PrivacyTools.io
Reviewed by Marcus Holmberg
Replace today: Google Translate Grammarly Microsoft Translator

Private Translation, Spell & Grammar Checker Tools

Private alternatives to Google Translate, Grammarly, Microsoft Translator, vetted against our public criteria.

Grouped by threat level

Covered Easy start and good defaults for everyone
Hardened Some setup and real gains for the willing

How they compare

Tool Runs Based in Cost
TranslateLocally 		On-device EU ·
LibreTranslate 		Self-host · Free
Lingva Translate 		Hosted · Free
Linguist 		On-device · Free
SimplyTranslate Mobile 		Hosted · ·
LanguageTool 		Hosted Germany Freemium
DeepL Translate 		Hosted Germany Freemium

The text you paste into a translator is often the most sensitive thing you handle, from contracts to medical notes to private messages, and the big free services log it to train their models. These translation and grammar tools get you the meaning without keeping your words. Some even run entirely offline, so the text never leaves your machine in the first place.

Why you can’t just turn off logging in Google Translate

There is no setting in a free translator that stops it keeping what you submit, because your text is part of how the service improves and is paid for. Pasting a passage hands it to a company that may retain it to train models, tied to whatever account or IP it can see. There is no opt-out box, only the choice of where you send the text. The fix is a tool that either never logs what you submit or processes it on your own device, which is what every pick on this page is built to do.

Why translation is a privacy problem

People paste genuinely private text into translators and grammar checkers without a second thought, and the mainstream free ones retain it. That text can carry names and health details, legal language, and trade secrets that you would never post in public. Once it is submitted to a logging service, you have no say over how long it lives or who can be compelled to produce it. A privacy-respecting tool like LibreTranslate either does not log what you submit, or processes it on your device so nothing is sent at all.

What to look for in a private translator

A few traits separate a private tool from a convenient one. Look for a clear no-logging or no-retention policy you can actually read, not a vague reassurance. Look for an offline mode so sensitive text never leaves your device. Prefer open-source engines where possible, since the handling of your text can be inspected, and value the option to self-host for full control. Offline translation is the gold standard here: there is nothing to log because nothing was ever sent, which is why a fully local tool like TranslateLocally sits at the top of the list.

How we pick these tools

Every tool here is measured against our public listing criteria, and we only list one we would run sensitive text through ourselves. We weigh the logging and retention policy, whether an offline or on-device mode exists, how open the engine is, and whether you can self-host it. We are honest about the trade, including the paid services we include because they pair strong quality with a no-retention stance. We say plainly where each one compromises, so you can pick the tool that matches how private your text really is.

How to switch

Choose the tool that fits your text and how much of it you handle. For occasional phrases, a hosted privacy translator works in any browser; for a steady stream of sensitive material, an offline app or a self-hosted engine keeps everything in-house. A grammar checker like LanguageTool follows the same logic, since it sees every word of your drafts, so prefer one that runs locally or promises not to retain your text. If you are leaving a specific service, our Google Translate alternatives page walks through the move, and the wider de-Google playbook covers the rest of the ecosystem.

Frequently asked

Is the quality as good?
For most languages the gap is small, and for some pairs the alternatives are excellent. Since the text you translate is often sensitive, slightly different phrasing is a fair trade for not handing it over. For a rare hard passage you can still check a mainstream service, but the routine work stays private.
Can it work offline?
Several options run entirely on your device with downloadable language packs, which is the most private setup possible because the text never leaves your machine. It is also handy when you are travelling without a connection, where an online translator would be useless anyway.
Do they keep what I translate?
The privacy-focused tools here either do not log your text or do not retain it, and the self-hosted ones never send it anywhere at all. That is the whole reason to switch, since translated text often contains exactly what you would least want stored on someone else's server.
Can I self-host a translation engine?
Yes. Some engines here are open-source and designed to run on your own server, so your team can translate at scale without anything reaching a third party. It takes a little setup, but it gives you full control over where the text goes and how long anything is kept.
Why does a grammar checker need to see all my text?
Because checking your writing means reading it. A cloud grammar tool sends every draft to a server to analyse, which is fine for a shopping list and risky for a contract. A checker that runs locally or promises not to retain your text keeps sensitive drafts off the wire entirely.
Are these tools free?
Many are. The open-source and self-hosted options cost nothing but your own setup, and several hosted privacy tools offer a free tier. A couple of paid services are included because they pair strong translation quality with a no-logging stance, which can be worth it for frequent use.