February 6, 2025
DeepL vs. Amazon Translate: Which is the Best for High-Volume Translation?
Machine translation has become an essential tool for businesses handling large amounts of content. Whether you're translating legal documents, medical research, or e-commerce product descriptions, choosing the right translation platform can make a big difference. Two of the most powerful AI translation engines today are DeepL and Amazon Translate. But which one is the best for handling high-volume translations?
DeepL is known for its impressive accuracy and natural-sounding translations, while Amazon Translate is widely praised for its scalability and cost-effectiveness. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and the right choice depends on your needs. Let's break it down and see which platform comes out on top.
What are DeepL and Amazon Translate?
DeepL is a neural machine translation service known for its exceptional accuracy and ability to capture linguistic nuances. Launched in 2017 by DeepL GmbH, it is designed to provide high-quality translations that preserve meaning and context, making it a preferred choice for professional and creative translations.
Amazon Translate is a cloud-based machine translation service developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It focuses on scalability, offering businesses fast and cost-effective translations across multiple languages, making it ideal for large-scale projects that require efficiency and affordability.
DeepL is known for its impressive accuracy and natural-sounding translations, while Amazon Translate is widely praised for its scalability and cost-effectiveness. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and the right choice depends on your needs. Let's break it down and see which platform comes out on top:
1. Accuracy and translation quality
When choosing a translation tool, accuracy is key. DeepL is well-known for its ability to understand context and produce smooth, natural translations. As presented in this free sample, it handles complex sentence structures and idiomatic expressions well, making it ideal for marketing and creative content. In the analysis, DeepL’s translations were generally fluent and readable, though some sentences required minor tweaks for clarity.
Amazon Translate delivers smooth and reliable translations, with all sections scoring 8.5, needing minimal adjustments. The translations are clear and accurate, though slight refinements could improve readability. It works well for structured content but may need tweaks for more nuanced or creative text.
The Amazon Translate focuses on speed and efficiency. Its translations are accurate but may lack the natural flow and depth of DeepL. It works well for simple content, technical documents, or large-scale projects with minor edits. DeepL is better for precision, while Amazon Translate delivers fast and reliable results.
DeepL’s translation scores range from 7.5 to 9.2, with some inconsistencies in phrasing. It captures meaning well but sometimes needs rewording for clarity. Overall, it produces fluid, contextually strong translations, making it great for complex and expressive content.
2. Language support and limitations
Amazon Translate supports over 75 languages, making it one of the most comprehensive options for businesses with global audiences. It covers widely spoken languages and many less common ones, making it a great tool for diverse translation needs.
However, DeepL supports fewer languages around 30+, focusing mainly on high-resource languages like English, French, German, Spanish, and a few others. While its translations are more refined, its limited language range can be a dealbreaker for businesses needing broader coverage.
Read more: AWS Translate vs Google Translate: A Comprehensive Comparison
Pricing models
Amazon Translate follows a pay-as-you-go model, which means you only pay for what you use. It charges per million characters, making it an affordable option for businesses handling large amounts of text. This is ideal for companies with unpredictable translation volumes since they don’t need to commit to a subscription.
In contrast, DeepL uses a subscription-based model. While it does offer a free version with character limits, businesses that need high-volume translations must opt for a paid plan. The pricing can add up quickly, especially for companies translating millions of words per month. However, for those who prioritize accuracy over cost, the investment may be worth it.
3. API integration and technical requirements
Both DeepL and Amazon Translate offer APIs, allowing developers to integrate translation capabilities into their software. Amazon Translate’s API is part of Amazon Web Services (AWS), making it easy to scale for businesses already using AWS tools. It can handle vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently.
DeepL’s API is also powerful but is more focused on quality rather than sheer volume. It’s an excellent choice for companies that need highly accurate translations with customization options like glossaries. However, if your company processes millions of words daily, Amazon Translate might be the more practical choice.
Read more: Best Language Translation APIs in 2024
User interface and experience
DeepL has a clean and intuitive interface that makes translating documents quick and easy. It also offers a desktop application, making it convenient for users who work with translations frequently.
However, Amazon Translate doesn’t have a dedicated user interface for manual translations. It is designed mainly for developers and businesses integrating translation into their workflows. While this makes it more flexible for large-scale automation, it may not be as user-friendly for individuals who need quick, one-off translations.
4. Performance across various industries
Some translation models focus on nuance, while others handle large volumes across many languages. The best choice depends on your industry and content needs:
Legal industry
As presented above, legal documents require extreme precision because a mistranslation could lead to legal disputes or compliance issues. DeepL excels in this field because it understands complex sentence structures and maintains the tone and intent of the original text. It also produces translations that sound more natural, which is crucial in legal writing.
Amazon Translate is fast and can handle bulk legal translations, but it may struggle with the precise wording required in legal texts. If you're translating contracts, court documents, or regulatory filings, DeepL is the better option.
Medical industry
As seen above and in this sample, medical translations must be highly accurate because even minor errors can have serious consequences. DeepL performs well when translating medical research papers, pharmaceutical documents, and patient instructions. Its AI models ensure that medical terminology is used correctly.
Amazon Translate is useful for translating large medical databases and patient communications quickly, but it may not always provide the best contextual accuracy for complex medical terms. For critical healthcare translations, human oversight is recommended, regardless of the platform used.
Technology & engineering
As shown above which you can check out here, this comparison evaluates DeepL and Amazon Translate for Arabic technical translations, with DeepL scoring 8.3 and Amazon 8. DeepL offers greater accuracy and consistency, making it the better choice for technical terminology. In contrast, Amazon is faster and more literal, making it useful for bulk translations like user manuals.
Technical translations demand precision and specialized glossaries, which DeepL manages well through its customization options. Amazon Translate is more suitable for large-scale projects where speed outweighs fine-tuned accuracy. Overall, DeepL is better for preserving meaning, while Amazon is ideal for high-volume content.
E-commerce sector
Within this translation sample, e-commerce companies often need to translate thousands of product descriptions, customer reviews, and support documents. Amazon Translate is ideal for this because it can process large volumes quickly and at a low cost.
DeepL provides higher quality, which is useful for localized marketing content and ensuring that product descriptions sound natural in different languages. If your goal is speed and affordability, Amazon Translate wins, but if you want refined translations that build brand trust, DeepL is the better choice.
Marketing & creative content
Amazon Translate, while efficient, tends to produce more literal translations. This can make marketing messages sound unnatural or robotic. If creativity and engagement are priorities, DeepL is the better tool.
Customer support & chatbots
In this comparison between DeepL and Amazon Translate in the provided image highlights key differences in translation quality and accuracy.
DeepL (score: 8.2) provides a more natural and accurate translation, making it ideal for professional and technical content. It captures nuances better and ensures clear, grammatically correct phrasing. This makes it the preferred choice for detailed support documentation and high-precision translations.
While slightly less refined, Amazon Translate (score: 7.1) offers faster real-time processing for quick responses. It works well for automated customer support, such as chatbots and instant translations. Businesses needing speed over perfection may find Amazon Translate a more practical option for fast-paced interactions.
Get the best of both worlds with MachineTranslation.com
Why choose between DeepL and Amazon Translate when you can have the best of both? MachineTranslation.com is an AI-powered platform that aggregates multiple translation engines, including DeepL and Amazon Translate, giving users access to their strengths in one place.
With MachineTranslation.com, users can compare AI translations to find the most accurate and cost-effective option. It offers scalability, customization, and the ability to refine tone and style to match brand needs. The platform is user-friendly and developer-ready, featuring an intuitive interface and API integration for seamless automation, all with flexible pricing that fits businesses of any size.
Key features of MachineTranslation.com
1. AI Translation Agent with Memory
This feature enhances translation accuracy by learning from user interactions, refining tone, terminology, and style through targeted questions. Over time, it remembers preferences, ensuring consistency and continuous improvement in translations.
2. Multi-Engine Aggregation
Users can access translations from multiple AI and LLM sources with a single click, allowing for comparison and selection of the best result. With support for over 270 languages, it stands as one of the most extensive translation platforms available.
3. Key Term Translations
Industry-specific terms are automatically identified and translated with precision, ensuring domain accuracy. Users can compare top translation options in an intuitive table, simplifying decision-making.
4. AI Translation Quality Insights
Each translation is evaluated with AI-generated quality scores, offering insights into tone consistency and term variations. Users can compare multiple engine outputs side by side, with detailed breakdowns and editing suggestions for refinement.
5. Hybrid Human-AI Workflow
This workflow combines the speed of AI-generated translations with the accuracy of human review for critical content. Users can opt for affordable human review services to ensure polished, precise translations without compromising efficiency.
Conclusion
DeepL and Amazon Translate are both powerful but serve different needs. DeepL is best for accurate, natural translations of legal, medical, and marketing content, while Amazon Translate is a cost-effective choice for bulk translations. The right tool depends on your priorities—DeepL for quality or Amazon for speed—though combining AI with human review ensures the best results.
Why settle for one when you can have both accuracy and scalability? Compare top AI translators like DeepL and Amazon Translate in one place to get the best results for your needs. Subscribe to MachineTranslation.com now and start translating better!