Manuce or DeepL?
DeepL is an excellent product, and for many uses it's enough. Here are the cases where it's the best choice, and those where Manuce is — written by Manuce, so read accordingly.
At a glance
| DeepL | Manuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Monthly subscription | Pay-per-use, no commitment |
| Entry price | Monthly subscription (see deepl.com) | From €3.50 per document, no subscription |
| File translation | Yes, format preserved | Yes, format preserved |
| Domain specialisation | Customisable glossary | Eight specialists, chosen on upload |
| Quote before payment | Not applicable | Yes, shown before payment |
| Invoice in your company's name | Yes | Yes, with numbered PDF quote |
| Free document extract | Limited free version | One paragraph from your file, free |
| Number of languages | See the list on deepl.com | 96 |
| Shared workspace for businesses | Yes, team plans | Yes, with a monthly cap and single invoice |
When DeepL is the best choice
If you translate every day, the subscription wins: beyond around ten documents per month, the package works out cheaper than pay-per-use, and the integration into office tools saves time.
If you need a company glossary applied systematically — your product names, your in-house terminology — DeepL handles it comprehensively.
And if you mainly translate sentences and emails rather than documents, the question doesn't even arise.
When Manuce is the best choice
If you translate occasionally : a few documents per quarter, a contract from time to time. An annual subscription for three contracts makes no sense; you pay for the document you translate, and nothing the rest of the year.
If the document falls under a specific field. A contract, a safety data sheet and a brochure are not translated the same way: Manuce assigns each to the specialist in its field rather than to a single engine with a glossary.
If you need a quote before paying, a numbered invoice, or a document to be validated internally before committing the expense. Manuce sends a PDF quote valid for thirty days, with your details on it.
If you translate into less common languages : Manuce covers 96, in both directions.
What neither does
Neither DeepL nor Manuce produce sworn translation. If an administration requires a translation certified by a legal expert, you need a sworn translator, and no automated tool can replace that.
Neither replaces human proofreading for a text that will be printed in thousands of copies or signed by lawyers. For those documents, have them proofread: the cost of proofreading remains incomparable to that of a full translation by an agency.
Frequently asked questions
Does Manuce use DeepL?
No. Manuce relies on language models from the Claude family, configured domain by domain, with proprietary layout processing. They are two different technologies.
Can I use both?
Nothing stops you doing both: a subscription for day-to-day work, Manuce for documents that commit you and for languages the subscription doesn't cover. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Which is cheaper?
That depends entirely on volume. Below around ten documents per month, pay-per-use works out cheaper; above that, subscription. Base your calculation on your actual volume rather than a hunch.
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.