Are you looking to translate your technical documents, but you’re not sure which tech translation agency you should opt for? Well, fear not because we have got you covered in this article.

Technical translation is a crucial aspect of business development. Poorly translated technical documents can lead to substantial financial losses. 

Therefore, we have compiled a list of the top technical document translation services to help you choose the one that is right for you.

In this article, you will find all answers of below questions, and why those technical translation services can be enlisted.

• Who Needs Technical Document Translation Services?
• Types of Technical Documents that Require Translation
• Factors to Consider When Choosing a Technical Document Translation Service
• List of Best Technical Document Translation Services
• Role of AI in Technical Translation

So, let’s dive in. 

Who Needs Technical Document Translation Services?

 Translating technical documents breaks down all vital language barriers for a wide range of industries that need to operate in a globalized age. A few of such companies are given as. 

• Growing Business: Every business that is planning to expand internationally, can make use of technical document translation services to collaborate with intercontinental companies.
• Healthcare Department: Healthcare workers and medical research teams need technical translation services to help their research work, books, and other documents be translated into several languages. 
• International Organizations: Globally accepted firms like WHO need technical translation services to have their guidelines understood by people from all countries. 
• Engineering Fields: Engineers can benefit from these services for understanding complex terminology. 
• Manufacturing and Technical Companies: These companies need technical translation services to simplify instruction manuals and guides. 

Types of Technical Documents that Require Translation 

Technical translation covers the translation of many kinds of technical texts, including product manuals, specs, medical documents, and legal contacts.

 Here is a short list of some of the technical documents, such as businesses and organizations requiring tech translation:

• Descriptions and technical data sheets
• Specifications
• Quotes
• Technical instructions
• Instruction books
• Product descriptions
• Research papers
• Contracts
• Technical drawings
• Processes
• Patents
• Engineering texts
• User manuals

It’s important to note that technical translation can be a complex process for companies due to the specialized knowledge and terminologies involved. Therefore, it requires highly skilled translators who are not only proficient in the target language, but also have a deep knowledge and understanding of the technicalities and corporate jargon used. 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Technical Document Translation Service

1. Expertise in technical fields

If you are looking for a technical translation agency to provide you with specific tasks, you will likely need to look for translation companies familiar with your industry, career field, or marketing strategy. This is the most essential step in translating your technical documentation or product manuals. 

For example, if you work in a software company and need someone to translate your product manuals, you will want someone with a knowledge of software engineering background. 

The consequences of not opting for a technical translation agency with expertise in a particular area will result in errors associated with the field.

2. Quality and Accuracy 

Considering you have opted for a translation with expertise in technical fields, how do you make sure the quality they are providing is of the highest quality? You will want to ensure that the transitions are of high quality and include accurate technical jargon that conveys the meaning of the original documents. 

Furthermore, when it comes to accurate technical translations, a human touch is crucial. If the translation service relies entirely on AI tools, there may be errors and a lack of understanding of a native-speaking human. 

3. Customer Service 

Poor customer service and lack of communication can result in disastrous translated documents. Therefore, avoiding poor customer service should be prioritized when considering a technology translation provider. 

To break it down, the translation service should offer certain guarantees as part of their customer service 

• Quality policy
• Client communication
• Performance reviews
• Problem resolution
• Internal audits
• Expert record keeping

If the translation service you choose lacks professionalism and integrity and provides you with no value for your money for customer service, then you might want to reconsider your working relationship. 

4. Turnaround time

Turnaround time is another essential factor to consider before agreeing with a technical translation company. You will want to understand their standard delivery times for your requested service clearly. For example, if you need real-time translation services, you would want to hire a service with quick turnarounds. 

However, if you want your product manuals carefully translated into the target language, there will likely be an extended timeline for the service. 

5. Pricing and budget considerations

Last but not least, pricing and budget considerations can play a big part in deciding the translation agency that fits your budget. On the other hand, you also want to be mindful of the quality you receive in exchange for the amount you are paying. 

With tight budgets, inexperienced and low-rating technical translators can be tempting, but in all cases, it’s best to avoid this scenario. 

Best Technical Document Translation Services

Here’s the list of the best technical do translation services.

1. Wordspath

Wordspath stands out as the number one on our list. The top-tier technical documentation translation company, Wordspath, is your gateway to global communication excellence. The company is well established with over twenty years of experience, not to mention the company is accredited with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17100:2015 standards, establishing itself as the best translation agency.

They boost a massive network of more than 30,000 expert translators, editors, and reviewers. Not only that, it hires highly skilled and professional technical translators who are not only equipped with translation expertise but have technical expertise in every field. 

Moreover, Wordspath uses cutting-edge technology solutions and solutions to deliver remarkable level technical translations requiring no room for improvement. Their term of experts guarantees accurate, premium quality, industry-specific, and quick technical document translation services. Wordspath is featured their profile in DesignRush.

Wordspath offers a wide range of technical translation services, including but not limited to:

• Technical manual translation
• Engineering translation
• Scientific translation
• Medical translation
• Legal translation
• Financial translation
• IT translation

Pros:

• Unparalleled accuracy 
• Industry-Specific industry
• Extensive technical experience 
• Swift turnaround 
• Responsive customer service 
• Competitive Pricing 

Cons:

• Premium pricing for premium quality 

Languages: 150+ languages

Chuukese, Karen, Somali, Nepali, Polish, Maldivian, Maltese, Oriya, Punjabi, Dinka, Mien, Spanish, Chinese Simplified, Fijian, Nuer, Chinese Traditional, French, Malay, Mongolian, Persian(Farsi), NorwegianPashto, Japanese, German, Arabic, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Chin, Maori, Swahili, Korean, Hmong, Punjabi and more.

2. Stepes

Stepes ranks on top when it comes to highly accurate English-Chinese translation services. The technical translation company is ISO 9001:2015 certified, and with more than 1,000 freelance translators, it’s one of the most reputable agencies to translate your work into Chinese. Moreover, Stepes has reached internationally and adopted a cloud-based model that enables you to track the document translation process and complete it. 

Stepes specializes in technical document translation services alongside software translation, gaming translation, and website translation. 

Languages: 150+ languages

Bosnian, Malayalam, Scots Gaelic, Serbian, Sesotho, Marathi, Moldavian, Malagasy, Portuguese, Punjabi, Swedish, Shona, Montenegrin, Nepali, Pashto, Breton, Amharic, Australian English, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Catalan

Pros:

• Intuitive and scalable translation review platform
• Faster MT post-editing service
• Simplifies LQA for reviewers

Cons:

• Overpriced services 
• Poor support team

3. Tomedes

If you are looking for an industry-specific translation company, Tomedes is what you should look for. Whether you want financial translation services, legal translation, technical or medical translation services, Tomedes covers it all. 

The translation company boasts over 20,000 professional translators worldwide, so there’s no need to worry about turnaround times. Moreover, With Tomedes, you can always expect high-quality technical translation services; the company possesses a 97% client satisfaction record. 

Languages: 120+ languages

Croatian, Chinese, Afrikaans, Catalan, Dutch, Esperant, Fiji, Cambodia, Chuukese, Estonia, Filipino, Burbese, Cherokee, Sanskrit, Oromo, Nepali, Polish, Sami, Swedish

Pros 

• ISO certified in three relevant categories
• Ranked as one of the top 100 companies in Israel by Globes/Statista
• Offers online translation services for websites, software, and apps

Cons 

• Expensive translations 

4. Mars translation

Mars Translation is one of the experienced translation companies with over 17 years of experience in the field. Their expert linguistics keeps accuracy and accuracy in mind when delivering translations for the technical industry. They are an ISO 9001:2008 certified company, ensuring great quality assurance in their technical documents. 

The technical translation agency, Mars Transitions, is capable of translating every type of content for you, from technical reviews to product manuals. To add on, with as low as $0.04 per word, you can get your work translated. 

Languages: 230+ languages

Sundanese, Chinese Simplified (Mandarin), Chinese Simplified (Singapore), Kirundi, Macedonian, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamashek, Maguindanao, Kiswahili, Konkani, Chinese Traditional (Hong Kong), Chinese Traditional (Tai Wan), Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Swedish

Pros 

• Provides translation, localization, transcription, and subtitling services
• Supports over 120 languages and 2,000 language pairs
• Offers instant quotes and online payment

Cons 

• No mention of customer support or guarantees

5. Translate.com

Translate.com is a top translation company based in the United States, it’s known for its professionalism in human translations, software localization, and technical translation services since 2011.

Their Zendesk integration is all you need for your e-commerce, it gets your product description translated to the language of your customers. Translate.com offers high-quality translation services in over 90 languages and is trusted by leading enterprises and software companies worldwide. 

Languages: 90+ language pairs

German, English, Chinese, Turkish, Portuguese, French, Ukrainian, Finnish, Filipino, Dutch, Indonesian, Slovak, Italian, Arabic, Malay, Korean, Thai, Japanese

Pros 

• Offers fast and free machine translation
• Provides professional human translation, proofreading, and editing services
• Great value for money 

Cons

• Poor support team

6.  TransPerfect

Among all the technical translation services we have listed, TransPerfect is the oldest of all; having started with translating just one piece of document, the company has grown into a translation documentation pioneer with a global presence spanning over 100 nations. 

They cover every industry from retail and commerce, to medical and software manuals. Plus, the company offers both higher-priced and cost-friendly services, making it an excellent choice for everyone. 

Languages:

Uzbek, Croatian, Cherokee, Sanskrit, Chinese, Urdu, Sami, Vietnamese, Welsh, Afrikaans, Catalan, Dutch, Ukrainian, Wolof, Esperant, Fiji, Cambodia, Nauru, Twi, Yiddish, Chuukese, Estonia, Filipino, Spanish, Burbese, Oromo, Nepali, Polish, Swedish

Pros

• One of the largest language service providers in the world
• Has ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17100:2015 certifications
• Flexible pricing plans 

Cons

• No mention of customer support or online payment

7. GTS Translation Services

If you need quick turnarounds from a translation company, GTS translation services are what you need. With a strict GTS quality management system and computer-aided translation system, the translation company has professional linguists to deliver high-quality translation services. 

GTS covers a wide range of industries, such as medical, technical, legal, financial,  and educational. The company has language experts sourced from over 100 countries and is open to taking orders anytime. 

Languages: 100+ languages

Chinese Traditional (Hong Kong), Afrikaans, Canadian French, Sundanese, Chinese Simplified (Mandarin), American English, Chinese Simplified (Singapore), Kirundi, Maguindanao, Kiswahili, Mandarin, Iceland, Japanese, Amharic, Arabic, Swedish

Pros 

• Fast and reliable translation services 
• Supports over 80 languages and domains
• Has in-house language managers to ensure quality assurance

Cons 

• No certificates on the website 

8. ORBIT Translation 

Whether you are looking to translate your product manuals, marketing brochures, legal documents, or financial statements, Orbit Translations will deliver exceptional quality translations within 24 hours and at an affordable rate.

In addition, Orbit has a plethora of highly skilled translators who are experts in different fields for excellent translation services. The medical documentation is translated by medical experts, business documents by business experts, and so on. 

Languages: 110+ languages

Finish, Hungarian, Korean, Punjabi, Telugu, Macedonian, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamashek, Maguindanao, Kiswahili, Chinese simplified, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Swedish, Nepali, Russian

Pros

• Fast and affordable translation services 
• Supports over 100 languages 
• Has a team of qualified linguists and translators 

Cons 

• No mention of proofreading, editing, or localization services

9. USA Translate

If you are looking for a translation to translate your technical documents, app, or website at high quality at affordable rates, USA Translate is a good option. 

For as low as $0.12 per word, you can get your premium quality translation services with fast turnarounds. Their low prices are thanks to their use of computer-aided translation (CAT). 

Languages: 80+ languages

Chinese, English, Albanian, Sundanese, Mandarin, Macedonian, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamashek, Maguindanao, Kiswahili, Latvian, Konkani, Albanian, Finnish, Swedish, Arabic, Bosnian, Norwegian

Pros 

• Working under strict adherence to ISO standards 
• Affordable rates 
• Prime quality translation services 

Cons

• Poor support team 

10. Espresso Translations 

Concern about the privacy of your documents? Espresso Translations adheres to strict data security policies, so you don’t have to worry about confidential data getting leaked.  The company offers many services such as proofreading, website translation, online translation, article translation, and transcript translation.

Furthermore, with over 2000 professional translators and more than 150 languages, they ensure the best quality translation services for your websites, documents, manuals, and guides. 

Languages: 150+ languages

Lithuanian, Latvia, Spanish (Latin American), Scottish, Maltese, Norwegian, Cambodian, Icelandic, Cantonese, Portuguese, Romanian, Farsi, Canadian French, Guarani, Polish, Russian, English, Luxembourgish, Macedonia, Aymara, Brazilian

Pros 

• Adheres to strict data privacy policies 
• High-quality translation services 
• Timely delivery 

Cons

• Overpriced services 

Role of AI in Technical Translation

Artificial intelligence is taking the world by storm and similarly,  its role in technical translation is controversial. Using AI translates a large number of words within a few minutes at little to no cost. 

AI-powered translation helps technical translators by providing suggestions and automating many aspects of the translation process. 

Furthermore, a single AI tool translates hundreds of languages and you can set the format and tone as well. 

However, there is a chance of error and bias as the training of AI technical translators can be lacking. Also, even AI cannot understand the tough terminologies as accurately as humans do. 

Nevertheless, AI-powered tools are not going to replace human translations. They can only help in simple translation processes that require no technical jargon. 

Therefore, AI tools can speed up the work progress but a human will be needed to check the accuracy and precision of this work. 

Conclusion

Technical translation is an essential process to globalize your products. Choosing the right technical translation agency will help you translate complex technical content to your target languages. 

In this article, we have listed the best technical translation companies, and with all analysis of documenting translations undoubtedly, Wordspath stands out as the best technical translation agency.