Comparison
App Store localization services compared: agency, platform, freelancer or DIY
We sell one of the options on this page, so discount our entry accordingly — and read the rest, because for a lot of apps another route is genuinely the better answer. This page compares the four ways an App Store listing actually gets localized, what each one leaves you to do yourself, and where each stops.
- Apple charges nothing for extra languages. App Store Connect supports 50 languages and locales for listing metadata — the cost is producing the text and artwork, never the shelf space.
- For two or three locales, do it yourself. The fields are editable directly in App Store Connect and the job is an afternoon if you have a native speaker to check it.
- Localization platforms (Lokalise, Phrase, Crowdin) are built for in-app strings, not store listings. They are a subscription for managing translation — you still supply the translators. Right tool if you have continuous product copy; heavy machinery for a one-off listing.
- The keyword field is where cheap routes fail. It is a ranking input, not prose. A literal translation can be perfect German and rank for nothing.
- Screenshots are the biggest conversion lever and the usual scope gap. Most translation quotes cover text only.
- Localize the listing before the interface. The listing needs no code change and no SDK, and it decides whether anyone finds you at all.
The four routes, compared
Almost every option on the market is a variation of four approaches. The differences that matter are not price alone — they are who does the keyword research, whether screenshots are in scope, and how much project management lands back on you.
| Route | Pricing model | Keyword research per locale | Screenshots | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself in App Store Connect | Free (your time) | You | You | Two or three locales, or any app whose founder speaks the target language. Genuinely the right answer more often than the industry admits. |
| Freelance translators (Upwork, Fiverr) | Per word or fixed fee, per locale | Rarely — usually translation only | Rarely in scope | A handful of locales where you want a human native speaker and are willing to manage each one yourself. |
| Localization platform / TMS (Lokalise, Phrase, Crowdin) | Recurring subscription, plus translation cost | No — it is translation-workflow software, not ASO | Not an ASO tool — check current scope | Teams with continuous in-app string changes across many releases. Built primarily for in-app strings. |
| Translation agency (Ulatus and similar) | Per-project quote | Varies — ask explicitly | Sometimes, priced separately | Regulated or high-liability copy where certified linguists and sign-off matter more than ranking. |
| ASO agency (RadASO and similar) | Retainer or per-project | Yes — it is the core of the offer | Often | Funded apps wanting ongoing ASO across stores, not a one-off pass. |
| Done-for-you sprint (what we sell) | Fixed project price | Yes | Yes, on the higher tiers | Indie and small-team apps that want the whole listing handled once, at a known price, without a retainer. |
What actually needs localizing
"Localize my app" hides at least three separate jobs with very different costs. Splitting them is the single most useful thing you can do before asking anyone for a quote.
- Listing metadata — app name, subtitle, keyword field, promotional text and full description. No code change and no SDK — the fields go live with a version update, and promotional text is the one field Apple lets you change without submitting a new version. This is the cheap, high-leverage layer.
- Screenshots and app preview — the artwork with text burned into it. Needs design work per locale, which is why it is so often quietly dropped from a quote.
- In-app strings — the interface itself. Needs a code change, a new build and a review cycle. This is what the platform tools are actually built for.
Most apps get the best return by doing the first completely, the second for their strongest locales, and the third only once a locale is demonstrably earning users.
Why translation alone underperforms
The App Store keyword field is not a sentence. It is a comma-separated ranking input, and it rewards the terms real buyers type, not the correct rendering of your English terms.
A worked example: an English PDF app might target "edit pdf". The literal German is "PDF bearbeiten", which is right — but a large share of German search for that job runs through "PDF ändern" and compound forms a translator has no reason to prefer, because both are correct German. Choosing between them is keyword research, and it happens before any writing. A route that skips it produces a listing that reads beautifully and ranks for nothing.
This is the question to ask any vendor, in these words: who does the per-locale keyword research, and do I see it before you write? The answer separates ASO work from translation work far more reliably than price does.
How to choose
- Under four locales, or you speak the language: do it yourself. Our own step-by-step guide to localizing an App Store listing is free and assumes no prior experience.
- You have continuous in-app strings across frequent releases: a platform such as Lokalise, Phrase or Crowdin, and treat the listing as a separate job.
- You want ongoing multi-store ASO with a team: an ASO agency on retainer.
- You want the listing done once, properly, at a fixed price: a done-for-you sprint — ours or someone else's. Check screenshots are in scope.
- Unsure which locales are even worth it: start with choosing which App Store locales to localize first. Picking the wrong ten is more expensive than any vendor's markup.
How we compared these
This page compares routes by structure — pricing model, whether per-locale keyword research is included, whether screenshots are in scope — rather than by scoring vendors against each other. We have not published competitor prices, because localization is quoted per project and any number we printed would be wrong for your app within a month. Links carry no affiliate tracking. We sell the last row in the table, and we have named the cases above where the first row beats it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does App Store localization cost?
Adding localizations in App Store Connect is free — Apple charges nothing for extra languages. What you pay for is producing the text and artwork. Freelance translators typically charge per word or a fixed fee per locale, translation agencies quote per project, localization platforms charge a recurring subscription on top of whoever does the translating, and done-for-you services quote a fixed project price. Doing it yourself costs only your time.
How many languages does the App Store support?
App Store Connect supports 50 languages and locales for listing metadata, including separate entries for English (U.S.), English (U.K.), English (Australia), English (Canada), French, French (Canada), Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico). You do not have to fill all of them, and most apps should not try to.
Is machine translation good enough for an App Store listing?
For the description, modern machine translation is usually serviceable. For the keyword field it is not, because that field is not prose — it is a ranking input. The words a German buyer actually types are rarely the literal translation of the words an English buyer types, so a translated keyword field can be grammatically perfect and still rank for nothing. Any route you choose should include per-locale keyword research, not just translation.
Should I localize my app's interface or just the store listing?
Start with the listing. It is far cheaper, needs no code change and no SDK, and it is what decides whether anyone finds and downloads the app in the first place. Localizing in-app strings matters for retention and reviews once a locale is actually bringing in users — so it is usually the second step, not the first.
Do localized screenshots matter, or is text enough?
Screenshots are typically the largest single lift in conversion, and they are also where cheap routes stop — most translation quotes cover text only. If a buyer lands on a page whose words are in their language but whose screenshots are still in English, the listing reads as a machine job. If budget is limited, localize screenshots for your strongest few locales rather than thin text across many.
Can I do App Store localization myself?
Yes, and for two or three locales it is often the right call. The fields are editable directly in App Store Connect, adding a language takes a few minutes, and the work is genuinely doable if you have a trustworthy native speaker to check the result. The point where doing it yourself stops making sense is roughly a dozen locales, where the per-locale keyword research and screenshot re-composition become a production job rather than an afternoon.
If you want the one we make
The Localization Sprint is a fixed-price, fixed-scope pass over one app's listing: per-locale keyword research, all metadata fields written and QA'd in context, screenshots re-composed on the higher tiers, and everything uploaded through the official App Store Connect API. Seven days from access to live, no retainer. If it is not delivered as described, you get your money back.