Manuce or a translation agency?
A translation firm charges between 12 and 22 cents per word and delivers in five to ten working days. Manuce charges a fraction of that price and delivers in minutes. The gap is such that it deserves to be explained honestly, including where it does not work in our favour.
At a glance
| a translation agency | Manuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per word | 0,12 to 0,22 € depending on specialism | 0,0058 to 0,035 € |
| Deadline | 5 to 10 working days | A few minutes |
| Human proofreading | Included | No — automated cross-checking in Premium |
| Contractual liability | Yes, contractually | No |
| Sworn translation | Available | No |
| Original layout | Depending on quote, often charged | Included |
| Quote | On request, within 24 to 48 hours | Immediate, displayed before payment |
| Minimum order | Often 50 to 100 € | 3,50 € |
Why the price gap is so large
A firm pays a professional translator per word, a proofreader, a project manager and a structure. That cost is real, and it buys something: a human being has read every sentence and accepts liability.
Manuce does not pay for that. That is the whole difference, and it explains both the price and the limitations. Presenting this gap as mere "innovation" would be dishonest: it corresponds to a different service, not the same service for less.
When the agency remains the only option
A sworn translation. Civil status document for an administration, exhibit for a court, diploma for equivalence: you need an expert translator registered with a court of appeal. Manuce does not produce these and tells you so before you pay.
A text that will be printed in large quantities. A catalogue printed in twenty thousand copies, packaging, a campaign: an error means reprinting. Have it proofread.
A document where liability must be borne by someone. Certain international contracts, certain regulatory documents. If your counsel requires a liability commitment on the translation, no automated tool will provide it.
A creative adaptation. A slogan, a campaign hook, a play on words: that is no longer translation, it is rewriting. A copywriter in the target language will do better.
When Manuce does just as well for twenty times less
The vast majority of professional documents: employment contracts, articles of association, terms and conditions of sale, technical manuals, reports, catalogues, presentations, minutes. Texts that need to be accurate and readable, not beautiful.
And above all, all those that you do not have translated today because the quote exceeds the value. That is where the price gap genuinely changes something: it does not replace an expense, it makes possible a translation that would not have happened.
A practice that works well
Have Manuce translate, then have a professional in the target language or your local subsidiary proofread. You pay for proofreading, not translation: the total cost remains well below an agency, with a pair of human eyes on the result.
Frequently asked questions
Is the quality comparable to that of a professional translator?
On standard professional documents — contracts, manuals, reports — the result is directly usable. On a creative, literary text, or on a document where every word is negotiated, a professional translator does better. Test on your own document with the free extract: that is the only answer that matters.
Can I have a Manuce translation reviewed by my solicitor?
That is even recommended for a document that creates obligations. The file comes back in its original format, so directly annotatable.
Does Manuce do sworn translations?
No. If your recipient requires a translation certified as accurate by an expert translator, you need a sworn translator. Check the requirement in writing before paying for a sworn translation, which costs several times the price of an ordinary translation.
Going further
Judge on your own document
An extract from your file translated free of charge, before any payment. That is the only comparison that matters.