Best WordPress Multilingual and hreflang Plugins: Ten Options Compared
A multilingual plugin should give each language its own indexable URL and handle hreflang correctly. I compared ten options from vendor pages read in Nov 2026 and checked Google’s hreflang rules. Where a page did not mention hreflang I say so.
- Vendor pages read, Nov 2026
- Only listed prices quoted
- Hreflang claims only where the page makes them
// disclosure I do not sell any of these plugins and no provider can pay for a place or a score. Read the full disclosure.
| plugin | entry price |
|---|---|
| Polylang | Free; Pro from €99/yr |
| WPML | €39/yr |
| TranslatePress | €99/yr |
| Weglot | Free; $17/mo |
| GTranslate | Free; $12/mo |
// quick answer For a budget, Polylang’s free version is the cheapest start. WPML and TranslatePress charge per year; Weglot and GTranslate are subscription services. Free GTranslate gives no SEO benefit per its own page. Read my hreflang tags guide for the rules any plugin must follow.
How I chose
I read vendor pages and scored price clarity, limits, SEO features stated and fit. Scores are editorial out of 10. I tested no plugin on a live site or inspected its hreflang output. Unread vendors score about 6.0.
What Google says about hreflang
Per Google’s documentation, there are three equivalent methods: HTML link tags, HTTP headers or an XML sitemap, so pick one. Return links are required, and each version must list itself plus all variants. Use x-default for fallback, fully qualified URLs, and an ISO 639-1 language code with an optional ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 region code.
Comparison table
| Plugin | Entry price | Limits | Hreflang on page | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polylang | Free; Pro €99/yr | Per-site licence | Not stated | 7.8 |
| WPML | €39/yr | 1 production site on entry plan | Not stated | 7.6 |
| TranslatePress | €99/yr | 1 site, 50K AI words | Not stated | 7.4 |
| Weglot | Free; $17/mo | Words and languages per plan | Not verified | 7.2 |
| GTranslate | Free; $12/mo | Indexing on paid plans | Not stated | 6.8 |
| MultilingualPress | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | 6.0 |
| Linguise | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | 6.0 |
| qTranslate-XT | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | 6.0 |
| WordPress Multisite | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | 6.0 |
| Manual implementation | Free | Your time | You control it | 6.6 |
The ten reviews
Polylangfree version
Translation plugin
- FREE
- On wordpress.org
- PRO
- From €99/yr: DeepL, Site Editor, ACF Pro
- BUSINESS PACK
- €139/yr (struck from €198)
- LICENCE
- One public site; staging and localhost do not count
I did not see hreflang mentioned on the page I read, so test the output.
- Free version
- Clear licence terms
- Hreflang not confirmed on page
WPML
Translation plugin
- BLOG
- €39/yr: 1 production site, 3 dev sites, no AI words
- CMS
- €99/yr: 3 sites, 9 dev, 22,500 AI words
- AGENCY
- €199/yr: unlimited sites, 45,000 AI words
- TERMS
- One year support and updates; 30-day money-back
I did not see hreflang discussed on the pricing page.
- Clear tiers
- Refund window
- Annual renewal
TranslatePress
Visual translation plugin
- PERSONAL
- €99/yr: 1 site, 50K AI words
- BUSINESS
- €199/yr: 3 sites, 200K
- DEVELOPER
- €349/yr: unlimited sites, 500K
The page does not mention hreflang or what the free version includes.
- Clear tiers
- Free version unclear
Weglotfree plan
Translation service
- FREE
- $0: 2,000 words, 1 language
- STARTER
- $17/mo or $170/yr: 10,000 words, 1 language
- BUSINESS
- $32 or $320/yr: 50,000 words, 3 languages
- PRO
- $87 or $870/yr: 200,000 words, 5 languages
- ADVANCED
- $329 or $3,290/yr: 1,000,000 words, 10 languages
- EXTENDED
- $769 or $7,690/yr: 5,000,000 words, 20 languages
Enterprise is on request and there is a 14-day trial. Costs rise with words and languages.
- Free plan
- Trial
- Word limits drive cost
GTranslatefree plan
Translation service
- FREE
- $0: no SEO benefit, no indexing
- CUSTOM
- $12/mo or $120/yr
- STARTUP
- $25 or $250/yr
- BUSINESS
- $35 or $350/yr
- ENTERPRISE
- $50 or $500/yr
Indexing is on paid plans, URL translation on Business and Enterprise, and language hosting on Enterprise only. The page does not mention hreflang.
- Cheap paid tiers
- Free tier has no SEO value
MultilingualPressNot verified
Multisite-based plugin
Not read; no price or features given.
- Multisite approach reported
- Unverified
LinguiseNot verified
Translation service
Not read; no price or features given.
- Auto-translation reported
- Unverified
qTranslate-XTNot verified
Community plugin
Not read; no price, maintenance status or features given.
- Free reported
- Unverified
WordPress MultisiteNot verified
One site per language
Not read. A separate site per language needs hreflang added by a plugin or by hand.
- Separation per language
- Unverified
Manual hreflang implementationfree
DIY method
Create each language version yourself and add hreflang via link tags, headers or the sitemap, following Google’s rules above. Full control but error-prone at scale.
- Free
- Full control
- Easy to get wrong
Checklist before you launch
- Give each language its own indexable URL.
- Check that hreflang lists the page itself and all variants.
- Confirm return links exist.
- Add x-default for fallback.
- Use valid language and region codes.
Six mistakes to avoid
Missing return links
Google requires them.
Relative URLs
Google asks for fully qualified URLs.
Wrong language codes
Invalid codes are ignored.
Relying on the free GTranslate plan
Its page says no SEO benefit.
Ignoring word limits
Costs jump as content grows.
Mixing hreflang methods
Conflicts cause confusion.
What this guide does not tell you
I did not install any plugin or inspect its hreflang output, and no pricing page I read made hreflang claims. MultilingualPress, Linguise, qTranslate-XT and Multisite were not read. Prices may change.
FAQ
What is hreflang?
A signal telling Google which language or region each page version targets.
Which hreflang method should I use?
Google lists three equivalent methods; pick one.
Is there a free option?
Polylang is free on wordpress.org; Weglot and GTranslate have free plans with limits.
Does free GTranslate help SEO?
Its own page says it has no SEO benefit.
Do I need x-default?
Google describes it as a fallback; it is recommended.
Are prices current?
They were read in Nov 2026 and may change.
How this guide is funded
No provider can pay for a place or a score. Scores are editorial opinions from public vendor pages. The site sells SEO services and uses Yoast SEO, so I have a commercial interest in SEO topics. I link only to authority sources such as Google documentation. Vendors are named, not linked.
