globalize.now vs locize
locize is built by the creators of i18next and describes itself as the native translation backend for i18next. globalize.now works with the same i18next setup but keeps the catalogs in your repository instead of in a hosted backend. The choice is about where your translations live, not about which i18n library you use.
This is a genuine architectural fork and it is worth being straight about it, because locize users know their tool. locize keeps translations in a hosted backend and ships them over a CDN, which is exactly why you can fix a typo in production without a deploy. globalize.now keeps them in your repository and opens a pull request on push, which is exactly why you cannot. One buys you live updates, the other buys you files you own, reviewed like code, with no runtime dependency on a vendor. Neither is free — you are choosing which cost to carry.
Switching from locize? We'll migrate your locale files for you.
globalize.now among locize alternatives
Among locize alternatives, globalize.now is the one that inverts the storage model rather than competing on the same one. Your i18next setup stays; the catalogs move from a hosted backend into your Git repository, and a push updates them.
Choose locize if…
locize is a hosted translation backend for i18next that delivers strings to your app over a CDN or API, so translations update without a redeploy.
Prefer locize when:
- You want to change a translation and have it live without shipping a release.
- You are deep in i18next and want the backend written by the people who wrote the library.
- Your volume fits inside a published plan — locize is the cheaper product at most tiers, and honestly so.
Choose globalize.now if…
globalize.now is AI-powered localization infrastructure that commits Lingui PO catalogs into your repo, keeps translations in sync on push, and serves per-locale markup in the HTML.
Prefer globalize.now when:
- You want the catalogs in Git, reviewed in pull requests alongside the code that uses them.
- You would rather not have a CDN fetch between your users and your own copy.
- You want new strings picked up and translated on push instead of managed in a separate dashboard.
Feature comparison (high level — verify details on each vendor’s site).
| Capability | globalize.now | locize |
|---|---|---|
| Locale files committed to your repo as files you own | Yes | No |
| Ship translation updates without redeploying the app | No | Yes |
| Per-locale text present in served HTML without a client fetch | Yes | Partial |
| Translated words capped by plan | No | Yes |
| Languages capped by plan | No | Yes |
| Lowest published paid monthly price | EUR 5 | USD 7 |
| Works with an existing i18next setup | Yes | Yes |
| Installs as an agent skill your coding assistant uses | Yes | N/A |
- * Locale files committed to your repo as files you own: Note: locize stores translations in its own backend and delivers them over CDN or API. It publishes a CLI and CI/CD integration for syncing, but the catalog of record is locize's, not your repository's.
- * Ship translation updates without redeploying the app: Note: This is locize's central promise — "Ship translations without redeploying your app", delivered via CDN/API. globalize.now commits catalogs to Git, so a deploy ships them. If no-redeploy delivery is your requirement, locize is the better tool.
- * Per-locale text present in served HTML without a client fetch: Note: Depends on setup. locize's default delivery is a CDN fetch; server-side rendering with i18next is possible and documented. Verify against your own framework setup.
- * Translated words capped by plan: Note: locize publishes word quotas per plan, for example 60,000 words on Growth (USD 49/mo) and 200,000 on Enterprise (USD 199/mo), with overage at USD 5 per 10,000 words. globalize.now bills characters used rather than capping a plan allowance.
- * Languages capped by plan: Note: locize lists a language limit per plan, from 2 on Free up to 150 on Enterprise. globalize.now carries no per-language charge or cap.
- * Lowest published paid monthly price: Note: locize Starter is USD 7/month and locize also publishes a USD 0 Free plan (2,000 words, 2 languages, 1 user). At mid tiers locize is the cheaper product: Growth is USD 49/mo against globalize.now Team at EUR 249. Price is not the reason to switch — file ownership is.
- * Works with an existing i18next setup: Note: locize is built by the creators of i18next and describes itself as "the native translation backend for i18next". Neither tool asks you to leave i18next.
- * Installs as an agent skill your coding assistant uses: Note: Not listed among locize's published integrations as of 2026-08-25, which list i18next, React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, Node.js, CLI/CI-CD, API, a Figma plugin and mobile.
Competitor details checked on 25 August 2026 against locize.com/pricing and locize.com. Vendor pricing changes; verify before deciding.
Switching from locize? We'll migrate your locale files for you.
When locize is the better fit
Choose locize when no-redeploy delivery is the requirement rather than a nice-to-have. If non-developers change copy and expect it live, if you run frequent small translation edits between releases, or if you want the backend maintained by the i18next authors, locize is the better fit. It is also cheaper than globalize.now at most published tiers, and if budget is the deciding factor you should know that before you talk to us.
When globalize.now is the better fit
Choose globalize.now when you want localization to behave like source code. Catalogs sit in the repository under review, per-locale text is present in served HTML without a client fetch, and there is no plan cap on languages or words to plan around. If you have ever been unable to roll a translation back with the rest of a release, that is the problem this solves.
When each wins
For one app these are substitutes, not layers. locize wins when live updates without a deploy are worth a hosted catalog and a CDN fetch. globalize.now wins when Git-owned files and push-time sync are worth giving up live updates. Both work with i18next, so switching is a question of where the catalogs live — and moving them is the part we do for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between locize and i18next?
i18next is the open-source library that renders translations in your app. locize is a paid hosted backend for it, built by the same people, that stores the translations and delivers them over a CDN. You can use i18next with no backend at all, with locize, or with globalize.now committing the catalogs into your repository.
Is locize cheaper than globalize.now?
At most tiers, yes. On locize's published pricing as of 25 August 2026 it runs from a USD 0 Free plan through Starter at USD 7 to Enterprise at USD 199 per month, against globalize.now at EUR 5 on Indie and EUR 249 on Team. Price is not the argument for switching; where the files live is.
Do I have to leave i18next to use globalize.now?
No. globalize.now delivers Lingui PO catalogs into your repository, and i18next reads catalog files. The change is that the catalog of record becomes your repo rather than a hosted backend, not that you rewrite your app's i18n layer.
What does locize do that globalize.now does not?
Ship a translation change without a redeploy. That is locize's central promise and we do not match it: our catalogs are committed to your repository, so a deploy is what puts them in front of users. If that is a hard requirement, stay on locize.
Can you migrate my translations off locize?
Yes. Book a call and we will migrate your locale files for you. Because both sides speak i18next-compatible catalogs, this is usually a short job.
Is globalize.now a good locize alternative?
It is if you want translation files in Git, reviewed in pull requests, with no runtime dependency on a translation CDN. It is not if live updates without a deploy are why you chose locize in the first place — in that case locize is doing exactly what you hired it to do.
Connect your repo
Connect your repository in the app and globalize.now keeps your locale files current on every Git push.