Overview
LibreTranslate is a free, open-source machine translation API that supports 17 languages. You can translate text between languages without needing an API key, making it perfect for beginners. It is self-hostable and privacy-friendly compared to commercial translation services.
Beginner Tip
You can use the public instance at https://libretranslate.com without registration for small-scale testing. For production use, consider self-hosting to avoid rate limits.
Available Data
The kind of data this API exposes, based on its documentation. We could not call the endpoint to confirm the exact field names.
Example Response
Illustrative shape only — we were not able to call this endpoint (it requires credentials or exposes no public sample URL), so the fields below show the kind of data this API returns rather than a recorded response.
{
"translatedText": "Bonjour le monde",
"detectedSourceLanguage": "en",
"targetLanguage": "fr"
} Field Reference
translatedText The translated text in the target language detectedLanguage Present when source is "auto"; contains the detected language code and confidence score detectedLanguage.language ISO 639-1 code of the detected source language (e.g., "en", "fr") detectedLanguage.confidence Confidence score between 0 and 1 for the language detection result Implementation Example
Calls a real endpoint of this API. Replace any placeholder credentials with your own key.
const url = "https://libretranslate.com/translate";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data); What Can You Build?
Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.
Common Errors & Troubleshooting
Generated guidance based on this API's documentation, not observed by us. Treat it as a starting point and check against the provider's own error reference.
Metadata Score Breakdown
Estimated from metadata — endpoint not independently tested
Metadata estimate · endpoint not independently tested
Technical Specifications
Related Tags
Alternatives to LibreTranslate
Technical alternatives for different use cases.
Includes language detection alongside translation
Standalone detection accuracy for rare languages
Combined detection and translation in one API
Free translation with multiple language support
Free translation without self-hosting complexity
Data privacy (LibreTranslate can be self-hosted)
Translation API with language detection
Commercial translation with reliable uptime
Self-hosting and open-source requirements
Recipes Using LibreTranslate
Build something with this API. Each recipe includes step-by-step instructions and code outlines.
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