SDL Trados is the world's most widely used CAT tool — but it was built for European language workflows at European prices. Here is how it compares to t09n.com for Indian language translators.
| Feature | t09n.com | SDL Trados Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price (freelancer) | Free plan (500 words/mo) · Starter ₹999/mo · Professional ₹2,499/mo | Freelance ~$845/yr (~₹70,000) · Freelance+ ~$1,245/yr · No free tier |
| Currency | ✓ INR — GST invoices, fixed INR price | ✗ USD only — INR cost fluctuates, no GST invoice |
| Platform | ✓ Cloud — Mac, Windows, Linux, tablet, any browser | ✗ Windows desktop only — no Mac version exists |
| Installation | ✓ No installation — browser-based | ✗ Large desktop application — installer, licence activation |
| Indian language MTPE | ✓ Purpose-built Indian language engine | ✗ No Indian language MT — relies on third-party MT plugins |
| Translation Memory | ✓ 100% TM matches free — never count toward word balance | ✓ TM included — no free tier |
| Glossary / TermBase | ✓ Client glossaries with auto-enforcement | ✓ MultiTerm TermBase — separate application required |
| TQA | ✓ MQM-style TQA with severity scoring built in | ✓ QA Checker — available but complex to configure |
| SDLXLIFF import | ✓ Import SDLXLIFF files from agency workflows | Native format |
| TMX import/export | ✓ TMX import — bring your Trados TM over | ✓ TMX import/export supported |
| Free plan | ✓ 500 words/month — no credit card, no time limit | ✗ No free plan |
| Hindi/Gujarati support | ✓ Native script, purpose-built quality | ✗ Basic Unicode — no Indian language specialisation |
| Learning curve | Simple, intuitive UI — hours to learn | Steep learning curve — complex interface, weeks to master |
For Indian language translators, t09n.com is the clear choice. SDL Trados charges ₹40,000–₹1,20,000/year (at current exchange rates) for a Windows-only desktop application built around European language workflows. It provides no Indian-language-specific quality advantage for Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil or Telugu translation. The learning curve is steep and the pricing creates real financial pressure for freelance translators in India.
t09n.com delivers the same core workflow — TM, Glossary, MTPE, TQA, Review — purpose-built for Indian languages, at ₹999/month in INR with a free tier to start. It works on Mac, Windows and Linux without installation. For a freelance translator in India, this is not a close comparison.
SDL Trados remains the right choice for translators deeply embedded in European agency workflows where Trados is the required tool, or working primarily in European language pairs where its localisation quality advantage exists.
For Indian language translation, yes. SDL Trados costs ₹40,000–₹1,20,000/year in USD, requires Windows, and provides no Indian-language-specific quality advantage. t09n.com starts free, costs ₹999/month, is cloud-based on any device, and is built for Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil and Telugu with a proprietary MTPE engine.
SDL Trados Freelance costs approximately $845/year — about ₹70,000–₹75,000/year at current exchange rates. Freelance+ costs approximately $1,245/year (over ₹1,00,000). All billed in USD, no INR pricing, no GST invoice. t09n.com is ₹999/month (₹11,988/year) with GST invoices.
No. SDL Trados Studio is Windows-only. There is no native Mac version. The Trados AppStore includes some web-based tools but the full Studio environment requires Windows. t09n.com is cloud-based and works in any browser on Mac, Windows, Linux and tablet without installation.
Yes. Export your Translation Memory from SDL Trados as TMX and import it into t09n.com. SDLXLIFF project files can be imported directly for translation or post-editing. Your accumulated TM and file workflows carry over.
Import your Trados TM. Works on Mac. ₹999/month Starter plan — or start free with no credit card.
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