In a recent Business Bloomer Club Slack thread, a user shared their experience with choosing a translation plugin for their WooCommerce store. With options like WPML and TranslatePress, many store owners are unsure which plugin offers the best features, compatibility, and reliability for multilingual WooCommerce sites.
While WPML has been a common choice, some users have faced challenges with stock and price synchronization. TranslatePress is another option, but it also has its own set of concerns, particularly around losing translations.
If you’re considering TranslatePress for WooCommerce or are simply looking for recommendations, the insights shared here could help you decide which translation tool is the best fit for your needs. Below, we’ll break down the pros and cons of TranslatePress, WPML, and other alternatives like Polylang and Weglot.
Challenges with WPML
WPML is one of the most popular multilingual plugins for WordPress. However, some users have had issues with stock and price synchronization when using WPML with WooCommerce. This can be particularly frustrating for online stores where real-time updates of product data are crucial.
One user mentioned having difficulties with stock and price synchronization while using WPML on a WooCommerce store. This resulted in discrepancies between languages, making it challenging to manage inventory effectively. For this reason, WPML may not always be the best option, especially if you’re looking for a seamless multilingual experience.
TranslatePress: Is It the Right Choice?
TranslatePress is another popular translation plugin that offers an intuitive, visual approach to translating your site. While it’s generally seen as easier to use than WPML, some users have reported losing translations on their sites after updates. This can be a major concern if you’re relying on accurate translations for your eCommerce store.
A user shared that they had previously used TranslatePress on two different websites but lost many translations. This issue was serious enough that they started questioning the reliability of the plugin for WooCommerce sites.
Alternatives: Polylang and Weglot
If you’re unsure about WPML or TranslatePress, consider exploring other multilingual plugins like Polylang or Weglot. Polylang, for instance, is known for its responsive support team and has good compatibility with WooCommerce. Polylang offers a seamless experience with WooCommerce and is often recommended by users who have faced issues with WPML.
Weglot is another alternative worth considering. It’s known for its user-friendly interface and offers excellent support for multilingual WooCommerce stores. Unlike WPML and TranslatePress, Weglot handles the translation process automatically, making it an excellent choice for store owners who want a simple solution without manually translating every page.
Stock Synchronization and Multisite Solutions
For users who are particularly concerned with stock synchronization across multiple languages or sites, there are plugins like MultilingualPress and the Central Stock add-on that can help streamline this process. MultilingualPress is a multisite solution that allows you to sync products and their stock levels across different language sites. The Central Stock add-on further enhances this by enabling stock synchronization for all products, no matter which language or site they’re listed on.
This solution can be a lifesaver for WooCommerce store owners who need to manage inventory across multiple languages and sites without worrying about discrepancies.
Conclusion
Choosing the right translation plugin for your WooCommerce store can be a daunting task, especially with so many options available. While WPML is a well-known and widely used plugin, it’s not without its challenges. TranslatePress offers a more visual, easy-to-use solution but has been known to cause issues with lost translations. Alternatives like Polylang, Weglot, and MultilingualPress may provide better compatibility and features, depending on your specific needs.
For WooCommerce store owners, it’s important to choose a solution that not only supports translations but also works well with stock synchronization, pricing, and other key features. Whether you go with TranslatePress, WPML, or another plugin, ensuring that your chosen tool integrates well with your store’s functionality should be a top priority.
