15 + 1 websites for translators looking for work
Starting out in translation can be tough. I know, I’ve been there. But it’s even tougher when you start to look for jobs, you find dozens of websites, and you have no idea who to trust.
Well, at least that problem’s solved.
I looked them up, I went over their T&Cs, I researched opinions from fellow translators. Without further ado, here’s my list of 15+1 websites for translators looking for work in 2023 and beyond.
DISCLAIMER: None of the following is an affiliate link. I do not have any relationship with any of these companies, and none of them paid me a cent to be featured in this list. This is just my unbiased opinion.
1. Upwork
Landing jobs on Upwork is not easy, especially when you are new to the platform and have zero reviews. But if you stay patient and follow my tips, it can be a fantastic springboard to kickstart your career in the translation world.
Pros
Cons
Look, it may be because it was phenomenal for me when I started out, or maybe because I am not a huge fan of FCFS platforms and this one isn’t. Whatever the reason, Upwork is the freelance platform of choice for me and many others, and offers plenty of opportunities for beginner translators.
How does it work? You register and create a profile, then you wait for jobs to be posted in your language pair. When one is posted that catches your interest, you shoot your proposal. Getting a project becomes much simpler if you follow my guide to get translation jobs on Upwork.
2. Fiverr
Fiverr is a good platform, with plenty of work, that you’ll probably have to get by lowballing pretty hard. Still, anything is better than nothing when you are just starting out. And if you have a plan and that plan says you have to get some jobs to claim on your resume… I say bite the bullet and proceed.
Pros
Cons
+1. The ultimate guide to become a translator
All these websites won’t help much if you don’t have a strategy to:
– Find a niche
– Create a perfect profile
– Send proposals that work
And so much more, written by yours truly.
Pros
Cons
3. Proz.com
If you ask me “should a translator register on Proz”, then my answer is absolutely yes.
Pros
Cons
If you ask me “should a translator register on Proz”, then my answer is absolutely yes. That’s why I uncluded in my top 3 websites for freelance translators. But if the question is “Is Proz.com the best platform for me to start in the industry”, then I can only say it depends.
More specifically, it depends on your level of experience and your background. If
- You have never translated before,
- You don’t have a degree in translation, and
- You have little to no working experience in your niche
Then you are probably better off checking Upwork or Fiverr. However, if you have little to no experience in translation but have a well defined niche, or if you have a degree in translation/foreign languages/linguistics or similar, then you can definitely start on Proz.
4. Translatorscafe
Translatorscafe is to Proz what Fiverr is to Upwork. Think of it as a similar-looking, younger brother. And one you should pay attention to.
Pros
Cons
5. Freelancer.com
The third freelance platform. It’s very similar to Upwork and Fiverr, but it has less translation projects posted. If you have plenty of time, it’s better to have a presence on all three of them.
Pros
Cons
Yes, another generalist freelancing platform.
But this is the last one.
Really.
6. Freelanly
Technically, this is not a website to land translation jobs. What it is is an aggregator – once you set it, it’ll save you a lot of time. At a small monthly price.
Pros
Cons
Freelanly is a niche service I found recently. In a nutshell, it scans the Internet looking for freelance gigs in your language pair. I discovered it recently and thought I’d give it a try. Three months later, I have to say I am impressed.
For just $4.99 per month, they offer a great tool.
What I liked the most about it was the projects it found through social media (LinkedIn) – I never would have seen them without it. Now, do you need Freelanly to succeed? No. But for a small price, it can give you a hand, especially if you are short on time.
7. Blend (formerly OneHourTranslation)
I knew them as they were banned from Proz.com years ago for their business ‘practices’. They rebranded, but it looks like their philosophy hasn’t changed much.
Cons
While I have never worked with them before, when researching them I saw a few red flags. I have no way to verify if these are true, but they are definitely worrying.
8. LinkedIn
If you have started on Upwork and moved to Proz over time, the next step is LinkedIn. You probably have a profile there already. It’s time to dust it off.
Pros
Cons
Entire books have been written on LinkedIn. I LOVE it, and found some great clients through it. Actually, they found me, which is even better.
Don’t forget, though, that LinkedIn is a social network – if you create a profile and stop paying attention to it, it will not work for you.
9. FlexJobs
FlexJobs is a job search site specializing in remote, part-time, freelance, and flexible job opportunities. Unlike some of the other websites in this guide, here you will find non-freelance positions as well.
Pros
Cons
This is a tough one – the positions you will find here are likely to be legit, but there’s very few of them. Plus, most of the projects I have seen here require some degree of experience. If you have the time, I recommend to monitor it. But don’t get your hopes up.
10. Stepes
Stepes is a translation agency with a platform to assign translation projects. You can be assigned projects through the platform, just like on other portals, but at a slightly more professional level.
Pros
Cons
From their FAQs:
What rates are offered on Stepes? With Stepes you will be paid per word: $0.05 – $0.14; This will vary depending on the translation language and subject field.
Not bad. $ 0.05 is similar to what you can find on general marketplaces like Fiverr or Upwork, and $0.09/0.1 (median range) would be a decent rate. $ 0.14 would be considered pretty high in some languages pairs and areas of expertise.
I registered on the platform and I see they have a decent number of projects popping up. Unfortunately, you can’t accept any of them before you complete 3 projects. And completing them may not be that simple
That said, if I were a beginner, I would register. It only takes a bit of luck – who knows if they need someone in your language pair at that time? My impression was, once you have done those first three projects, the rest becomes much easier.
11. Tethras
Similar to Stepes, but Tethras requirement is for every new translator to pass a translation test, rather than do a number of jobs.
Pros
Cons
This seems to be another legit platform. It is quite similar to Stepes, but instead of the 3-job minimum, they ask new translators to pass a translation test. I don’t know how many projects you could expect to get through them, but at the very least you will get a chance to face your first ever translation test.
12. Gengo
Gengo is a Lionbridge company – and if you have been in the industry for a bit, you know what that means. They don’t publish their translators’ rates, but those for clients are public. And they are so low that I can hardly imagine how you can make any money with them.
Pros
Cons
13. Blue Board
While technically part of Proz.com, the Blue Board deserves a separate spot in this list. If you are ready to send your resume to translation agencies, this is a fantastic database.
Pros
Cons
The Blue Board is a gigantic database of translation agencies. All Proz.com members are encouraged to leave feedback to the LSPs they work with, so you also have ratings. If you are not a member, you can’t see any comments made, but you still have access to LWA (Likelihood to Work Again) scores. You just click on an agency and you’ll find comments, LWA and agency website.
Not only this helps you to weed out the bad apples, it also gives you a huge list of agencies to reach out to.
Please be aware: the Blue Board is not designed for this purpose, and scraping the data you need is a real pain in the neck. But you can make it work.
14. Payment Practices
Similar to Proz Blue Board and equally effective. If you are not interested in a Proz.com membership, this is a cost-effective way to have access to a fantastic database.
Pros
Cons
15. Unbabel
On Babel you don’t take translation tasks, but PEMT (Post-Editing of Machine Translation) projects. It’s a different kind of job, but you could still make money off of it. And it would look good on your CV if you wish to use this as a starting point in the industry.
Pros
Cons
Babel pays per hour, not per word. From their FAQs:
Hourly rates at Unbabel range from 8USD/hour right up to 18USD/hour for our best editors. In some language pairs, in peak periods, our best editors can work for several hours a day, often making hundreds of dollars a month.
How do you go from 8 to 18? ‘in order to ensure that everyone gets paid the amount they deserve, our hourly rates are variable according to the efficiency of the editor’. That includes speed and quality.
Should you register? I don’t think you want to start working at $8/hour (and fighting for jobs that allow you to do so). If you are
- in a less common language pair and
- happy to work at this very low rate for a little while and see if you can manage to increase it
Then give it a shot.
