The world’s top translation companies by revenue and how to choose the right partner

If you’re on the lookout for a new translation provider, you’re likely comparing different companies based on how they rank on different parameters.

Revenue-based lists can be a useful starting point. They highlight providers with the scale, infrastructure, and global reach to support multilingual communication at an enterprise level.

Yet revenue alone only tells you about just that: revenue. It doesn’t tell what you, as a customer, will get out of working with them.

When it comes to translation and localisation, the best provider for your needs isn’t always the biggest. It’s the provider that delivers the right balance of technology, expertise, flexibility, and partnership for your organisation.

In this blog, we’ll share the world’s top translation companies by revenue to give you a starting point for comparison; but, more importantly, what to look for when choosing the right localisation partner.

What the biggest translation companies optimise for and what customers may experience

The largest translation providers in the world have achieved their position for good reason. They’ve streamlined processes to operate at enormous scale, built experience supporting global delivery, and developed a strong track record of managing multilingual volume across industries.

But it’s also worth understanding what size can mean behind the scenes.

Many of the top revenue players grow through consolidation, standardised delivery models, and processes designed for large-scale output. For some organisations, that scale is exactly what is needed. For others, it can introduce challenges.

As providers grow larger, the experience can start to change for customers; and the relationship can become less personal.

Processes are often built for efficiency first; designed to serve thousands of clients through the same standardised model. Instead of a service shaped around your organisation’s unique workflows and priorities, you may find yourself fitting into a system built for scale.

With so many customers moving through one delivery framework, responsiveness and flexibility can become harder to maintain, and the partnership can begin to feel more transactional than collaborative.

And when localisation is closely tied to your brand, your teams, and your goals, that kind of “one-size-fits-all” experience doesn’t always deliver the best results.

Add to that the fact that localisation is increasingly shaped by AI, automation, and complex content systems, and it becomes clear that success depends on more than volume alone.

It depends on choosing a partner who can combine technology with expertise and scale with collaboration.

What to look for in a translation provider beyond revenue

The right localisation partner is the one that fits into the way your organisation works.

• Can they support your workflows; not just deliver files?

  Even as companies move increasingly digital, organisations still manage translation in very different ways.

  Some teams may still send individual files back and forth (Word documents, PDFs, email attachments). Others work with multiple agencies across regions, or handle localisation differently from department to department depending on language needs, deadlines, or internal processes.

  Many companies are also limited by legacy tools, established software environments, or systems and processes that weren’t built with localisation in mind.

  That’s why consolidating translation providers isn’t just about choosing the biggest name; it’s about finding a partner who can support the way you work today, while helping you build a more connected approach over time.

  The strongest providers act as an extension of your teams, integrating into the tools and workflows you already rely on; whether that includes content management systems, translation platforms, product pipelines, or collaboration across marketing, legal, and support functions.

  Localisation works best when it feels connected, not fragmented.

  Connect localisation to your tech stack

• Do they combine technology with human expertise?

  The best providers combine intelligent automation with deep linguistic expertise. Translation is supported by technology like translation memories, termbases, and centralised TMS workflows, alongside AI-driven quality scoring and automated improvements that reduce manual post-editing.

  With integrations that let teams order translation directly from the tools they already use (and access to 16,000+ language specialists) organisations can apply the right balance of automation and human review based on content type, language, and audience.

  The result is localisation that’s not just faster, but accurate, consistent, and under control.

  Find the right translation solution for your needs

• Will you get a partner or just a provider?

  Just as important as technology and expertise is the relationship behind the service.

  Some translation companies focus primarily on delivery: processing requests, returning files, and moving quickly from one job to the next.

  Others take a more collaborative approach; working alongside your teams, offering strategic guidance, and helping you navigate questions of quality, workflow design, content priorities, and long-term scalability.

  As your localisation needs evolve, the difference becomes clear. The strongest providers don’t just execute tasks; they adapt with you, support your internal goals, and help localisation become a connected part of your broader business.

  Consult a localisation expert

The world’s top translation companies by revenue (2025)

Below is a list of the top language service providers globally, ranked by estimated annual revenue.

This overview includes many of the industry’s most established players, from large multinational groups to specialised localisation leaders.

Finding the right partner goes beyond rankings

Revenue lists offer a useful snapshot of the industry’s largest providers, but the right localisation partner isn’t defined by position alone.

What matters most is finding the right balance: a provider with the scale to support global growth, and the flexibility, expertise, and collaboration to support your organisation’s unique needs.

LanguageWire is proud to be recognised among the world’s top localisation providers, combining enterprise capability with true partnership.