LibreTranslate
A private translation app that can run the NLLB translator on your machine.
Installer only · Some setup · Free
Translate old letters
From older or foreign languages.
The tools below run on your computer. Most of them are free, and the local work stays on your machine.
Works offline · Free options
Your computer
Describe your computer
Pick the closest line. Office PC and Mini PC are estimates. Linux and a home server stay in the list. We guess the specs, then hide models that would not fit. The guess stays cautious.
4 results
Most tools here are free.
Writing Not on the chat board
The specialist translator. It covers a huge list of languages and sounds plainer than a big chatbot.
Runs in:Fits on:· needs ~2.5 GB · Free to download · License: CC-BY-NC 4.0
Work & Office A step behind Gemma 3 12B, and a clear step ahead of a 3B toy model.
The default small chatbot for 2026. Quick, capable, and easy to find.
Runs in:Fits on:· needs ~5.2 GB · Free to download · License: Apache 2.0
HONEST COMPARISON
Local or cloud: Translate old letters?
Reviewed Oct 2026
- Privacy: Local winsThe letter stays in the family
- Cost: Local winsBoth steps are free
- Quality: Cloud winsOld script and archaic language need specialist tools
- Ease: Cloud winsTranskribus is built for the reading
Local AI
OCR plus a local translator can move an old letter across languages without uploading it.
- Family letters stay on your computer
- You can correct the reading before you translate
- Free
Where it falls short
- Old hands are misread before the translation even starts
- Archaic language comes out flat
Cloud & apps
Transkribus plus DeepL is the stronger pair when the letter can be uploaded.
- DDeepLAppFreemium
A more natural translation once you have a clean text.
Best for: Natural prose
The text is sent to DeepL
- TTranskribusAppFreemiumPopular choice
Read the old hand first. Translation only helps after the words are right.
Best for: Old handwriting
Pages are uploaded
Our take
Keep a sensitive family letter local and expect corrections. Use Transkribus and DeepL when the goal is an accurate reading and the letter can be shared.
Choose local if…
- The letter must stay offline
- The hand is fairly clear
Choose cloud if…
- The script is hard
- You need a natural translation
How to do it in 3 steps
- Open the model page and pick any app under Runs in, for example LibreTranslate. Each app page links to that maker's own guide.
- Open the NLLB-200 1.3B page and check the traffic light for a few kinds of computer.
- Follow that official guide. This site does not add its own install steps.
Questions
- Does this upload my files?
- The local tools on this page don't upload your files. The cloud options in the comparison do.
- What does it cost?
- Most options are free. A few apps are a one-time purchase, and a few models need a computer with more memory.
- What if it will not fit?
- Use Check my computer, or turn on the lighter memory filters. A red light on the model page means the file is too big.
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