Your checkout is the last thing a customer sees before buying — and the first thing that sends them away if it asks for too much. Whether you want to add or remove fields, build a multi-step flow, or charge extra fees, the right WooCommerce checkout plugin depends on your store’s setup. Not every plugin works the same way, so we put six of them to the test to give you a clear answer.

Overview Summary

What to Look For

Every plugin in this roundup lets you customize your WooCommerce checkout. But they don’t all do it the same way — and the differences matter. Here’s what we looked at, and what’s worth asking yourself before you choose a plugin.

Checkout Fields

The number and variety of field types available, split by free and paid tier.

Field Controls

Whether you can add, hide, or reorder fields in the checkout form.

Ease of Use

The number and variety of field types available, split by free and paid tier.

Multi-step Checkout

The option to split the checkout into multiple steps to reduce friction.

Classic & Block Checkout

Compatibility with the WooCommerce Classic and Blocks Checkout.

WPML Compatibility

Whether you can translate your store with WPML, using the plugin’s free or paid tier.

The Most Free Fields

Checkout Field Editor for WooCommerce

View plugin

by themehigh.com

Free

---

Best for: Stores that need checkouts with extensive fields.

Overview

ThemeHigh’s Checkout Field Editor earns its spot through sheer field coverage and checkout compatibility. Where most plugins offer 9–12 field types, ThemeHigh gives you 20 in the free version alone. This includes everything from basic text inputs to date/time pickers, phone fields, and URL inputs. It works with both Classic Checkout and WooCommerce Blocks, follows WordPress styling closely, and has almost no learning curve. WPML compatibility is also included in the free version — something most competitors lock behind a paywall.

Checkout Customization

Free Fields

Text

Number

Hidden

Password

Email

Phone

Textarea

Radio

Select

Multiselect

Checkbox

Checkbox Group

Heading

Datetime Local

Date

Time

Month

Week

URL

Paragraph

Paid Fields

Date Picker

Time Picker

File Upload

Label

Field Controls

Add

Yes

Hide

Yes

Reorder

Yes

Stretch / Split

Yes

Checkout Control

Multi-step checkout

Available as a free add-on (MultiStep Checkout for WooCommerce). Only works with Classic Checkout.

Screenshots

Compatibility

Classic Checkout

● Compatible

---

Checkout Block

● Compatible

---

WPML

● Compatible

Pricing

FREE

$0

20 free fields

Add, remove & reorder fields

WPML compatible

Multi-step checkout (add-on)

PRO

$49/y

4 pro fields

Conditional logic (cart, role, fields)

Extra fees (fixed & dynamic)

What WPML Clients Say

“Easy to use, flexible field customization without coding.”

Cecconi • olens.it • Using 2 years

“I can add company code and VAT number fields — exactly what I need for client sites.”

Dainius Valiukas • Web developer • Using 3+ years

Best premium version

Flexible Checkout Fields for WooCommerce

View plugin

by wpdesk.net

Free

---

Best for: Stores planning to add more eCommerce features and want a bundle of premium plugins.

Overview

WPDesk’s Flexible Checkout Fields features a drag-and-drop editor — a usability edge shared with only one other plugin in this roundup. The free tier covers 12 field types, works with both Classic Checkout and WooCommerce Blocks, and includes WPML compatibility out of the box. That being said, the main reason to consider WPDesk is its bundle deal. The standard pro plan is $59/y — but for $99/y, you get access to 20 WooCommerce addons covering refunds, promotions, and more.

Checkout Customization

Free Fields

Text

Textarea

Number

E-mail

Phone

URL

Checkbox

Headline

Paragraph

Image

HTML

Color

Paid Fields

Multi-checkbox

Select

Multi-select

Radio

Radio with images

Radio with colors

Date

Time

File Upload

Hidden

Field Controls

Add

Yes

Hide

Yes

Reorder

Yes

Stretch / Split

Yes

Checkout Control

Multi-step checkout

Not available.

Screenshots

Compatibility

Classic Checkout

● Compatible

---

Checkout Block

● Compatible

---

WPML

● Compatible

Pricing

FREE

$0

12 free fields

Add, remove & reorder fields

WPML compatible

PRO

$59/y

10 pro fields

Conditional logic (cart, role, fields)

Extra fees (fixed & dynamic)

---

Bundle deal: 25 WooCommerce plugins for $99 / year.

Best preset checkout templates

Flux Checkout for WooCommerce

View plugin

by iconicwp.com

Paid

---

Best for: Stores that want to configure their checkout by choosing from preset options rather than setting up fields manually.

Overview

Flux Checkout for WooCommerce takes a different approach to checkout customization – it doesn’t let you add, remove, or reorder individual fields at all. Instead, it offers preset checkout templates tailored to different store types: physical products, digital products, company orders, and more. Each preset shows only the fields relevant to that context, which makes for a cleaner checkout without any manual configuration. It works with both Classic Checkout and WooCommerce Blocks, and is compatible with WPML. On top of checkout configuration, the plugin also offers address autocomplete and cross-sell products during checkout.

Checkout Customization

Free Fields

N/A

Paid Fields

N/A

Field Controls

Add

No

Hide

No

Reorder

No

Stretch / Split

No

Checkout Control

Multi-step checkout

Included in the plugin.

Screenshots

Compatibility

Classic Checkout

● Compatible

---

Checkout Block

● Compatible

---

WPML

● Compatible

Pricing

FREE

No free version available.

PRO

$99/y

Multi-step checkout

Cross-sell during checkout

WPML compatible

Best checkout editor

Checkout Field Editor and Manager for WooCommerce

View plugin

by acowebs.com

Free

---

Best for: Stores that need a simple checkout and want a user-friendly, drag & drop editor.

Overview

Checkout Field Editor and Manager for WooCommerce stands out in this roundup for having the most intuitive editor interface — a drag-and-drop builder. Unlike the table-based editors most competitors use, the layout makes it immediately clear what your checkout will look like as you build it. With 10 free fields and support for both Classic Checkout and WooCommerce Blocks, it covers most stores’ needs straight out of the box. That being said, you’ll need the plugin’s paid plan to enjoy WPML compatibility.

Checkout Customization

Free Fields

Text

Number

Textarea

Checkbox

Select

Radio

Header

Paragraph

Toggle Switch

URL

Paid Fields

Password

Phone

Email

Hidden

Multi-Select

Checkbox Group

Color Picker

Date

Time

File Upload

Label

Google Place Select

Image Group

Color Group

Field Controls

Add

Yes

Hide

Yes

Reorder

Yes

Stretch / Split

Yes

Checkout Control

Multi-step checkout

Not available.

Screenshots

Compatibility

Classic Checkout

● Compatible

---

Checkout Block

● Compatible

---

WPML

● Compatible

Pricing

FREE

$0

10 free fields

Add, remove & reorder fields

Drag-and-drop editor

PRO

$49/one-time

15 pro fields

Conditional logic (cart, role, fields)

Extra fees (fixed & dynamic)

WPML compatible

What WPML Clients Say

“Flexibility without writing a line of code.”

Saimeon • simplestudio.dev • Using 3+ years

Best classic checkout customizer

YITH WooCommerce Checkout Manager

View plugin

by yithemes.com

Paid

---

Best for: Stores using the Classic Checkout and need extensive field customization.

Overview

YITH WooCommerce Checkout Manager is a solid choice for stores that use the Classic Checkout and need deep field customization. With 11 field types, a clean table-based editor, and features like field tooltips and checkout styling, the plugin goes beyond basic field management. The trade-offs are significant though: there’s no free version, WooCommerce Blocks is not supported, and WPML is not compatible at any tier.

Checkout Customization

Free Fields

N/A

Paid Fields

Text

Number

Password

Phone

Textarea

Radio button

Checkbox

Dropdown select

Multi-select

Date

Time

Field Controls

Add

Yes

Hide

Yes

Reorder

Yes

Stretch / Split

Yes

Checkout Control

Multi-step checkout

Available as a paid add-on (YITH WooCommerce Multi-step Checkout) at $69.99 / year.

Screenshots

Compatibility

Classic Checkout

● Compatible

---

Checkout Block

● Not compatible

---

WPML

● Not compatible

Pricing

FREE

No free version available.

PRO

$69/y

11 fields

Add, remove & reorder fields

Conditional logic (cart, fields)

Best for adding fields

WooCommerce Checkout Field Editor

View plugin

by woocommerce.com

Paid

---

Best for: Stores using the classic checkout and only want to add new fields.

Overview

WooCommerce’s own checkout field editor is built for stores that need to collect additional information at checkout – not reconfigure what’s already there. Unlike other plugins in this roundup, it doesn’t let you hide or remove the default WooCommerce fields, and can only add new ones. The editor itself is clean and straightforward — a single screen with drag-and-drop reordering and half/full-width field positioning. The trade-offs are significant though: there’s no free version, and it only works with Classic Checkout.

Checkout Customization

Free Fields

N/A

Paid Fields

Text

Password

Textarea

Select

Multi-Select

Radio

Checkbox

Date Picker

Heading

Field Controls

Add

Yes

Hide

No

Reorder

Yes

Stretch / Split

Yes

Checkout Control

Multi-step checkout

Not available.

Screenshots

Compatibility

Classic Checkout

● Compatible

---

Checkout Block

● Not compatible

---

WPML

● Compatible

Pricing

FREE

No free version available.

PRO

$49/y

9 fields

Add & reorder fields

WPML compatible

What WPML Clients Say

“Easy to add the extra checkout fields that WooCommerce doesn’t include by default — gives me the flexibility to adapt checkout to different client projects.”

Mario • flotarium.com • Using 3+ years

Which Plugin Is Right for You?

All six plugins let you customize your WooCommerce checkout — but which one is right for you depends on your needs.

Checkout Field Editor for WooCommerce

View plugin

You want a free plugin with many field types that works with both the Classic and Block checkout.

Flexible Checkout Fields for WooCommerce

View plugin

You need additional eCommerce features and want a bundle of premium plugins rather than paying for each one separately.

Flux Checkout for WooCommerce

View plugin

You want a polished multi-step checkout and prefer picking from preset options over configuring fields from scratch.

Checkout Field Editor and Manager for WooCommerce

View plugin

You need a simple checkout and prefer dragging fields into place over working from a table-based editor.

YITH WooCommerce Checkout Manager

View plugin

You’re using the Classic Checkout, need extensive field customization, and don’t plan to build a multilingual store.

WooCommerce Checkout Field Editor

View plugin

You’re using the Classic Checkout, only need to collect extra information at checkout, and don’t need to hide or remove any existing fields.

Customize Your Store for International Customers

Translate your store and display prices in different currencies with WPML Multilingual & Multicurrency for WooCommerce.

The post Best WooCommerce Checkout Plugins (6 Tested) appeared first on WPML.

What Changed in WPML SEO 2.2.5

In this version, we fixed issues that affected both popular SEO plugins.

Yoast SEO + WPML: Improved Sitemap Rendering and Translating Term Meta-data

• Faster Sitemap Rendering. We improved performance for rendering translations of taxonomy and product sitemaps. 

• More Reliable Translating Of Term Metadata. Yoast SEO term meta descriptions sometimes disappeared if they were translated before the term itself. Now, they display correctly no matter when they’re translated. 

RankMath and Yoast SEO: Correct Home and Blog URLs in Sitemaps

• We’ve resolved an issue where sitemaps would display incorrect homepage URLs in secondary languages.

Update To The New Version

We’re releasing WPML SEO 2.2.5 gradually — if your plugin version isn’t automatically updated, you can update manually:

1. In your site’s admin, go to Plugins → Add New Plugin and switch to the Commercial tab.
2. Click to check for updates.
3. You’ll see WPML SEO 2.2.5 — just click to update.

And you’re all set! Feel free to leave us a question or comment below.

The post WPML SEO 2.2.5 — Smoother Integration with RankMath and Yoast SEO appeared first on WPML.

A few weeks ago, we released WPML 4.9.0, which brought improvements to automatic translation workflows and performance with object cache. WPML 4.9.1 is a follow-up maintenance release focused on third-party compatibility and bug fixes.

Divi 5 is set to move from beta to production on February 26. We’ve spent the last weeks working through compatibility issues you reported.

Smooth Migrations from Divi 4 to Divi 5

When migrating from Divi 4 to Divi 5, source language pages were losing their content. The pages appeared empty in both the backend editor and on the frontend, while translated pages continued to display correctly.

This is resolved in WPML 4.9.1, but there are a few things to keep in mind before you migrate:

• Update to WPML 4.9.1 before running the Divi 5 Migrator.
• If you migrated to Divi 5 before updating WPML, roll back the migration, update WPML, and run the migration again.

Divi Canvases Are Now Translatable

Divi 5 introduced Divi Canvases — a way to create off-canvas menus, popups, and other embeddable content for your pages.

WPML 4.9.1 now recognizes Divi Canvases as a custom post type, so you can translate them like any other content. To get started, go to WPML → Translation Dashboard and find the Global Canvases section. All your canvases will be listed there, both page-specific and global.

​​One Known Issue Remains

If you use dynamic content in Divi 5, dynamic field text settings such as “Before” and “After” cannot be translated yet. We’re aware of this issue and working on a fix for an upcoming release.

This WPML release also includes the following Elementor-related fixes and improvements:

• Nav Menu, Mega Menu, and Theme Builder templates now show the correct translated content on the frontend, whether you translated them using automatic translation or the Advanced Translation Editor.
  
• When using WooCommerce products inside Elementor loop-grid queries, filters now return the correct results on translated pages.
  

Besides this, we’re continuing to expand WPML compatibility with Elementor Editor v4, which is still in beta. As of WPML 4.9.1, links in atomic buttons can now be translated automatically and in the Advanced Translation Editor. As a reminder, if you run into any issues with Editor v4, let us know in the Elementor Editor v4 erratum comments.

With WPML 4.9.1, we’ve stopped officially supporting PHP 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3. These versions are no longer maintained by the PHP project and do not receive security updates.

To keep your site secure and compatible with future WPML releases, please upgrade your server to PHP 7.4 or higher (PHP 8.3 recommended).

This release includes more than 20 additional fixes. Highlights include:

• Smoother URL migration — When WPML detects a change in your site’s URL, the migration banner now guides you through your options more clearly.
• No more false positives with Wordfence — WPML 4.9 was triggering an incorrect security warning when used alongside Wordfence. This is now resolved.

For the full list, see the changelogs for WPML 4.9.1 and String Translation 3.5.1.

We’re releasing WPML 4.9.1 gradually. When it becomes available to your site, you’ll see it on your Plugins page.

If you want to update right away:

Make sure you update both WPML and String Translation. You need both to benefit from all the fixes and improvements in this release.

The post WPML 4.9.1 – Improvements for Compatibility with Divi 5, Elementor, and More appeared first on WPML.

Translate Options Pages in Translation Dashboard

You can now translate Options Pages directly in WPML → Translation Dashboard. Just expand the ACF Options section and send your Options Page for translation.  

Improved Support for Local Fields

ACFML 2.2.0 brings a number of updates relevant for developers using “Local Fields” – fields you define using PHP or JSON instead of the WordPress admin GUI.  

Simpler Syncing Process for Local Content

After creating your custom fields and other content using PHP or JSON, you need to sync them with WPML. This makes them available for translation.

You can now easily sync the following types of local ACF content:

• Custom post types
• Custom taxonomies
• Field groups
• Options pages 

Just go to ACF → Tools after creating your local content, select Sync once now and click Apply.

This way, you sync your local fields and content only once, when you want to. Until now, this would happen on every request, which could impact performance.

Better Management for Translated Local Fields

Local fields are now recognized as ACF fields, so they can appear in templates or blocks like fields in the original language.

Performance Improvements

How to Update to ACFML 2.2.0

We’re rolling out this release in batches, so you may not see the update immediately. To update right away, follow these steps:

1. Log into your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins → Add New and click the Commercial tab.
3. Click the Check for updates button.
4. Select ACFML 2.2.0 and click the Download button.

Tell Us What You Think

Have any questions about ACFML 2.2.0? Leave a comment below and we’ll reply to you.

The post ACF Multilingual 2.2.0 – Easier Options Page Translation and Better Local Fields Support appeared first on WPML.

Upfront Translation Costs and Time Estimates

WPML now calculates the exact credits needed before you send content for automatic translation. If you don’t have enough prepaid credits or Pay-As-You-Go set up, translations won’t start. The interface will guide you through the options to continue translating.

And that’s not all—when you send content for translation in bulk, you’ll see progress and an estimated time remaining at the top of the Translation Dashboard. With WPML 4.9, you always know what’s happening, so even big jobs run smoothly without guesswork.

One-Click Fix for Stuck Translation Jobs

Large sites translating bigger volumes of content sometimes experienced stuck translation jobs. In WPML 4.9, we’ve improved how WPML communicates with the Advanced Translation Editor, so these issues should happen less often. 

If a job does get stuck, a new Resend button appears in the Translation Dashboard to restart them with one click. In case you need to contact support, error messages now include all the technical details your Supporter needs to help you right away.

Full Support for Divi 5 and Custom Elementor Widget Translation

We asked you to help us test both Divi 5 compatibility and custom Elementor widget support in WPML 4.9 beta. After your feedback and more testing from our team, both features are stable in WPML 4.9.

Translate JavaScript Strings From Third-Party Plugins or Themes

Some themes and plugins store text in JavaScript files instead of PHP. WooCommerce Cart and Checkout blocks are common examples. 

While translations are usually included for widely spoken languages like Spanish, less common languages are often left out. WPML couldn’t scan these files before, so parts of your site could remain untranslated for some visitors.

WPML 4.9 adds a Detect strings in JavaScript files option in WPML → Settings. Enable it, scan your theme or plugin, and translate all strings via the Other texts (Strings) section in the Translation Dashboard. 

This way, your visitors get a truly multilingual experience, whether they speak Spanish, Latvian, or any other language.

See the full documentation about translating strings in JavaScript files.

If you run a large site, you probably use object caching like Redis or Memcached to improve performance. Until now, using object caching with WPML could cause issues with translations not updating, post status not syncing between languages, or reviewed translations not saving properly.

WPML 4.9 fixes these issues. We’ve tested with Redis, Memcached, and other common caching solutions to ensure translations work reliably in object-cached environments. You can now use object caching on large multilingual sites without affecting translations.

We’re releasing WPML 4.9 gradually. When the update becomes available to your site, you’ll see it on your Plugins page. 

If you want to install WPML 4.9 right away:

• WPML CMS 4.9.0
• WPML String Translation 3.5.0
• WPML Media Translation 3.1.0
• WPML Multilingual & Multicurrency for WooCommerce 5.5.4

We built WPML 4.9 around your feedback. Now that you’ve seen what’s new, we’d love to hear how it’s working on your site.

What’s improved for you? What features would you like to see next? Leave a comment below.

The post WPML 4.9 – Better Automatic Translation Control and Enhanced Compatibility appeared first on WPML.

Many of you build multilingual sites with Elementor-based addons and themes like Woodmart, Wolmart, or Emphires. Often, third-party Elementor widgets don’t feature direct compatibility with WPML so the typical reported issues included: 

• Texts in custom widgets not detected and translatable
• Translations not displaying on the frontend
• You needed to write XML configurations just to translate a banner or button

Typical widget elements that weren’t translated were headings, subheadings, button texts, link texts, custom text fields, and more.

WPML 4.9 Beta solves this and allows you to:

• Translate widgets that come from Elementor themes or addons — automatically
• Keep your designs consistent across all languages
• Avoid editing XML files or manually finding missing strings
• Translate attributes like video URLs, buttons, and custom text fields

From WPML 4.9 on, custom Elementor widgets on your site will automatically be recognized by WPML. If you use automatic translation, posts and pages using widgets will simply be translated in full. And if you translate them yourself, content from all widgets will automatically appear in the Advanced Translation Editor.

List of Fixes

We believe we’ve resolved the most common issues with translating custom Elementor widgets. The only requirement is for the widgets to be developed following standard Elementor API and guidelines.

Here’s a list of top fixes related to translating custom Elementor widgets.

Custom Elementor Widgets Not Appearing in Translation Editor

WPML didn’t always detect content fields inside custom Elementor widgets. You’d open the Advanced Translation Editor and the widget simply wasn’t there. WPML 4.9 now automatically detects these widgets, so their content appears in the editor ready for translation.

Widget Translations Missing or Disappearing on the Frontend

Sometimes translations of custom Elementor widgets would vanish or fail to display, even after you translated the content. Elements like banners, buttons, or headers would show up in one language but not another. WPML 4.9 now reliably applies translations to custom widgets, keeping your content consistent across all languages.

Manual XML Configuration Required

To translate certain custom Elementor widgets, you had to write custom XML configuration files – a technical and time-consuming process that often didn’t work as expected. WPML 4.9 eliminates this requirement. Custom widgets are now detected automatically, no XML needed.

Dynamic Fields and Attributes from Widgets Not Captured

Links, button URLs, video URLs, and custom attributes inside custom Elementor widgets weren’t always available for translation. WPML 4.9 now captures these dynamic fields, so you can translate everything – not just the visible text.

Inconsistent Designs Across Languages

When custom Elementor widgets weren’t fully translated, your carefully designed layouts could break or look different in other languages. With WPML 4.9, your Elementor layouts, buttons, and banners stay exactly as designed in every language.

How to Install WPML 4.9 Beta and Test

You should install this beta only on a testing site, not on production.

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins → Add Plugin and click the Commercial tab.
3. Make sure you have WPML Multilingual CMS plugin 4.8.6 installed.
4. Click the Check for updates button.
5. Use the Updates channel dropdown and select Beta.
6. In the list of plugins, select WPML 4.9 and click the Download button.

How to Trigger the Fixes for Existing Content

New pages you design using custom Elementor widgets will work immediately.

If you’re testing with an existing page, make sure to do a small edit and update the page. This will trigger the new mechanism that catches all translatable content coming from custom Elementor widgets.

You only need to do this once per page.

Let Us Know How It Goes

If everything works as expected and your widgets are translatable, appear correctly in the Translation Editor and translations display correctly – we’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

If you encounter any issues, please open a ticket in our support forum and mention that you’re reporting an issue found while testing WPML 4.9 Beta. This helps us prioritize and respond faster.

The post Custom Elementor Widgets Now Translatable in WPML 4.9 Beta appeared first on WPML.

What We Fixed

Dynamic Content Breaking Divi Page Layouts

When translating a page created by Divi 5 that uses dynamic content, you might encounter issues that break your page layout. WPML 4.9 now correctly processes dynamic content in Divi 5 pages, preserving your layout during translation.

Divi Loop Builder Fields Not Displaying Correctly in Translation Editor

The Loop Builder feature introduced in Divi 5 uses dynamic fields to populate post content such as featured images, titles, and authors. Previously, these dynamic field structures were not processed correctly in WPML’s Advanced Translation Editor, resulting in broken layouts or missing data in translations. WPML 4.9 now properly processes Loop Builder fields, so all content displays correctly in the editor and in your translated pages.

Link Fields on Divi Sections, Rows, and Columns Not Available for Translation

When you set a link on a Divi 5 Section, Row, or Column, the link field was not available in the Advanced Translation Editor, preventing you from providing custom translations. Internal links were auto-converted, but custom links were not. WPML 4.9 now makes these link fields available in the editor, allowing you to translate all link types.

Background Images in Divi 5 Not Translated by WPML Media Translation

Background images set for Sections, Rows, or Columns in Divi 5 were not automatically translated by the WPML Media Translation plugin. WPML 4.9 now detects and translates these background images along with the rest of your media.

Global Variables Not Translatable in Divi 5

When using Divi 5 and inserting global variables, the values did not appear in WPML’s Advanced Translation Editor and could not be translated. WPML 4.9 now correctly retrieves and displays global variable values, so you can translate them.

How to Install WPML 4.9 Beta

Install the beta only on a testing site, not on production.

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins → Add Plugin and click the Commercial tab.
3. Make sure you have WPML Multilingual CMS plugin 4.8.6 installed.
4. Click the Check for updates button.
5. Use the Updates channel dropdown and select Beta.
6. In the list of plugins, select WPML 4.9 and click the Download button.

Let Us Know How It Goes

If everything works as expected, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below. If you encounter any issues, please open a ticket in our support forum and mention that you’re reporting an issue found while testing WPML 4.9 Beta. This helps us prioritize and respond faster.

The post Divi 5 Compatibility Issues Now Fixed in WPML 4.9 Beta appeared first on WPML.

Use the same translation engine for your WordPress website and your software—getting human-quality translations at machine speed and cost.

Use Your Existing Translation Credits—No New Subscription

Start with a trial of PTC and translate 2,500 words for free. Then, translate software using your existing WPML translation credits. Translate website content one day and app strings the next from a single credit balance.

Alternatively, you can set up Pay-As-You-Go. Either way, it’s the same payment system you already know.

Keep Your Website and Software Consistent

When your website and software use different translation systems, terminology conflicts appear. Product names translate differently. Your app’s tone doesn’t match your site. Users notice these inconsistencies.

PTC solves this by using the same context-aware translation engine for both platforms. Your terminology, tone, and product names stay consistent whether users are on your website or in your app.

Automate Your Translation Process

WPML makes website translation convenient. PTC does the same for your software.

Connect your Git repository or use PTC’s API to receive continuous translation as your software evolves. No file uploads, no downloads, no manual steps—translations happen automatically.

Getting Started

PTC includes a free trial with enough translation credits to translate 2,500 words. Set up takes minutes:

The post PTC for Software: Premium AI Translation, Consistent Across Your Website and Product appeared first on WPML.

Another 500 strings dropped today…
no way we’ll finish this week.

I can’t keep up with plugin updates.

The Actual State of WordPress Theme and Plugin Translation

We analyzed the most widely used WordPress plugins and themes — the ones powering millions of websites. These products should, in theory, receive the most translation attention. In reality, the numbers show a troubling gap between potential users and actual translation coverage.

Theme and Plugin Translation Gaps in European Audiences

Europe looks better than other regions, but the gaps are still clear. Polish is the biggest red flag: more than 45 million speakers, yet translation coverage is very low. That’s a lot of users dealing with half-translated products.

German, Italian, and Portuguese do a bit better, but they still leave users with a patchy experience. Only Dutch, Spanish, and French come close to “good” coverage, with Dutch standing out as a smaller community that punches above its weight. For most other languages, though, translations just don’t keep pace.

Theme and Plugin Translation Gaps in Asian Audiences

In Asia, the situation is much worse. Chinese and Hindi together account for more than 1.7 billion speakers, yet translation coverage is almost nonexistent. These aren’t small markets — they’re the biggest in the world — but WordPress products remain largely inaccessible.

It’s the same story for Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Thai: huge audiences, almost no translations. Even Japanese and Korean, which do better than most, still fall short of complete coverage.

The result is obvious: community translators simply can’t keep up with the scale of demand.

60K Themes and 10K Plugins Are Too Much for the Community

Why The Community Struggles to Translate Themes and Plugins

Your Options as a Developer

To deliver good translations, on time, every time, your options are:

• Hire professional translators – high quality, at high costs.
• Use machine translation – quick and affordable, but low quality.
• Rely on community volunteers – passionate and helpful, but inconsistent and slow.
• Turn to AI and use Private Translation Cloud (PTC), which combines quality with speed and low-cost.

The table below compares these four options across key criteria, so you can see their strengths and limitations side by side.

With PTC, you can:

• Translate all your products into all the languages you need with human-quality AI
• Ensure accuracy and tone consistency across all your products and updates
• Automate your translation workflow via Git integration or PTC API for CI/CD pipelines
• Deliver a polished experience in every language, without extra management
  

And the pricing? It’s built with developers in mind:

• Start with a free trial that includes translating 2,500 words into 2 languages – more than enough to test PTC on your actual WordPress products with no credit card required.
• Pay only for what you translate – PTC uses a Pay-As-You-Go model that lets you translate into unlimited languages and pay for only what you translate. No fixed monthly costs, no contracts, and no hidden fees. Plus, your first 500 words every month are free.
• If you’re already using WPML for your product website, you can assign prepaid credits to PTC and translate your website and software using the same system. Benefit from a shared glossary, shared translation memory, and keeping translations consistent whether users are on your site or in your product.

Final Thoughts

The WordPress community is what made WordPress so successful. But translating themes and plugins at scale can become an overwhelming challenge, even for the most dedicated translation teams.

If you’re aiming for fast, reliable, and high-quality translations across multiple languages and releases, PTC offers a practical, developer-friendly alternative. The companies behind some of your favorite and most popular themes, plugins, and page builders are already using it to deliver human-quality translations in dozens of languages. Your product deserves the same.

Try PTC free of charge, no credit card required, and see how it works for your WordPress products.

The post Why Community Translation Can’t Scale for WordPress Themes and Plugins appeared first on WPML.

What’s Happening in WordPress 6.9

WordPress is a living project. The core team regularly optimizes performance, stability, and security, which sometimes means changing how things work under the hood. 

Occasionally, like with WordPress 6.9, core updates can break backward compatibility in ways that significantly impact multilingual sites.

In this case, WordPress 6.9 changes how certain cache keys are generated. WPML relies on these cache keys to serve the correct language version of your pages. When there’s a mismatch between what WordPress generates and what WPML expects, things stop working correctly.

What Can Happen if You Don’t Update WPML

From our experience, caching issues tend to manifest in surprising ways. With this particular change, if you don’t update to WPML 4.8.6 before updating to WordPress 6.9, you can expect:

• Pages loading in the wrong language
• 404 errors on pages that should exist
• Broken absolute links
• Issues with ACF link fields
• Hierarchical custom post types not working on the frontend
• Incorrect SEO metadata
• Other unexpected behavior

The symptoms may vary depending on your setup, but the root cause is the same.

Updating to WPML 4.8.6

We have released WPML 4.8.6 to all sites, and it can take up to 24 hours for the update to reach yours. Once it does, it will appear as a regular update on the Plugins page in your WordPress admin.

All you have to do is make sure you update WPML to version 4.8.6 before updating WordPress to 6.9.

If you want to manually initiate the update right away, use the following steps:

If your site is hosted on WordPress.com, you will not see the Commercial tab in the admin but can still access it by going to the following URL:

• [your site’s URL]/wp-admin/plugin-install.php?tab=commercial

For the exact list of changes in this release, see WPML 4.8.6 changelog.

Keeping WPML Updated Matters

Changes like this are not a one-time event. WordPress will continue evolving, and some of those changes will inevitably affect multilingual functionality. Your theme and other plugins face the same reality as they all need to keep pace with WordPress core.

This is exactly what your active WPML subscription provides:

• All WordPress releases are tested well before they’re public
• Issues like the one in WordPress 6.9 are identified and resolved
• WPML updates ship before WordPress releases a new version
• You don’t need to worry about tracking WordPress development or wondering if something will break — we handle that for you

This is why you can update to WPML 4.8.6 today, and be ready for WordPress 6.9 right away.

The post WPML 4.8.6 — Ready for WordPress 6.9’s Breaking Change appeared first on WPML.