ai-i18n

What is ai-i18n?

ai-i18n is a GitHub Action for automated app localization. Point it at your XLIFF 1.2, XLIFF 2.0 or JSON translation files, list the target languages, and it translates on every push, commit or schedule. A content hash file records each string, so only new or modified text is sent to the model, which keeps costs predictable. It keeps XLIFF inline elements and placeholders intact, handles ICU plural forms using CLDR data for more than 20 languages, and can commit the results back to your repository. You choose the provider: Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, Ollama for self-hosted models, or AWS Bedrock. A dry-run mode previews changes, and outputs report translated counts and a Markdown report. It is MIT licensed and free; the only costs are the model API usage you bring. Building the action from source requires Node.js 20 or newer.

Use cases

• Translate app strings on every push
• Keep XLIFF files up to date
• Localize a JSON-based web app
• Cut translation cost on unchanged strings
• Preview translations with a dry run
• Run translations on a local Ollama model

Who it's for

• Software developers
• Frontend teams
• Localization engineers

Why use ai-i18n

• Translations ship with the code that needs them instead of lagging by weeks.
• Hash tracking avoids paying to re-translate strings that have not changed.
• Choosing Ollama or Bedrock lets you keep text within infrastructure you control.
• Placeholders and plural forms are handled, so translated files remain valid.
• Dry runs let you review output before anything is committed.

ai-i18n features

• XLIFF 1.2, XLIFF 2.0 and JSON (flat or nested) support
• Content hashing to translate only changed strings
• Providers: Anthropic, OpenAI, Ollama and AWS Bedrock
• Placeholder and XLIFF inline element preservation
• ICU plural handling with CLDR rules for 20+ languages
• Automatic commit of translated files
• Dry-run mode and Markdown report output
• Config file for batch size, retries and rate limits
• Loop prevention and skip markers

ai-i18n integrations

• GitHub Actions
• Anthropic
• OpenAI
• Ollama
• AWS Bedrock

How to get started with ai-i18n

1. Add the action to a workflow that runs on push, on a schedule, or on changes to your source locale.
2. Set the provider, API key secret, source language, target languages and a files glob.
3. The action extracts translation units and compares them with a stored hash file.
4. Only new or modified strings are batched to the model and merged back into the files.
5. It commits the updated files, or you use dry-run to preview first.

ai-i18n limitations

• Works with XLIFF and JSON formats only
• You pay your model provider for translation calls
• Machine translation quality depends on the chosen model
• Runs as a GitHub Action, so it fits GitHub-based workflows

ai-i18n pricing

ai-i18n is open source, so you can use and self-host it for free.

Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

ai-i18n alternatives

The main ai-i18n alternatives listed on Debuly are Lokalise, Phrase, Tolgee, LLM, Opik and Agent Development Kit (ADK). The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

1. 

   Agent Development Kit (ADK)

   Google's open-source, code-first Python framework for building, testing and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agentsCoding
   Open sourceVisit Agent Development Kit (ADK) (official site)
2. 

   LLM

   Command-line tool and Python library by Datasette for prompting OpenAI, Claude, Gemini and local models, with SQLite logging.

   Developer platformsCodingAutomation and agents
   Open sourceVisit LLM (official site)
3. 

   Lokalise

   Localization platform that manages translation keys, AI and machine translation, and review workflows for software and content teams.

   Developer platformsWritingAutomation and agents
   Free trialVisit Lokalise (official site)
4. 

   Opik

   Comet's open-source platform for tracing, evaluating and monitoring LLM applications and agents, self-hosted or in the cloud.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agentsCoding
   FreemiumVisit Opik (official site)
5. 

   Phrase

   Localization platform with translation management, software localization, AI machine translation and workflow automation for enterprise teams.

   WritingDeveloper platformsAutomation and agents
   Contact salesVisit Phrase (official site)
6. 

   Tolgee

   Open-source localization platform with in-context translation, AI translator, SDKs, Figma plugin and a free cloud plan.

   Developer platformsProductivityAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit Tolgee (official site)

ai-i18n FAQ

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

Image credits

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