If you’re thinking of bringing localisation in-house, choosing the right Translation Management System (TMS) is one of your business’s most crucial localisation decisions.
The right platform can save you time, money, and a lot of headaches. The wrong one will slow you down, frustrate your team, and quickly drain your localisation budget.
But with so many tools on the market, each with a long list of features and “must-have” integrations, how do you make the right call?
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essentials: what to look for, what to avoid, and how to make a confident, informed decision based on your actual needs (not just the sales pitch!).
First, what is a TMS—and why does it matter?
A TMS is software that helps manage translation and localisation projects. It streamlines the process of sending content to translators, tracking progress, maintaining consistency through translation memory and glossaries, and delivering final content to the right platforms.
A good TMS can help you:
- Reduce manual effort through automation.
- Improve quality with built-in QA tools and terminology management.
- Accelerate delivery with streamlined workflows and seamless integrations.
- Cut costs by reusing content and optimising vendor management.
- Gain visibility through reporting and analytics.
How to choose the right TMS: 7 key tips
1. Start with your content, not the tech
What types of content do you localise? How frequently? In how many languages? Marketing content, product UI, legal docs, and help centre articles have different needs. Your TMS should support your actual content workflows, not the other way around.
💡 Pro tip: Audit your current content and workflows before making changes. Tools like the Comtec Impact Matrix can help you understand what needs localising and how best to do it.
2. Know who’s using it, and how
A TMS isn’t just for translators. It affects product managers, marketers, engineers, reviewers, and vendors. Choose a platform that suits all your users, not just one group.
Questions to ask:
- Is the UI intuitive?
- How is the vendor support team staffed?
- Can users give feedback easily?
- Will your devs hate integrating it?
- How many integrations does it support?
3. Look under the hood (don’t just trust the demo!)
Sales demos show you the polished highlights, and of course, they’re designed to make you want to buy the tool, like, yesterday.
But what about:
- Custom workflows?
- Support for complex file types?
- CMS or other version management integrations?
- How does automation really work?
- Is there any proprietary tech?
- What are the truly unique features?
- After-sales support?
- Could you speak with current users, ideally from the same industry as you?
Make sure you ask the hard questions or work with someone who knows what to look for.
4. Prioritise flexibility and scalability
You might be starting small, but what about next year?
As your business grows, so will the complexity of your localisation needs. That’s why choosing a TMS that can scale with you is important. Look for a platform that supports expansion into new markets and languages without requiring a complete rebuild of your workflows.
Customisable workflows are key; they allow you to adapt the system to match how your team works, not the other way around.
Role-based permissions will help you manage access as your team grows, ensuring the right people see the right content at the right time.
Finally, robust vendor management features facilitate the coordination of multiple translation partners, streamline communication, and ensure quality across all regions.
💡 Pro tip: Avoid platforms that lock you into one way of working or don’t play well with other tools in your stack; you could end up paying for something you don’t use.
5. Check integration options
Your TMS should slot into your existing ecosystem, not create more silos.
As a starter for ten, make sure it can integrate with:
- Your CMS or product platforms (e.g. WordPress, Contentful, GitHub)
- Design tools (e.g. Figma)
- Chat tools (e.g. Slack)
- Support platforms (e.g. Zendesk)
- MT engines or AI solutions (if used separately)
If it doesn’t integrate, it will add manual work, defeating the purpose of the investment.
💡 Pro tip: It’s best to think long-term in this case. Are there plans to upgrade any of your tech in the next few years? If so, ensure that the TMS you choose is compatible with the new software on your roadmap.
6. Understand the pricing model
Some TMS platforms charge by seat, others charge by word, and some offer flat-rate plans.
The most expensive option isn’t always the best; likewise, the cheapest can cost you more in workarounds and overhead.
These are some good questions to ask:
- How are we billed?
- Are we charged for inactive users or vendors?
- What happens if we scale?
- What are the chargeable extras?
- Is there room for negotiation?
7. Don’t do it alone
This is where many teams get stuck. A lot is riding on this decision, and it’s hard to see through the marketing noise. If you’re unsure what to prioritise, consider seeking expert support.
Choosing the wrong TMS isn’t just inconvenient; it can be expensive.
- Many platforms lock you into long-term contracts, making it difficult to switch if things don’t work out. If the system doesn’t support your workflows or integrate appropriately with your other tools, you could be stuck paying for a solution that actively slows you down.
- There’s also the opportunity cost. If your TMS can’t support the volume or types of content you need to localise, you’re effectively leaving markets—and revenue—on the table. When localisation becomes a bottleneck, it holds back global growth.
- And then there’s the hidden cost of underutilised tech. It’s common for businesses to invest in a TMS, expecting it to reduce their reliance on external vendors, only to find themselves bringing in contractors to plug gaps that the tool cannot cover. Suddenly, you’re paying for a platform and freelance help, duplicating costs instead of streamlining them.
That’s why making the right choice up front is so important, and why an expert, unbiased perspective can make all the difference.
An independent TMS consultant (like Comtec Advisory) can help you:
- Define your technical and business requirements
- Shortlist and assess platforms
- Run real-world testing using your own content
- Support implementation and training
- Get staffed up with in-the-building localisation experts to oversee a smooth setup
And finally: Top 3 TMS mistakes to avoid
- Buying based on brand alone
Big names don’t always mean the best fit for your needs. Sometimes, these companies spend a fortune on growth (read advertising and marketing) and not necessarily on customer satisfaction, meaning after-sales support can be lacklustre.
- Letting the tech dictate the process
Your workflows should come first; the TMS should support them, not force you to change. The real test of a successful implementation is seeing a return on investment (ROI) increase, perhaps through higher revenue from new markets or a reduced time-to-market. Ultimately, these are business goals, so your commercial and marketing teams need to be heavily involved as stakeholders. - Underestimating implementation
Choosing the tool is just the beginning. Setup, integrations, training, and change management are critical to success. Don’t underestimate how much hand-holding is needed, and how significant the risk of underutilising all the bells and whistles you’re paying for can be. There’s no point in bringing in the snazziest tech if you only use 10% of the features; chances are that in that scenario, you could have spent much less and achieved the same result.
Popular TMS platforms (to explore, not endorse)
Here are a few widely used platforms to start your research:
- Phrase (formerly memsource): UX-friendly and developer-focused
- memoQ: Feature-rich and popular in regulated industries
- Bureau Works: Easy to install with user-friendly AI implementation
- Crowdin: Collaborative and flexible, great for agile teams and continuous localisation
- Lokalise: Favoured by tech companies and product teams
- XTM: Good for large-scale enterprise localisation with complex workflows
Need help choosing the right TMS? That’s where we come in.
At Comtec Advisory, we don’t sell or resell TMS platforms. That means we’re 100% independent and focused solely on helping you make the right choice for your business.
We’ll work with you to:
- Evaluate your content workflows, resourcing model, and growth plans
- Define precise, practical requirements
- Compare and benchmark leading platforms
- Support implementation and training if needed
We’ve done this for global brands across retail, tech, and beyond, and we’d love to help you too.
Get in touch below, we’re here to help!