Free Slack translation apps: what you actually get
Slack's own translation needs the Business+ plan. On Slack's free plan or Pro, a translation app is the way to translate inside Slack, and a few have free plans worth knowing.
Updated October 11, 2026 · Competitor plans checked on each vendor's own site
Short answer. Slack's built-in translation is only on Business+ and Enterprise+, so it isn't free. Four Slack translation apps have a free monthly plan: Kiki (one channel, two languages, about 1,000 translations a month, translated automatically), Translate (25,000 characters a month, manual only), Lingvanex (20,000 characters) and Smart Translate (15,000 characters, six languages). Kiara, Vorbee, RikaiAI and Translate Channels offer trials or one-time credits instead.
Kiki is our product. Every competitor fact on this page comes from that vendor's own website or Slack Marketplace listing, checked on October 11, 2026 and linked so you can check it. "Not stated" means the vendor's site and listing don't say.
Does Slack translate messages for free?
No. Slack's built-in translation is a Slack AI feature, and Slack's pricing page lists it only on the Business+ and Enterprise+ plans, not on Free or Pro. Business+ costs $15 per user a month billed annually, or $18 monthly. Even there, it translates one message at a time, and only the person who asked sees the result.
The free plans compared
| App | Free offer | Translates the whole channel? | Languages | Roughly how much |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiki | Free forever: 1 channel, 2 languages | Yes | 100+ | about 1,000 messages a month |
| Translate | 25,000 characters a month | No, manual only, visible to you | 104 | about 300 messages a month |
| Lingvanex | 20,000 characters a month | Not stated for the free plan | 109 | about 250 messages a month |
| Smart Translate | 15,000 characters a month | Yes | 6 | about 190 messages a month |
| Vorbee | Trial: 30,000 characters in total | Yes | 37 | one-time trial |
| RikaiAI | One-time free points (50,000 on its pricing, 200,000 in its FAQ) | Yes | 82 | one-time; not in the EU or EEA |
| Kiara | 14-day trial | Yes | 100 | trial only |
| Translate Channels | 1-week trial | Yes | 108 | trial only |
| Straker Translate | "Start for free", details not published | Yes | 94 | not published |
Message counts assume an average of 80 characters a message. Kiki counts translations rather than characters, so in a two-language channel each message is one translation, whatever its length.
Do translation apps work on Slack's free plan?
Yes. A workspace on Slack's free plan can add up to 10 third-party or custom apps, and translation apps install like any other. Two free-plan limits are worth knowing: you can only see the last 90 days of messages, and Slack Connect channels disconnect on the free plan, so channels shared with other companies need a paid Slack plan.
Free English and Spanish translation in one channel
- Add Kiki to your workspace from the install link. It works on Slack's free plan, and no card is needed.
- Invite it to the channel with
/invite @Kiki. - Run
/translateand pick English and Spanish. Every new message is translated in the thread, in both directions.
For a one-off translation in any other channel, react to the message with a flag emoji, or use the "Translate for me" shortcut to read it privately in your own language, after setting your language once in Kiki's App Home. Both work on the free plan and count toward the monthly allowance.
When the free plan stops being enough
Free plans run out in different ways. Character-based plans run out faster with long messages, trials end on a date, and Kiki Free stops at one channel, two languages and about 1,000 translations a month. When Kiki gets close, it posts a heads-up at 80% of the allowance and again with the last translation, and translations pause until the next monthly period unless you upgrade.
The next steps up: Kiki Pro is $19 per workspace a month for unlimited channels, up to four languages and about 20,000 translations. Translate Pro is $29 for 250,000 characters, Smart Translate Pro is $28 for 250,000, and Lingvanex Pro is $49 for up to 50 users. The full comparison covers the rest.
Common questions
Is there a free Slack translation app?
Yes. Kiki, Translate, Lingvanex and Smart Translate have free monthly plans. Kiki's free plan translates a channel automatically in 100+ languages; Smart Translate's is automatic but covers six languages; Translate's is manual only; and Lingvanex doesn't say whether its free plan is automatic.
Does Slack translate messages on the free plan?
No. Slack's built-in translation is available on the Business+ and Enterprise+ plans only. On Slack's free plan or Pro, you need a translation app.
How many translations does Kiki's free plan include?
About 1,000 a month. Every translation counts once, so in a two-language channel that is about 1,000 messages.
Can I translate English and Spanish in Slack for free?
Yes. Add Kiki, invite it to a channel and set English and Spanish. Kiki Free translates that channel automatically in both directions, for about 1,000 translations a month.
Do translation apps work on Slack's free plan?
Yes. Slack's free plan lets a workspace add up to 10 apps. Slack Connect channels, though, need a paid Slack plan.
What happens when the free allowance runs out?
Kiki posts a heads-up in the channel at 80% and with the last translation of the month. After that, translations pause until the next monthly period, unless you upgrade.
Related guides: Best Slack translation apps compared · Auto translate a Slack channel · What Slack translation costs
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