libretranslate

Self-hosted machine translation API built on Argos Translate

Live demo ↗ Documentation ↗ Website ↗ Repository on GitHub ↗

Stars: 17k
License: AGPL-3.0
Last commit: Sep 2026
Last release: May 2026
Language: Python

Missed the latest GitHub check; these facts may be older.

Overview

LibreTranslate is a self-hosted machine translation API with a web interface for translating text. Translation runs locally on the open-source Argos Translate engine, so it does not call Google, Azure or other proprietary services. The README is short and defers setup and API usage to the external docs site.

Who it is for: Self-hosters needing a private translation API instead of Google or Azure

Strengths

Translates locally through Argos Translate, with no proprietary translation API calls
Public hosted instance at libretranslate.com to try before installing
Separate API usage guide and community forum
Written in Python and published on PyPI

Weaknesses

README gives no hardware requirements, ports or language list
Setup and API details live only on the external docs site
AGPL-3.0 license imposes obligations on networked modifications
Translation quality depends on Argos models, which the README does not benchmark

What it needs

Compose
Needs Argos Translate
Models: Argos Translate

Also in Model serving

See all 33

Also in Model serving
Rank	Project	Score
1	LocalAISelf-hosted inference server with OpenAI-compatible API and pluggable backends49.5k starsMIT	83 out of 100
2	llama.cppC/C++ inference engine serving GGUF models over an OpenAI-compatible API131.2k starsMIT	81 out of 100
3	OllamaLocal model runner with CLI and REST API for open-weight LLMs183.2k starsMIT	80 out of 100
#4	vLLMInference engine for Hugging Face LLMs with PagedAttention and continuous batching93.8k starsApache-2.0	76 out of 100
#5	colibriC inference engine that runs huge MoE models by streaming experts from disk41.9k starsApache-2.0	73 out of 100

How to choose

Pick by hardware first (CPU, NVIDIA, AMD, Apple Silicon) and by model format (GGUF, safetensors).
Throughput engines (continuous batching, paged attention) need GPUs; single-user servers do not.
An OpenAI-compatible API keeps the rest of your stack portable.

Health

Releases: Not checked
Top contributor: Not checked
Security advisories: Not checked
Package advisories: Not checked
OpenSSF Scorecard: Not checked

Not read for this project yet: each refresh reads the facts of a few projects. Bots and coding-agent accounts are left out of the commit counts. Not part of the score: how we check.

License in plain words

AGPL-3.0 Copyleft

Use it at work: Yes
Change it and rebrand it: Yes
Sell it or host it for others: Yes, with source

Your part: Like GPL-3.0, and if users reach a changed version over a network, offer them its source under AGPL-3.0.

A plain summary, not legal advice. Read the license on GitHub ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where to run it

RepoCloud ↗ (opens in a new tab)One-click hosting for about 890 open-source apps, each on its own VPS.

Referral links: if you sign up through one, we get a commission. They never change a rank.

#16 of 33 in Model serving on Archestack, as of 15 Oct 2026.

In your README

The badge updates twice a day.

[![Archestack](https://archestack.com/badge/libretranslate/libretranslate.svg)](https://archestack.com/best-of-ai/projects/libretranslate/)

How badges work

On your site or blog

A card with the rank, score and signals, in light or dark to match the reader.

<iframe src="https://archestack.com/embed/best-of-ai/libretranslate/" title="libretranslate on Archestack" width="400" height="270" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe>

Preview the card

Best of Open-Source AI on GitHub

Each review comes from the project's README and facts we check on GitHub. The fix form opens with libretranslate filled in.