There are five categories of localization software — each solving a different part of the localization problem. Game developers evaluating their options often conflate them, leading to either over-engineered pipelines or gaps that cause quality failures late in production. This guide maps out every major tool category, names the leading products in each, and explains when you need software versus when you need a localization service.

CAT Tools — Translation Assistance for Human Translators

CAT tools (Computer-Assisted Translation tools) are the core workflow software for professional translators. They split source text into segments, surface Translation Memory matches from past translations, enforce terminology glossaries, and perform automated quality checks — all inside a single interface. Leading CAT tools: memoQ (the industry standard for games and software localization, known for its flexible workflow and strong QA features), SDL Trados Studio (the most widely used CAT tool globally, preferred by large LSPs), Déjà Vu (competitive TM and alignment features). CAT tools require trained operators — they are professional translation software, not consumer translation products. SandVox uses memoQ as its primary CAT tool, with Translation Memory and terminology glossaries built per project and delivered alongside the translation.

Translation Management Systems (TMS) — Workflow and Project Orchestration

A Translation Management System (TMS) is workflow software that manages translation projects at scale — routing files to translators, tracking project status, enforcing review workflows, and centralizing TM and terminology assets across multiple projects and teams. The line between CAT tool and TMS has blurred: Phrase TMS (formerly Memsource) combines a capable CAT editor with cloud-based TM management and API integrations. Smartling targets enterprise software companies with automated string ingestion from code repositories. memoQ Server adds TMS workflow capabilities to memoQ’s CAT engine. A TMS makes sense when you have continuous localization needs — SaaS products shipping weekly builds — or when you need to coordinate large translator teams. For game projects with defined release scopes, a project-based workflow with a specialized CAT tool is typically more cost-effective.

Localization Platforms — Cloud-Based Tools for Developer Teams

Localization platforms are cloud-based tools designed for developer teams rather than translators. They integrate directly with GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, pull new strings automatically when code changes, and push translated strings back without requiring a translation project to be managed manually. Leading platforms: Lokalise (the dominant choice for mobile and web game localization, with Figma integration, over-the-air string updates, and a clean developer API), Crowdin (strong open-source community support, GitHub-native workflow, popular for indie games), Transifex (legacy platform, enterprise-focused). Localization platforms work best for games with continuous deployment or live-service models where new strings ship frequently. They require translators to work within the platform’s interface — which introduces friction for professional translators who prefer dedicated CAT tools. SandVox can work within Lokalise or Crowdin projects on request.

Machine Translation — Automated First-Pass Translation

Machine translation (MT) engines generate translations automatically using AI models, with no human translator involvement in the translation step. DeepL is the highest-quality general MT engine for European languages and is widely used in game localization as a first pass. Google Cloud Translation and Amazon Translate provide API access for integration into custom localization pipelines. ModernMT adapts to Translation Memory context, improving consistency for games with established terminology. MT output requires human review and correction (MTPE — Machine Translation Post-Editing) before game use. Raw MT output in a shipped game is a quality and reputation risk: MT produces grammatically plausible text that frequently misses game-specific terminology, tone, and cultural context. SandVox uses MT as an optional first-pass option for high-volume projects where speed and budget require it, always followed by full MTPE.

Localization QA Tools — Automated Quality Checks

Localization QA tools run automated checks on translated string files before in-engine testing — catching missing translations, term inconsistencies, number and punctuation format errors, and formatting issues that would otherwise reach LocQA. Xbench is the most widely used localization QA tool — it checks terminology consistency, runs regex-based quality rules, and compares source and target segments for number and tag accuracy. Verifika and ErrorSpy provide similar functionality with different rule sets. These tools are file-level checks — they work on exported string files before import into the game engine. They complement but do not replace in-engine LocQA, which catches rendering issues, layout breaks, and context-dependent translation errors that automated file-level checks cannot detect.

File Format Processing Tools

Game engines use a wide variety of string file formats — .po (Godot, GNU gettext), .xliff (Unity, Unreal via conversion), .resx (Unity/.NET), .json, custom XML, and proprietary CSV formats. Okapi Framework is the industry-standard open-source tool for converting between formats — it can transform any file format into XLIFF for processing in a CAT tool, then convert back to the source format. Rainbow (part of Okapi) handles batch format conversion for large projects. SandVox handles all file format processing internally — you send source files in your engine’s native format and receive translated files in the same format, ready for direct import.

Frequently Asked Questions