Question 1

Do I need to manage translation files?

Accepted Answer

No. There are no JSON files, no key extraction step, and no build-time plugin. You write your sentences in your source language, the SDK sends them to the API on the first request, the API translates them with AI, and every subsequent request is served from the cache. Your code is the single source of truth.

Question 2

What happens when I change the source text?

Accepted Answer

The source text is the key. Change it and you get a new key with a fresh AI translation. The old key simply stops being requested, and the dashboard cleans it up after 30 days without use. A typo fix is the same: fix it in the code, deploy, and the new text is translated on the first request.

Question 3

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

The hosted plan is €8 per project per month, billed monthly, cancel any time. The self-hosted edition is free for one project; €30 once for unlimited projects — no subscription, no usage cap. You bring your own AI key in both cases. There is no per-seat, per-word, or per-request pricing.

Question 4

Can I export my translations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The dashboard has an "Export JSON" button that downloads every translation in your project as a single JSON file. The export includes all rows, not just the ones used in the last 30 days, so it is a full backup. There is no lock-in: your data is always one click away.

Question 5

What frameworks does it support?

Accepted Answer

React, React Native, Vue, Svelte, Vanilla JS, Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Python, Go, Swift and Kotlin. Every SDK works the same way: wrap your text in a translation call, and the API returns the translation for the current language. The server SDKs are thread-safe and cache translations in memory.

Question 6

How many languages are supported?

Accepted Answer

48 languages, including regional variants like zh-Hans / zh-Hant, en / en-GB, fr / fr-CA, pt / pt-BR, and es / es-MX. Arabic, Hebrew and Urdu are in the list, so right-to-left languages work too. Adding a new language to your project is one click in the dashboard.

Question 7

Does it work with server-side rendering?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Node.js SDK uses AsyncLocalStorage so your loaders, head functions and server components can translate without a React provider. On the client side, the React provider hydrates from the server-rendered HTML. There are step-by-step guides for Next.js, Nuxt, and TanStack Start in the documentation.

Question 8

Does it slow down my app?

Accepted Answer

The first time a new string is requested, the API calls the AI model — that takes one to two seconds. Every request after that is served from the database, which is a regular cache hit. The SDK also caches translations locally, so returning users see zero network delay. If ten users request the same string at the same time, only one AI call is made.

Question 9

What happens if the service goes down?

Accepted Answer

Every SDK caches translations locally — in localStorage on the web, AsyncStorage on mobile, and in memory on the server. If the API is unreachable, the SDK serves the cached translations. Your users see the last known translation, never a blank string. When the API comes back, the SDK refreshes silently.

Question 10

Which AI provider does it use?

Accepted Answer

Five providers are supported: Mistral, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint such as Ollama, Groq, or Together. The operator picks the provider and the model from the dashboard or from the environment. The default on i18n-keyless.com is Mistral. Self-hosted users can run Ollama locally and send nothing to a third party.

Question 11

Can I override an AI translation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Click any cell in the dashboard, type the correct text, and save. The fix is permanent: the API never overwrites a value that was set by hand. You can also override translations through the API or through the MCP server, so an AI coding agent can fix a translation for you.

Question 12

Can I migrate from i18next or another library?

Accepted Answer

Yes. There is a step-by-step migration guide for i18next, react-intl, and Lokalise in the documentation. The API has a migrate endpoint that imports your existing translations one by one, with no AI call and nothing billed. The MCP server has the same tool, so an AI agent can do the migration for you.

Question 13

Is there a free plan?

Accepted Answer

There is no time-limited free trial. The self-hosted edition gives you one project free forever — install the Docker image, use your own AI key, and keep your data on your own server. The hosted plan is €8 per month per project, with no minimum commitment.

Question 14

Is the source code available?

Accepted Answer

The server, the dashboard and the Docker image are published on GitHub under the Elastic License 2.0. You can read every line, run the code, and change it. The SDKs — React, Vue, Node, Rails and the others — are MIT-licensed. The only restriction: you may not offer the software as a hosted service to third parties.

Question 15

Self-hosted or subscription: which one?

Accepted Answer

Subscription: we run it, updates are automatic, one price per project. Self-hosted: the very same Docker image on your own server, free to install, one project free forever, €30 once for unlimited projects, with your own AI key and your data at home. Take the subscription unless you want to run a server.

Question 16

How do I handle dynamic values like names or counts?

Accepted Answer

Use the replace option. Write the sentence with a placeholder — "Hello {name}, you have {count} items" — and pass the values at render time with replace: { "{name}": userName, "{count}": String(n) }. The AI sees the placeholder and keeps it in every translation. The SDK substitutes the value at runtime.

Question 17

How do I handle plurals?

Accepted Answer

There is no plural API, on purpose. Write each form as its own full sentence — "1 item" and "{count} items" — and inject the number with replace. The model translates each sentence in its own language, so languages with more forms still read naturally for the common cases.

Question 18

How do I handle genders?

Accepted Answer

The same way: one full sentence per form, plus a context that tells the model who speaks and who is addressed. Two contexts give two separate translations of the same words, so "Welcome back" for a woman and for a man never collide.

Question 19

How do I format dates, numbers and currencies?

Accepted Answer

The SDK does not format them, your runtime does. Use Intl.DateTimeFormat and Intl.NumberFormat with the current language from the SDK, then put the result into the sentence with replace. One sentence, one translation, the right format in every language.

Question 20

Can I customise the translation prompt?

Accepted Answer

No, and you do not need to. The prompt reads your context for each key: that is where tone, audience and meaning go, and it is what makes the same word translate differently in two places. And any translation can be overridden by hand in the dashboard; the API never overwrites what you wrote.

Question 21

Does it have an MCP server for AI coding agents?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The API is also an MCP server with OAuth 2.1 authentication. An AI agent can list translations, translate strings, override values, import existing translations, and manage project members — the same operations a human does in the dashboard. Connect it from Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or any MCP-compatible client.

Question 22

Can I use it for backend strings and emails?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Python and Go SDKs run on the server. Translate an email subject, an error message, or a push notification the same way you translate a UI string. The server SDKs cache translations in memory and refresh in the background, so they do not add latency to your request.

Question 23

Can my whole team work on translations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Add team members to a project from the dashboard or through the API. Every member can see all translations, override any value, and add languages. Admins create projects and manage members. There is no per-seat pricing: add as many people as you need.

Question 24

How do I fix a typo?

Accepted Answer

The source text is the key. Fix a typo in the source and you get a new key with a fresh translation; the old string simply stops being asked for, and the dashboard cleans it up on its own after 30 days without use. A typo in a translation: edit the cell in the dashboard, and the fix is permanent.

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