Free CAT Tool Online Without the Self-Hosting Overhead
Open-source translation tools offer low entry costs but require significant technical effort for self-hosting, maintenance, and security patching. KanCAT provides a permanently free CAT tool online with translation invoicing software, Kanban project management, translation memory, terminology management, and enterprise-grade security — fully managed SaaS, no server required.
What you lose with open-source cat tools
No invoicing
Open-source CAT tools have no built-in billing, vendor payment, or client invoice generation.
Self-hosting required
You manage servers, backups, SSL certificates, and security patches yourself.
No vendor management
No integrated system for managing freelance linguist rates, performance, or availability.
No audit trail
No tamper-evident activity log for compliance, project traceability, or client accountability.
Community-only support
Bug fixes and help depend on forum activity — no SLA, no dedicated support.
What KanCAT brings instead
Zero-maintenance cloud
Fully managed SaaS — no server configuration, no patching, no downtime management.
End-to-end invoicing
Generate PDF invoices directly from completed tasks. Billing is built into the workflow.
95-event audit trail
Professional activity log with 7-year retention (Team Pro+) — ready for compliance audits.
Private vendor portal
Manage linguist rates, assignments, and performance from a single dashboard.
XLIFF and TMX native support
Full compatibility with open-source-friendly formats — bring your existing TMs.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Open-Source CAT Tool | KanCAT |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud-based | NoSelf-hosted only | YesManaged SaaS |
| Transparent pricing | Free (but hidden infra cost) | Yes — $0 to $449+/mo |
| Built-in invoicing | NoNo | YesYes |
| Kanban project board | Rare | Yes — all tiers |
| Audit trail | NoNone | 95-event / 7-year (Team Pro+) |
| Vendor management | NoNo | YesYes |
| Free plan | YesYes | Yes — permanent, no credit card |
| XLIFF / TMX export | YesYes | Yes (Starter+) |
| Support SLA | Community forums | Tier-specific (email 24–48h, CSM on Enterprise) |
Pricing at a glance
Open-source is free to download, but the real cost is the infrastructure and engineering time needed to host and maintain it. For a solo translator, KanCAT's free plan costs nothing and requires no server. For small teams, the Team Starter plan at $69/month includes hosting, 4 PM seats, unlimited linguists, TM, invoicing, and support — with no maintenance overhead. That is typically less than the monthly cost of a single cloud server running a self-hosted CAT instance.
Switching to KanCAT is easy
Export your Translation Memories and glossaries as TMX or TBX files from your current tool.
Upload them to KanCAT's secure cloud TM — no data loss, no reformatting.
Set up your Kanban board and start translating immediately. No server configuration required.
Professional CAT Tool Online — Without the Infrastructure Overhead
Get a managed, enterprise-ready free CAT tool online starting at $0 — no server, no setup, no credit card.