Dozens of German translation apps are available for Android and iOS users alike. But how can you find the best German translator app for your needs?
You might want a German–English translator app to help you navigate the streets of Berlin. Or maybe you want to talk more easily to a German-speaking friend. Perhaps you’re tracing your family roots in die Heimat züruck (back to the homeland) through old church records from Austria and Switzerland.
We’ll look at five different apps, discussing their features and their drawbacks. We’ll also talk about a few ways to get the most out of German translation apps.
German translation app features
With so many German translation apps on the market, competition is fierce. This is good news because it means that a lot of these useful features are fairly standard:
- Translations of both written and spoken German
- Translations of text from camera images (such as pictures of menus or road signs)
- Integrated text translation within web browsers, messaging apps, etc.
- Handwriting recognition
Some apps also feature document translation and learning games. Others include dictionaries, grammar aids, and even thesauri.
Top 5 German translation apps
Here are a handful of the most impressive German translation apps. All are available for both iOS and Android, and some even have desktop versions.
- Google Translate: Best for on-the-go translations of speech and text
- DeepL: Best for precise translation of short phrases
- Reverso Translate and Learn: Best for in-context examples of German words and phrases
- iTranslate: Best for translating German dialects
- Dictionary Linguee: Best for do-it-yourself translation
We’ll dive into each of them, considering their pros, cons, and most outstanding features.
Google Translate – Best for on-the-go translations of speech and text
Price
Free
Pros
- Translations between German and over 130 languages
- Free to use
- Offline mode
- Android and iOS versions
Cons
- Inaccurate or grammatically incorrect translations
- Translations that ignore context
- Poor translations of idiomatic expressions
Features
Many of the features that we’ve come to expect from a translator app were popularized by Google Translate. Some of the app’s most useful features include:
- Real-time conversation translation, via text or speech
- Instant, overlaid translations through your phone’s camera lens
- Translated transcriptions of long speeches that you can save, copy, and share
- Translation of handwritten text
- Easy access to frequently translated phrases
DeepL – Best for precise translation of short phrases
Price
Free version with limited features. Pro version starts at about $9 per month.
Pros
- Widely hailed as the most accurate machine translation
- Reliable idiomatic German translations
- Mobile versions for iOS and Android
- Desktop versions for macOS, Windows, ChromeOS
Cons
- Paid-only access to certain features, such as selecting formal or informal tone
- Document translations in PDF, Word Doc, and PowerPoint formats only
- User-reported customer service issues
Features
DeepL prides itself on being three times more accurate than its competitors. Even the free version is packed with many useful features:
- Accurate translation of German text and conversation
- Alternative translations provided
- Translation of text from camera images
- App integrations for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and three major web browsers (Firefox, Edge, and Chrome)
Reverso Translate and Learn – Best for in-context examples of German words and phrases
Price
Free version (with limited ads). Premium version starts around $5 per month.
Pros
- Translation tool with automatic definitions, synonyms, and examples in context
- Largely positive customer reviews of features and accuracy
- Mobile versions for iOS and Android
- Desktop versions for Windows and MacOS
Cons
- Limited features with free version
- Grammar check feature not yet available for German
- Translations limited to about two dozen languages
- Narrow translation choices in offline mode
Features
Reverso is part dictionary, part automatic translation app. Some of Reverso’s best features include:
- A built-in dictionary and thesaurus with dozens of real-world usage examples
- A conjugation tool with grammar tips for topics like weak verbs and separable verbs
- Learning games
- Audio files with pronunciations for unfamiliar German words
The paid Premium version removes ads, gives you unlimited search results, and saves hundreds of your previous searches automatically. It also creates a personalized German learning program for you.
iTranslate – Best for translating German dialects
Price
Free version (with ads). Paid Pro subscription starts around $6 monthly or $50 yearly.
Pros
- Translations for 100+ languages, including German, British English, and American English
- Translations for almost 10,000 specific language combinations
- Web app and macOS versions
- Mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Bixby virtual assistant
Cons
- Less accuracy and no conversation translation support in offline mode
- Extremely limited features in the free version
- Issues with cancelling subscription to Pro version
Features
As a traveler in the German-speaking world, you might encounter different dialects, such as Plattdütsch (Low German), Schweizerdeutsch (Swiss German), or Österreichisches Deutsch (Austrian German). The iTranslate app can help you out with nonstandard German. It’s known for its attention to regional dialects, which often use variations of standard German pronunciations, vocabulary, and spelling.
Basic Free features include:
- Text translation
- Custom phrasebook
- Translation while typing, with autocomplete
Several features are only available in the paid Pro version, which you can try free for seven days:
- Voice translation
- Instant translation of text in photos
- Alternate translation suggestions
- Verb conjugation tool, dictionary, and travel phrasebook
Perhaps one of the most interesting Pro features is visual translation AR mode. This allows you to point your phone’s camera lens at an object and see its German name displayed on the screen.
Dictionary Linguee – Best for do-it-yourself translations
Price
Free
Pros
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Offline mode
- Massive database of real-life text translations
- Audio of professional human speakers for pronunciation examples
Cons
- Lack of camera or voice translations
- Screen freezes in offline mode and frequent app crashes
- Issues recognizing internet connection
Features
Dictionary Linguee is a German translation app for word lovers. Each entry contains examples of common expressions related to the main word.
- Dictionary search for German words or any other supported language
- Groupings of related words, such as nouns, adverbs, or adjectives
- Dictionary entries show grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter)
- Word forms for plurals and each German grammatical case
Tips for using translation apps
To profit from all that German translation apps have to offer, consider the following tips.
Try before you buy
Many apps with a paid version include a free trial. To decide on the best German translation app for you, take advantage of the trial period before investing in a subscription.
Make the most of offline mode
Download all reference materials, such as dictionaries and phrasebooks, before you go on your trip. If you’re hiking in the Nordkette (North Chain) of mountains above Innsbruck with only a German-speaking guide, you don’t want to be without your translator app.
Play favorites
Save or bookmark often-used translations – sometimes called “favorites” – to keep them handy for future use.
Up your German game
The more German you know, the more accurately you can use translation apps. Use the learning tools found in some translation apps to teach yourself new words and phrases. Try taking German lessons online or practice speaking German with a conversation partner.
To take your German to the next level and get closer to native-level speaking, enjoy convenient 1-on-1 tutoring sessions with a native speaker. Use Preply’s dynamic search engine to find the tutor who can best meet your learning needs.
