One of the scariest parts of traveling abroad is the language gap. The fear that you may not be able to read the local language or communicate with people keeps many potential travelers from ever leaving their home country. Luckily, with the rise of translation apps, you can rely on the cutting-edge technology found in your cell phone to communicate the entire time you’re traveling internationally.
We’ve tested multiple translation apps to figure out which ones top the list for international travel. Apps like Google Translate, Apple Translate, and iTranslate are fantastic options for any trip. They can translate live speech, allow you to type phrases in your native language, and use AI to translate written text like signs and menus.
Read on to learn our top picks for the best translation apps for international travel so you’re prepared for your next trip.
1. Google Translate: Best overall
- Devices: iOS and Android
- Cost: Free
- 133 languages
Google Translate is our pick for the best overall translation app. It is incredibly easy to use and supports 133 languages. You can easily download it from your phone's respective app store and it’s included standard on Google Pixels.
The app offers three different translation methods. There’s a typing feature that lets you translate words through text. There’s also a conversation feature that allows you to speak into the app in your native language and Google Translate will repeat what you said in the desired language. Finally, there is an AI feature that uses your device’s camera to take an image of text and translate it in the resulting photograph.
We ranked Google Translate as the best overall app because it is both free and easy to use. The interface is simple to understand and consistently provides accurate translations. I used Google Translate for a two-week jaunt in Europe passing through Belgium, Spain, Germany, and Austria. I had a great experience with it. The app easily translated menus and signs, and helped me ask for directions in every language I encountered.
2. Apple Translate: Best for iPhones
- Devices: iOS
- Cost: Free
- 11 languages
Apple Translate is our selection for the best translation app for iPhones. It’s automatically included on all Apple devices. Currently, the app offers translations in 11 languages, but some languages like English, Chinese, and Spanish offer multiple dialects.
It offers three different ways to translate. You can enter text directly into the app, there’s a conversation feature allowing you to directly talk to people, and an image feature for written text.
Apple Translate is a standard feature for iOS devices, so it’s free and easily accessible. That said, it doesn’t offer as many languages as some of the other translation apps on this list. It does, however, include some of the most spoken languages on earth. It should cover you well in many of the most popular vacation destinations.
3. iTranslate: Best paid app
- Devices: iOS and Android
- Cost: Free with premium features
- 100+ languages
iTranslate is one of the most popular language translation apps in the world. It’s highly rated and has almost 500,000 reviews on the Apple app store alone. It offers translation options for over 100 languages and is free to download.
This is our pick for the best paid translation app because of all the premium features it includes. iTranslate offers text-based translation for free, but the voice translation and camera translation features are only available with a premium account. Premium subscribers can also get access to an offline mode–so you can save your international data–and a phrasebook with dozens of collected phrases for specific locations like airports, hotels, and hospitals.
Full access to iTranslate and its premium features costs $5.99/month or you can snag a whole year for $69.99 and save a few dollars. For a vacation, we recommend purchasing just a month. If you’re doing something like studying abroad or working to learn a new language, the year-long subscription is a better choice.
Save data when traveling abroad
iTranslate offers an offline feature, but most translate apps need a constant mobile data connection to work. This can really eat into your data allotment and get expensive fast if your plan doesn’t include international roaming.
Check out the phone plans with international roaming in the next section to find a plan with data you can use abroad. If you do have international data, it may not be a massive amount, so we recommend connecting to Wi-Fi as much as possible to ensure you don’t go over your limit. You can also turn off background tasks and pre-download items before your trip like maps, music, and movies.
4. DeepL: Best for written translation
- Devices: iOS and Android
- Cost: Free
- 100+ languages
DeepL is the translation app that prides itself on on quality over quantity. It supports over 100 languages and uses a minimalist app interface. Plus, you can use it for free or opt for the premium Pro subscription for unlimited characters and document uploads.
One useful feature is the ability to toggle between formal and informal registers, which handy when you need to match the right tone. The free tier lets you translate up to 1,500 characters at a time and includes limited PDF and document translation.
That said, I have to be honest about the limitations. In my hands-on testing, DeepL struggled with idioms and phrasal verbs. The kind of expressions that separate a good translation from a great one. In fact, both Google Translate and Microsoft Translator performed much better. That said, it's still a solid option for general translation.
What happened to SayHi?
Amazon quietly discontinued SayHi in August 2024, pulling it from both the App Store and Google Play with no official explanation. If you still have it installed, it no longer works since the servers are offline.
We keep this review up to date with the best apps currently available.
5. Microsoft Translator: Best for professionals
- Devices: iOS and Android
- Cost: Free
- 129 languages
Microsoft Translator is a popular choice for business professionals. It’s free and includes translation options for 129 different languages.
Like many of the other apps on this list, it offers translating through text, speaking, and images. Where Microsoft Translate stands out are the translation options for larger groups. You can use the app’s Converse feature to create and join groups with multiple devices and languages. This cross-functionality feature is missing on many other apps. Instead of relying on one phone, everyone in your group can use their own device to speak and read the conversation. This makes it perfect for settings like business meetings.
The app also has other fun features like a phrase book and even a profanity filter for your salty-mouthed colleagues.
6. Naver Papago: Best for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean
- Devices: iOS and Android
- Cost: Free
- 13 languages
Truthfully, some languages are more difficult than others. Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are notorious for being some of the most complicated to learn. Naver Papago has established itself as one of the best apps for these languages. In fact, it’s used more than Google Translate in South Korea.
Naver Papago is free and supports translation for 13 languages. As the Naver company is based in South Korea, it primarily focuses on Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. It also supports English, French, and Spanish among other languages. The app offers text, voice, and image translation, plus there’s a nifty handwriting-translation feature if the writing is clear enough for the app to read.
Master travel with these other apps
Translating apps are only part of how your phone can help you when traveling. There are also apps for planning trips, booking flights, finding activities, and even checking the weather. Check out our full travel app list.
Best international phone plans:
Once you’ve picked the perfect translation app for your trip, you’re going to need an international data plan to go with it. Virtually all of these apps require an internet connection to work, with SayHi’s premium feature being a notable exception.
Luckily, the days of purchasing a foreign SIM card are pretty much over. Many plans from large carriers and smaller MVNOs offer international data options. If you picked the right plan, you may already have an allotment of international data for free!
MVNO international data plans
MVNOs offer great savings on domestic plans, but many of them also offer international perks.
MVNO plans with international data
| Carrier | Plan | International Data | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Fi | Unlimited Premium | Unlimited 4G LTE | $65/month |
| Mint Mobile | 5GB Plan w/ Uproam |
$5-20 credit blocks | $15/month |
| US Mobile | Unlimited Premium | 20GB high-speed | $44/month |
The Google Fi Unlimited Premium plan is one of the best phone plans for international travel. It costs $65/month and includes unlimited texts and 4G LTE data in over 200+ countries. Calls are $.20/minute. It’s rare to find an unlimited international data perk and this is a selling point that Google has hammered hard for this plan.
Google Fi Wireless Unlimited Premium for 1
| Carrier | Google Fi Wireless |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Current Deal | Get 50% off this plan for 12 months when you bring your own Pixel phone and activate a new line on Unlimited Premium plan |
| Total Price |
$32.50 per month
|
| View Plan |
Mint Mobile offers international coverage through UpRoam. This service allows you to purchase blocks of international data, minutes, and texts to work with your plan. You can prepay for service before your trip or purchase it as you need it.
Mint Mobile international service rates
| Voice rate | Texting rate | Data rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada and Mexico | $.06/min | $.02/SMS message | $.06/MB |
| Other nations | $.25/min | $.05/SMS message | $.20/MB |
This service is available with all of Mint’s plans, but we’ve specifically mentioned the 5GB data plan since it is a cheaper option. It’s not every day you can find a $15/month phone plan that can also connect you while abroad.
Mint Mobile 5GB Data Plan
| Carrier | Mint Mobile |
|---|---|
| Data | 5GB Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Current Deal | Get this plan for just $10/mo. when you switch to Mint Mobile using promo code 15OFF at checkout. Upfront payment required |
| Total Price |
$10 per month
$30.00 upfront payment for 3 months (equals to $10.00/month). Intro pricing for new customers only.
|
| View Plan |
US Mobile offers 20GB/month of international data with its Unlimited Premium plan, starting at $44/month. That rivals the allotments from carriers like T-Mobile at a fraction of the cost. The data is usable in over 120 countries. As long as you monitor your use while traveling abroad, 20GB should be more than enough to meet your needs.
US Mobile Unlimited Premium Plan
| Carrier | US Mobile |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Current Deal | Get this monthly plan for only $39 for 6 months of service using promo code ONLY39 OR $5 off per month for 6 months OR 30 Days FREE Trial |
| Total Price |
$39 per month
|
| View Plan |
AT&T, Verizon, & T-Mobile international data plans
The top plans from the big three carriers all offer some form of international data options. We’re specifically focusing on the international perks here, but these plans also come with unlimited premium data and large mobile hotspots here in the U.S. on their respective networks. You can check out each plan for specifics and more perks.
AT&T’s Unlimited Premium PL plan costs $85.99/month and includes unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data in Canada, Mexico, and 20 other Latin American nations. There’s also an International Day Pass for $10/day that allows you to use your plan abroad. Your data use will count towards your domestic allotment. The fees are capped at 10 days, so if you continue to use it past that point you won’t be charged. The whole service is never more expensive than $100/month.
Verizon recently restructured its perk system, so parts of international data perks are optional add-ons. All of these options are available with both the Unlimited Plus plan and the Unlimited Welcome plan. Both plans offer 2GB/day of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico as a standard feature.
The optional perk is three days of Verizon TravelPass for $10/month. This perk offers unlimited talk, text, and 2GB/day of high-speed data in over 210 countries. Using the perk, you have 12 months to use your TravelPass days after you accumulate them. You can get 3/month with the perk or purchase them individually for $10 each. Our advice is to turn on the TravelPass perk and accumulate TravelPass days in the months leading up to your trip. That’s going to be much cheaper than paying for them one at a time.
Verizon Unlimited Plus
| Carrier | Verizon |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Current Deal | Get $10 off per line for 1 line via monthly promo credits over 36 months. For new customers only |
| Total Price |
$70 per month
+ Taxes & Fees. Price includes AutoPay & Paperless discount.
+ $40 Upfront
|
| View Plan |
T-Mobile’s Experience More option costs $85/month and offers 15GB/month of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico. It also includes 5GB/month of high-speed data in over 215 nations. Texting is also free, but calling costs $.25/minute. This plan also includes great travel perks like in-flight Wi-Fi with participating airlines and T-Mobile TRAVEL, a perk that allows you to save on select hotels and rental cars.
T-Mobile Experience More
| Carrier | T-Mobile |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Total Price |
$85 per month
with Auto-Pay + Taxes and fees
|
| View Plan |
Best translation apps for international travel: FAQs
Max McCaskill
Sr. Staff Writer
Find a better phone plan
Thousands of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
.png?w=280&h=280&usm=20&usmrad=0.8&fit=crop "Best Cell Phone Deals for June 2026: Get the New iPhone 17 for Free")
