Comparing Wordfast Anywhere and Across Translator Edition v7

Which software is better? Here is a rundown of features and reviews to help you make your decision.


Name	Wordfast Anywhere	Across Translator Edition v7
Review breakdown	(7 reviews)	(6 reviews)
Most helpful review	hey, not bad! By Scott Ellsworth I tried out six different CAT tools to find out which works best for me, and this one came in second after OmegaT. I might continue using Wordfast for scanned documents needing OCR, if I want to edit the source text while translating, and perhaps if I want to merge or split a translation memory. pluses: really quick and easy to start a new project automatically puts the fuzzy match (including machine translation) into the target segment; if there are several matches, you can then toggle between them makes a large public translation memory available to you — I didn’t try this but it sounds useful built-in optical character recognizer lets you upload files with a simple drag and drop lets you edit the source segment, in a quick and easy manner can import and export TMX files the “placeables” feature is useful — I used it to insert an em-dash wherever I needed one minuses: no spell-checker the glossary doesn’t automatically look up words from the segment sometimes it freezes up somehow, so that I can’t open a segment by double-clicking on it some kind of internal codes clutter the editor pane somewhat doesn’t work with files in Open Document format dialog boxes don’t close when I press the “Escape” key whenever I paste any text from the source segment or the match pane into the target segment, it displays it with funny formatting until I leave the segment and come back to it the “placeables” feature didn’t work the first time I tried the program the shortcut for going to the first segment doesn’t work sometimes it gets annoying to keep having to log in it’s hard for me to get used to not having to press CTRL-S to keep saving my project other: It looks like you have to set the language for segmentation, because it doesn’t take this information automatically from the project. So if you switch source languages, you’ll probably have to go into setup and switch this before starting the next project. 11 out of 11 found this review helpful. Read more reviews →	By far the worst translating tool on the market By johannes van de pavert This is the one translation tool that should be avoided at all cost. (Unfortunately, a major customer of mine switched to Across some time ago, and I had little choice but to go along. My previous experience with Across had already placed it on my blacklist, and I had made it a rule to refuse any offers that involve Across.) First, there's the mere size of it. On my system, the Basic Edition of V7 claims 1.17 GB (!) according to the "Programs and Features" of the Windows Control Panel. Seeing that number alone, you know that shit gonna be bad. It will also slurp up your memory (currently running at 467 MB, together with its satellites, making Chrome's memory usage a laugh). On slightly older computers, Across will cripple the whole system, especially during uploads and downloads (stop your music). Then, it co-installs a spy-ish application called CodeMeter which is unclear as far at its intentions are concerned, and without which it will not run. You will be working directly through your client's server and speed will very much depend on your connection and on how that server feels. This may compromise the whole application to a great degree; the very concept is a guarantee for super slow working pace. In order to start working, you will have to retrieve orders from the client's server. The process is slow and it is totally unclear what is being downloaded and where it is stored, or even what the use of that procedure may be. In fact, you have no local control whatsoever of the material you are working on. There is no memory on your system, there are no files for you to use on your disk, and there is no archive of any previous order. Any work you do just vanishes though your internet connection with the client's server and there is no reward in the form of any library on your local disk. Every string translated is simply donated to the client's server. There is no export function that will allow you to keep a local copy of your work (except as stated below). The interface is sloppy and counter-productive. There is an overview of the strings of the texts in which you cannot directly work; instead, for inexplicable reasons you have to edit texts in a separate pane. This may not be the worst of all disadvantages, but it sure ranks high on the ladder of stupidity. Quality assurance features (number checks, tag verification, term recognition, spelling) are many, but far too cumbersome to be happy about. Term recognition is quite useless, as it is not aware e.g of cases of nouns in languages that have declensions. Spelling correction is as slow as one can possibly imagine, positively reaching the "I wouldn't bother if I cared" level. You can either correct or add spelling mistakes; the option to ignore unknown words (names!) in the whole text is not included. In fact, the only way to use Across is to avoid using it as much as possible. There is, however, one one single ray of light in this darkness: through the "Correction Mode" pane, you can generate a side-by-side overview of all strings in HTML that can subsequently be imported into other programs (e.g., Word) and then translated using other translation tools; you will just need to take the time to copy your translation back into Across on a phrase-by-phrase base when you are finished. This way, you can speed up the translating process with Across, so that it may perhaps take less than ten times more of your precious time than any other tool, but it will also reward you with your own translation memory for future use. 30 out of 31 found this review helpful. Read more reviews →
Product description	The world's most advanced web-based TM tool featuring complete privacy and confidentiality. Wordfast Anywhere is designed to free translators from their home or office and allow them to work on projects from anywhere they have internet connection. Users can upload TM assets to a secure, password-protected workspace and access them from virtually any device that has a web browser.	Across Translator Edition v7 Deliver high-quality translations with our fast and secure CAT tool. You can integrate machine translation and other third-party systems. The Across Translator Basic Edition is free for freelancers. Full-Fledged Translation Environment Translation memory, terminology system, quality assurance, and project management. Basic or Premium Chose from the variant of the Across Translator Edition that best suits your needs based on your mode of operations and project volume. Versatile Work Environment Multiple configuration options, intuitive and easy use, quick overview of project and tasks. Systematic Translation The Across Translator Edition supports nearly all languages and more than 60 file formats. Speed up your translations by connecting machine translation and quality assurance tools. New business opportunities with crossMarket Communicate easier and faster with customers and peers with your crossMarket profile. Get Started Immediately Create a crossMarket profile, download and install the Across Translator Edition with just a few clicks. Support The support for the Across Translator Edition and crossMarket is free for freelance translators. You can find information on how to contact our customer support team on our website. Free Learning Resources How-to guides File formats tips and tricks YouTube tutorials Blog Video
Price	Starting at $3.47 per month	Basic Free / Premium from € 19.50 monthly (included in crossMarket membership)
File formats	MS Word MS Excel MS Powerpoint RTF TXT INX (InDesign) MIF (FrameMaker) TTX PDF (including scanned PDFs) Files can be compressed Wordfast Anywhere can store up to 10 files at a time	Works with 60+ file formats. View full list (page 186).
License type	Software as a service (subscription)	Software as a service (subscription)
Operating system	Mac OS X 10.6 and higher, Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and higher, Mac OS X 10.4 and higher, Windows 10 (beta), Linux, Mac OS X 10.8 and higher, Windows 7 and higher , Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 7, Mac OS 7, 8, 9, OSX 10.3.4 and higher , Windows 8.1, Windows XP, Windows 95, 98, ME, NT & 2000, Windows 10, Windows Vista	Windows
System requirements	Any platform that supports internet browsing, including desktops, laptops, PDAs, tablets, and mobile devices. Browsers: Any javascript enabled browser	Microsoft .NET 4.7.1. RAM: 2 GB of memory. 15 GB hard disk space, min. screen resolution 1280x800 px. Browser-based work: IE 11, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Safari.
Compatibility	Supports open standard file formats XLIFF, TMX, TBX & OLIF	Supports open standard file formats XLIFF, TMX, TBX.
Support and upgrades offered/included	Free upgrades for duration of license/Subscription, Free technical support via support ticket center, Free community support	Free upgrades to all future versions, Free technical support via support ticket center
Support and tutorial links	No data	Free support for freelance translators.
Free trial	No data	Download Across Translator Edition free basic package.
Languages supported	Wordfast Anywhere supports any language that is supported by your web browser.	Across is capable of supporting practically all languages.