What you need: a WordPress site with TranslatePress and at least one extra language, plus the free plugin. Nothing else.

How it works

The plugin adds a new translation engine to TranslatePress. When a visitor opens a page in another language, it sends only the text that still needs translating to Google Translate's public endpoint, then saves the result in TranslatePress's own database. The next visitor sees the saved translation instantly, so each piece of text is translated only once.

Because translations are stored in TranslatePress, you can still open the TranslatePress editor at any time and correct any word by hand.

Step-by-step setup

1. Install the plugin. Go to Plugins → Add New, search for "Hybrid AI Translator for TranslatePress", then install and activate it.
2. Open the settings. Go to Settings → Hybrid AI Translator. The main engine is already set to Google Translate.
3. Test the connection. Click Test Google. You should see a sample translation within a second or two.
4. Select the engine in TranslatePress. Go to Settings → TranslatePress → Automatic Translation, turn it on and choose Hybrid AI as the engine. Save.
5. Check a page. Open any page in a second language. The first load can take a moment; after that it is served from the database.

Tips for the best results

• Keep the default limits. The timeout and characters-per-request defaults work for almost every site.
• Translate key pages first. Visit your home, services and contact pages in each language yourself so they are cached before visitors arrive.
• Review important text by hand. Check headlines, prices and legal text in the TranslatePress editor.
• Turn logging on only when troubleshooting. It is off by default to keep your site fast.

Limits of free translation

Google's public endpoint is free but not an official paid service, so very large sites can occasionally hit rate limits. The translation is also literal: it does not know your brand voice or product names.

If that matters, the Pro version adds AI engines (ChatGPT, Groq, OpenRouter, DeepSeek), DeepL, a fallback engine, a glossary for brand terms and bulk editing of saved translations. Compare Free and Pro.

FAQ

Is it really free?
Yes. The free plugin needs no API key and has no usage fees.

Will it slow down my site?
Only the very first visit to an untranslated page waits for translation. After that TranslatePress serves the saved version.

Can I edit the translations?
Yes. Every translation is stored in TranslatePress, so you can edit it in the normal visual editor.

What happens if I uninstall the plugin?
Your translations stay in TranslatePress. Only the plugin's own settings are removed.