Which one is better for Multi-Language site?
I may advice you, to spend about 10-15 minutes and read this, so, you will know what is better for your site – you have to use your decision for next years. So, decide carefully, which one is better for you… At first, you can look through official WP documentation about this subject here. After reading that, you will find out, that to build Multi-Language website, you have two options:
Method 1: WordPress MULTI-SITE Feature (Excellent!)
Using Multi-Site feature you can build separate sub-sites (i.e.
- yoursite.com/eng/
- yoursite.com/spa/
- and so on, for each language.
THERE is no need to install separate wordpress installations! All these happens only from 1 wp installation on yoursite.com, you only need to ENABLE that setting in WP.
At first, you should read though this article to setup M-S wordpress. (If you’ve already been using WP single-installation and already have some content there, then you can read – how to migrate Wordpress Into MultiSite). After creating, you will definitely need some helper plugins to facilitate setting up the languaged sub-sites.. Here I will list some plugins, that are INSTALLABLE ONLY FOR MULTI-SITES:
* MultiLanguage Site basis (MLSS)- An useful plugin to turn Multi-Site installation into a language network with own flags, IP based redirections and etc..
* Multisite Clone/Duplicator – It creates a clone of already existing sub-site, and then you will change the new(cloned) sub-site easily.
* Multilingual Press [Free and Pro] – Connect multiple sites as language alternatives in a multisite. Use a customizable widget to link to all sites.
* Zanto WordPress Translation – Zanto WP Translation helps you run a multilingual site by providing linkage between content in blogs of different languages in a WordPress multisite (MLSS plugin already does this, just a bit manually).
* DeMomentSomTres Language – have different instances of a blog using different languages on a network installation…..
…etc..
p.s. See several “HELPER” plugins for multi-sites in the bottom of this article.
Advantages
The advantage is that you dont have to install plugins that customly use post_types and categories, instead you use a fully separate WP site (imagine as if you have installed a clean wp into yoursite.com/eng), where everything (dashboard/theme/plugins/settings) is set up to the specific language… So, you can setup users, plugins and etc in bulk, or individually per sub-site.
Disadvantages
I will list the only disadvantages I think they have:
- At first, you have to create a complete sub-site for i.e. English (or other) language, which then you should clone that sub-site (with Mulstisite Cloner) into i.e. SPANISH sub-site and just change(translate) phrases for that new site.
- Every change you make from Dashboard of one sub-site (i.e. adding item in navigation menu or changing item in customizer) you have to do it manually with other sub-sites too… This is the only real disadvantage I think, however, it’s not a great problem, you just have to spent 5-10 minutes, and the results are WORTH!
Method 2: Using Multi-Language Plugins. ( I DONT RECOMMEND )
Better to use above “MULTI-SITE” feature(!), instead of such plugins (that’s why I have put this paragraph in red color) .. However, if you still wish to get more info about single-site plugins, I’ve listed some plugins that I tried to use, in order to create a MultiLang site with single WP installation.
this method has many disadvantages… i cant start counting, however, some of them:
A) all users have access to your main wordpress site.
B) problems with any typical post, page, author, category…. pages.
C) problems creating the different looking HOMEPAGES…*1)WPML (COMMERCIAL) – Review it here.
*2) Ceceppa Multilingua (FREE) -Very customisable, with many many options !!___________OTHERS___________:
* Stella plugin -Adds alternative textareas in POST EDITOR menu.. easily produce and manage multilingual content, also, Localization of tags and categories,post types…Add language switcher in “MENU” bar(+Language switch widget).. and on site, you can switch to alternate post.
* WPGlobus – Adds alternative textareas in POST EDITOR menu. and on site, you can switch to alternate post.
* Multilanguage -provides additional textareas for alternate languages, and switcher menu is displayed to visitors for alternate cotnent..
* qTranslate, qTranslate X, qTranslate Plus, zTranslate -while publishing posts, the post editor provides you with different language windows for each post, and then each post will have an alternate language…
* Xili-language – you input the post IDs to alternate languages posts, and then, while visitor is one of those pages, they will see the language flags to switch to alternate post. also some other options.. however, i dont know if it supports category languages and etc..
* nLingual – add new languages, and then with a single post, you can connect other posts as language alternative posts..
* Babel – The samplest,somehow primitival plugin, which gives you option to place different language’s contents in tags inside textarea, like: [en]HEllooo[/en][it]Holaaa![/it] and visitor will see language switcher in the website header. ( https://wordpress.org/plugins/babel/installation/ )
* WPMultiLanguageChanger – (Like Babel) in post editor, insert like this (under TEXT tab): <div class=”en”>My English Phraze</div><div class=”it”>Mio Italiano punto</div>, and visitor will have flags to switch to language content.*Global Translator; Transposh; GTranslate; TransDeluxe; Bens Translator….– Automatically translates your blog in 48 different languages…(using google translator)
NOT USABLE FOR ME
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*gengo – outdated plugin..
*xLanguage – (maybe)outdated plugin..
*Multilingual Text – (maybe)outdated plugin..
*mLanguage – outdated plugin..
*Rosetta plugin – outdated plugin.. (RENAMED TO “STELLA”)
*Polylang – (I couldnt make it usable..) create multilingual WordPress site. You write posts, pages (+categories,tags..) as usual, and then define the language for each of them. The translation of a post is optional and it has to be done by the site editor.
*mealingua – (I couldnt make it usable..)
*Bogo – (I couldnt make it usable..). allows your wordpress site (admin) to be in different languages, also, publish new posts under that language, and on website, have flags menu switcher…
*multi language Framework – (I couldnt make it usable..). while published post, you can connect that post to other posts, as their translation/language alternative posts.. then, visitor sees language switcher.
OTHER TOOLS
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This tools may help you. However, note that MLSS (MultiLanguage site basis) partially includes features from these plugins:
* Multisite Language Switcher (included partially in MLSS)- A simple, powerful and easy to use plugin that will help you to manage multilingual content in a multisite WordPress installation.
* Language Bar Flags – Plugin is used to Display just a simple language switcher bar in the top of your website , with custom entered target urls and flags..
* Flags Icons Language Switcher– similarly, Plugin is used to Display just a simple language switcher bar in the top of your website , with custom entered target urls and flags..
* Geo Redirect – redirect your visitors or switch language according to their country.
TRANSLATE OF SYSTEM FILES
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* Loco Translate – This plugin provides in-browser editing of PO files used for localizing WordPress plugins and themes.
* easy translator lite – this just translates the core of plugin php files..