Revayo vs DeepL
A DeepL alternative
that runs on your own AI.
DeepL runs on one engine: its own. Revayo Translate is a native Mac app that works with whichever AI you choose — OpenAI, Claude, any model on OpenRouter, or a local one that never leaves your Mac. 112 languages, no account, no subscription.
The honest version
If you translate documents all day between major European languages and want zero setup, keep DeepL; it's good at that. Revayo covers the rest: the other eighty-odd languages, switching models when a better one comes out, keys kept in your Keychain, and paying for API usage instead of a monthly plan.
Side by side.
| Revayo Translate | DeepL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 once — then only your own API usage | Free tier with limits; Pro from $8.74/mo billed annually |
| Languages | 112 | 30+ (DeepL's own count) |
| Translation engine | Your pick — OpenAI, Claude, OpenRouter, Ollama, any compatible endpoint | DeepL's own, fixed |
| Runs fully on your Mac | Yes — via a local Ollama model | No — cloud only |
| Global hotkey | Yes — ⌥⌘T translates the clipboard from anywhere | Yes — ⌘C ⌘C capture in the desktop app |
| Character limits | None of ours — only your provider's rate limits | 1,500 characters per translation on the free tier |
| Document translation (PDF, DOCX) | No — text only | Yes, with formatting preserved |
| Custom tone & instructions | Editable prompt — phrase the task however you like | Glossaries and formal/informal toggle (Pro) |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Cost visibility | Tokens and dollar cost logged per translation | — flat subscription |
| Where your text goes | Straight to the provider you chose — or nowhere, if local | DeepL's servers; free-tier texts may be used to improve the service |
DeepL details taken from deepl.com as of July 3, 2026. If something's changed since, tell us at [email protected] and we'll fix it.
Three things DeepL won't let you do
Choose the model. DeepL's engine is its own, and that's the only option. In Revayo, provider and model are two fields in Settings. When a new model comes out, you type its name and start using it — no waiting for an update, no new app.
See what it costs. A subscription costs the same whether you translate a novel or one birthday card. Revayo is $14.99 once, about two months of DeepL Pro, with no recurring bill. It logs prompt and completion tokens for every request, plus the dollar cost when the provider reports it. On the cheaper models, a dollar of credit covers a few thousand short translations.
Keep it on your Mac. DeepL is cloud-only. Point Revayo at a local Ollama model and your text stays on your Mac. Even in cloud mode there's no account and no Revayo server in between: keys live in the macOS Keychain, and requests go straight from your Mac to the provider you picked. The privacy policy is one page because there's little to disclose.
Where DeepL is genuinely better
A comparison that only lists our wins isn't useful, so here's the other side.
- Documents. Drop a 40-page PDF into DeepL and get it back translated with the layout intact. Revayo doesn't handle files.
- Team glossaries. If your company enforces terminology across a team of translators, DeepL Pro's glossaries are built for that. Revayo only has a custom prompt, which is fine for one person but not a department.
- Zero setup. DeepL works the second you open it. Revayo needs an API key first. It's a two-minute, one-time step, but DeepL skips it.
- Enterprise paperwork. SLAs, procurement, CAT-tool integrations — DeepL has a sales team for that. Revayo has an email address.
Which one is for you?
Pick Revayo if you…
- translate to or from languages outside DeepL's list — it covers 112
- want to choose (and change) the AI model doing the work
- would rather pay $14.99 once, then cents of usage, than $8.74 every month
- care where your text goes, or want it to go nowhere at all
- like apps that don't ask you to create an account
Stay with DeepL if you…
- translate whole documents and need formatting preserved
- work on a team that shares glossaries and terminology rules
- mostly move between major European languages
- don't want to touch an API key, ever
Questions people actually ask.
Is the translation quality as good as DeepL?
Depends on the model you pick, honestly. For formal European pairs — German contracts, French business email — DeepL is still excellent. Frontier LLMs tend to do better with tone, idioms, slang, and anything that needs context, and they cover far more languages. The simplest way to settle it is to run both on your own texts for a day.
Do I need to be technical to set up an API key?
No. You sign up with a provider, copy one string, and paste it into Revayo's settings. The key lands in the macOS Keychain and is remembered per provider, so you do it once per service.
How much does translating with my own key actually cost?
On the cheapest mainstream models, a dollar of credit covers a few thousand short translations. Revayo shows tokens and cost on every request, so you're never guessing. With a local Ollama model there's no cost to track.
Can Revayo work offline?
Yes — run a model locally in Ollama and translate with the Wi-Fi off. Your text never leaves the Mac. DeepL's desktop app has no offline mode.
Does Revayo translate documents like DeepL does?
No. Revayo translates text, not files. If your week revolves around translated PDFs with intact formatting, DeepL is the better tool.
Try Revayo
next to DeepL.
Native macOS app, version 14 or later. $14.99 once. Bring an API key or a local model and compare them yourself.
Download for macOS