Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate: A Detailed Comparison

As the oldest machine translation platform in the market, it is not surprising that it has over 1 billion users, and each day, it provides language support to more than 610 million users on its platform. 

But with new players in the machine translation industry like Microsoft Translator, is Google Translate still relevant in 2024?

Today, we will answer this by conducting an in-depth analysis between Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate across crucial areas such as accuracy, language support, price, and integration. 

But before we get started, let’s first answer some basic questions about Microsoft Translator and Google Translate.

What is Microsoft Translator?

Microsoft Translator is a multilingual machine translation cloud service provided by Microsoft. It's part of the Azure cloud services and is used to translate text, speech, and other content into various supported languages. 

Known for integrating with Microsoft's suite of products like Office, Bing, and Skype, it supports multiple languages and is used for personal, business, and educational purposes.

Is Bing Translator the same as Microsoft Translator? Yes, because Microsoft Translator and Bing Translator are from the same company. The only difference is its application and how it is integrated. 

Microsoft Translator is Microsoft's core API. Bing Translator is the end-user and web front end of Microsoft Translator, basically a limited version of Microsoft Translator. 

In some areas, they are similar. However, unlike Microsoft Translator, Bing Translator can not be integrated into other platforms and across Microsoft's other products, like Office or Skype. 

Pros:

• Offers a free version of the tool

• Customizable platform

• Good for formal translations and technical document

• API can be integrated into Microsoft Products and Services

Cons:

• It’s not good for informal communication

• Slightly more expensive compared to Google

• Poor quality of translation for low-source languages

What is Google Translate?

Google Translate is a widely used machine translation service provided by Google. It supports a vast range of languages and is known for its ease of use and integration into numerous Google services. Offering text, website, and even image translations, it's a go-to tool for casual and quick translations for users globally.

Pros:

• Simplicity of UI and UX

• A broad number of languages supported

• Good for general use and casual conversations

• API can easily be integrated into any Google Service

Cons:

• It’s not suitable for highly technical fields

• Low-resource languages still run the risk of accuracies

• Low customizable features

Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate: Six Crucial Aspects to Look Into

As mentioned, Microsoft Translator and Google Translate are two of the most prominent players in the machine translation industry. 

With the increasing globalization of business, education, and social interactions, the demand for accurate and efficient translation services is higher than ever. 

Comparing Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate can be challenging as each machine translation platform has unique features. 

So, we devised a simple way to compare the two by categorizing their features under six key aspects:

• Accuracy and Quality of Translations

• Language Support and Limitations

• Pricing Models

• API Integration and Technical Features

• User Interface and Experience

• Performance Across Various Industries

We’ll assess these critical areas to identify which machine translation engine outperforms the other.

1. Accuracy and Quality of Translations

Since its launch in 2006, Google Translate has significantly evolved, employing advanced machine learning techniques, including neural machine translation (NMT). This approach has dramatically enhanced its accuracy, making it adept at handling complex sentences and idioms in numerous languages.

If you’re looking for an adaptable machine translation tool for general use, Google Translate is a great option. Its system can translate colloquial terms and idiomatic expressions, making it the perfect tool for casual conversations.

However, using Google Translate for highly technical content, like medicine and law, isn't advisable because it cannot be customized. 

As for Microsoft Translator, it also utilizes similar advanced NMT technology. It is known for its effectiveness in professional and formal translations, where precision is paramount. 

It is customizable and perfect for translating technical documents and specialized content.
Microsoft Translator is generally more consistent in maintaining the tone and style of the original content.

However, it sometimes lags behind Google in colloquial and idiomatic expressions due to its slightly more formal approach to translation.

2. Language Support and Limitations

In terms of language support, Google Translate has a broader scope, supporting over 100 languages at various levels. 

This range includes major global languages and numerous regional and less commonly spoken languages.

Google is also continuously working on adding new languages, often incorporating them based on user demand and the availability of language data.

While offering support for around 70 languages, Microsoft Translator focuses on major world languages and is constantly expanding its repertoire.

Despite supporting fewer languages, Microsoft Translator makes up for this by providing higher-quality translations for formal and professional content. 

Like Google, it is also continuously expanding the number of languages its program supports.

Interestingly, the area where both Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate are similar is how they handle low-resource languages. Both platforms heavily rely on the digital content their database collects. 

When it comes to low-resource languages, the consistency and accuracy of translation for Microsoft Translator and Google Translate vary from poor to slightly adequate.

Later on, we will discuss further the performance between Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate for specific low rare or low resource languages they both offer on their machine translation tool.

3. Pricing Models

We have actually written an article that provides an overview of the price of different popular machine translation engines, which you can read here.

But for this area, let's dive deeper into how much these tools cost.

Google Translate is predominantly a free service, which has contributed to its widespread popularity. However, if you’re translating above 500,000 characters up to a million, you’ll be paying $20 per million characters. 

If you opt to tailor your Google Translate engine, the cost is $40 per month for up to 500,000 characters. For translations ranging from 500,001 to 250 million characters monthly, the charge is $80 per million characters. For a monthly volume of 250 million to 2.5 billion characters, the rate is set at $60 per million characters.

Google Translate's Pricing Model

Like Google, Microsoft Translator offers a free version and operates on a tiered pricing model. For more extensive usage with advanced features, it is available on a pay-as-you-go basis. 

For standard translations, you will be paying $10 per million characters for each month. For a more customized approach to translating, Microsoft Translator will charge $40 per million characters a month. This doesn't include the training and custom model hosting of your machine translation engine, which each costs $10 per million characters a month.

Microsoft Translator's Pricing Model

4. API Integration and Technical Features

The integration capabilities and technical features of translation tools are critical for businesses and developers who need to embed translation functions into their applications, websites, or systems. 

When comparing Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate both offer APIs, but they come with different sets of features and integration complexities.

Known for its simplicity, Google Translate API is straightforward to integrate into various applications. 

This makes it a popular choice among startups, small businesses, and independent developers who may not have extensive resources for complex integration processes.

It can also handle a high volume of requests, making it reliable for applications with heavy translation needs.

Google Translate's API provides extensive documentation and support, ensuring that even developers with limited experience in translation technology can integrate it into their applications effectively.

However, Google Translate lacks customizable features, making it less appealing to businesses in specialized industries.

As part of the Azure suite, Microsoft Translator API offers more advanced features compared to Google Translate. 

This includes speech translation, text-to-speech capabilities, and the ability to customize translations for specific industry jargon or terminology.

Like Google, if your business already uses Azure services, Microsoft Translator can seamlessly be integrated.

Where Microsoft Translator excels is how customizable it is for businesses, making the perfect tool for handling professional documents and formal content.

The choice between Google Translate API and Microsoft Translator API should be based on the specific needs of the project or business. 

Google Translate API is ideal for those who need a simple, easy-to-integrate solution for basic translation needs. 

In contrast, Microsoft Translator API is better suited for enterprises and complex applications where advanced features, customization, and integration with other business tools are paramount.

5. User Interface and Experience

User interface and experience are pivotal in determining the ease with which end-users can navigate and utilize these tools.

When comparing Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate, it depends on what you're looking for in user interface and experience.

If you're looking for a straightforward and simple user interface, Google Translate would be your best option.

Its main features – text input, language selection, and translation – are prominently displayed, reducing the learning curve for new users.

But if you're looking for a clean and professional interface that's tailored to your company's needs then Microsoft Translator will be the more suitable platform to choose.

6. Performance Across Various Industries

The efficiency and appropriateness of translation tools like Google Translate and Microsoft Translator can significantly differ across various industries, each having distinct needs and expectations from these technologies.

Google Translate

Travel and Hospitality: Google Translate is a favorite in this sector due to its broad language coverage and ease of use. This tool aids travelers and hospitality workers in overcoming language barriers in everyday conversations and simple translations, which are common in this industry.

Education: Especially in primary and secondary education, Google Translate is a handy tool for students and educators. Its simplicity and accessibility support learning new languages and translating educational materials quickly.

Casual Business Communications: For businesses that require basic translation for emails or simple documents, particularly in international contexts, Google Translate offers a convenient and cost-effective solution.

Social Media and Marketing: In the realm of digital marketing and social media, where the content is more colloquial, Google Translate's ability to handle idiomatic expressions and informal language makes it a valuable tool for quick translations of marketing materials or social media posts.

Microsoft Translator

Legal Industry: Precision is paramount in legal translations. Microsoft Translator's focus on formal language accuracy makes it more suitable for translating legal documents, contracts, and proceedings where every word must be exact.

Medical and Healthcare: In the medical field, the accuracy of technical terms and the sensitivity of patient information are crucial. Microsoft Translator's proficiency in handling formal and technical language makes it a better fit for translating medical documents, prescriptions, and patient information.

Technical and Engineering Fields: These fields often require the translation of complex, technical documents. Microsoft Translator's advanced features and emphasis on precise terminology make it a more appropriate choice for technical manuals, engineering specifications, and scientific papers.

Higher Education and Research: In higher education, particularly in research, the need for accurate translation of technical terms and concepts is vital. Microsoft Translator is well-suited for academic papers and scholarly articles where the accuracy of specialized terminology cannot be compromised.

Corporate Business and Finance: For corporate communications, financial reports, and other business documents where formal language and industry-specific terminology are essential, Microsoft Translator offers the necessary precision and customization options, making it a preferred choice in the corporate and financial sectors.

Bing Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate: Comparing Rare Language Translations

When evaluating translation tools like Bing Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate, one crucial aspect is their performance in translating low-resource languages, such as Bahasa Indonesian and Afrikaans. 

Even though these languages are spoken by millions, they often don't have the same volume of online data as more widely spoken languages. 

In turn, it affects the quality and consistency generated by machine translation engines, like Google Translate and Microsoft Translator. 

Let's delve into an in-depth comparison of how each platform handles these specific languages.

1. Performance with Bahasa Indonesia

When researching Google Translate’s performance when translating Bahasa Indonesia, surprisingly many Reddit users have commended its accuracy.

This largely has to be due to Google's expansive data collection, making it more accurate and contextually relevant translations.

Not only that but as the most popular machine translation platform, it continually receives user feedback and corrections, which helps in refining the translations over time.

Although we couldn’t find any comments online about translations of Bing or Microsoft Translator for Bahasa Indonesia, based on our experience using the tool, it is primarily used for professional and academic purposes.

2. Handling Afrikaans Translations

Afrikaans, unlike Bahasa Indonesian, is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony of Africa. It is not a dialect but has fewer a number of native speakers compared to Bahasa Indonesia at around only 8 million.

Interestingly enough, as early as 2012, Afrikaans language was placed as one of the top 10 languages with the most accurate translations in Google Translate.

Again, Google’s high performance in providing accurate translations could be due to its large user base, making it receive more feedback compared to other platforms.

Bing Microsoft Translator might be the most recommended for more formal translation and content with technical vocabulary. Based on our experience, when we handle low-resource languages like Afrikaans, we use Google Translate rather than Microsoft Translator.

Conclusion: Is Microsoft Bing Translator More Accurate than Google?

Even though Google Translate is one of the oldest machine translation providers in the industry, it hasn’t slacked on continuously innovating.

So when comparing Microsoft Translator vs Google Translate, its accuracy largely depends on the context of the content and the client’s needs. 

Microsoft Bing Translator excels in formal and professional translations, benefiting from its integration with Microsoft’s Azure services and its focus on major world languages. It's particularly adept in technical, legal, and business contexts where precision is key. 

Meanwhile, with its extensive language support, Google Translate excels in translating everyday language and idiomatic expressions, thanks to its vast data and advanced neural machine translation system. 

For low-resource language, Google Translate outshines Microsoft Bing Translator due to its database having a broader range of information and feedback. It generally comes down to the choice of the user based on specific translation requirements.