What are different types of translation? A practical guide (with SaaS examples)

Translation is often described as converting text from one language to another.
In reality, that definition is far too simplistic.

Different types of translation require different workflows, tools, expertise, and even completely different mindsets. Translating a novel is nothing like translating a privacy policy. Translating a marketing campaign is nothing like localizing a SaaS dashboard.

Understanding those differences helps businesses choose the right approach, reduce costs, and avoid costly mistakes, especially when scaling internationally.

If you're building a digital product, understanding these differences is critical for designing a scalable localization strategy for software products.

In this guide, we'll break down:

• The main types of translation
• How they differ in goals and constraints
• Why software localization is fundamentally different
• How SaaS teams should approach translation strategically

What are the different types of translation?

Translation can be divided into several categories depending on the purpose, content type, and level of specialization required.

The most common types of translation are:

• Literary translation
• Technical translation
• Legal translation
• Marketing translation (transcreation)
• Software translation (localization)
• Medical translation
• Audiovisual translation
• Financial translation
• Scientific translation
• Certified translation

Each type differs in goals, required expertise, tools, and workflow complexity.

The main types of translation

While there are many subcategories, most translation work falls into five core types:

Literary translation

Examples:

• Novels
• Poetry
• Screenplays
• Essays

Primary goal: Preserve artistic voice, tone, and emotional impact.

Literary translation is creative and interpretative. Translators often make stylistic decisions to recreate the author's intent rather than translate word-for-word. Cultural nuance matters more than literal accuracy.

Success metric: Does it feel natural and emotionally authentic in the target language?

Technical translation

Examples:

• User manuals
• API documentation
• Engineering documentation
• Medical instructions

Primary goal: Precision and clarity.

Technical translation requires subject matter expertise. A mistranslation can cause operational errors, safety issues, or compliance problems.

Success metric: Is it accurate and unambiguous?

For SaaS companies, documentation translation often falls into this category.

Legal translation

Examples:

• Contracts
• Terms of Service
• Privacy policies
• Compliance documents

Primary goal: Legal equivalence and risk mitigation.

Legal translation demands knowledge of legal systems in both source and target languages. Word choice can affect enforceability.

Success metric: Does it preserve legal meaning and validity?

Marketing translation (transcreation)

Examples:

• Landing pages
• Advertising campaigns
• Taglines
• Email campaigns

Primary goal: Persuasion and cultural relevance.

Marketing translation often becomes transcreation, where the message is adapted rather than directly translated.

For example:
A joke may be rewritten entirely.
A slogan may change structure to maintain emotional impact.

Success metric: Does it convert?

Check out our translation vs transcreation guide for more on this topic.

Software translation (localization)

Examples:

• UI strings
• Mobile apps
• Web apps
• SaaS dashboards
• In-product notifications

Primary goal: Functional, scalable multilingual experience.

Software translation is different because it operates inside technical constraints.

It must:

• Fit into limited UI space
• Handle variables like {username}
• Support pluralization rules
• Respect date/time/number formats
• Stay consistent across releases
• Work across devices and screen sizes

Unlike literary or legal translation, software localization is continuous and iterative.

Success metric: Does the product function seamlessly in every language?

Localization uses locales, not just languages. For example, Spanish (Spain) vs Spanish (Mexico) may require different translations. Learn more about the difference between language and locale.

Other types of translation

Beyond the five core categories above, several specialized fields exist:

• Medical translation: clinical trials, patient records, pharmaceutical documentation
• Financial translation: investor reports, compliance documents
• Audiovisual translation: subtitles, dubbing, voiceovers
• Certified translation: officially validated translations for legal or governmental use
• Scientific translation: academic research papers
• Patent translation: intellectual property documents

These fields require subject-matter expertise and often regulatory knowledge.

What makes software translation fundamentally different?

Software translation isn't just about language, it's about systems.

Here's what makes it unique:

It's structured, not free-form

Translators don't work on paragraphs. They work on strings:

{
  "welcome_message": "Welcome, {username}!",
  "error_message": "An error occurred: {error_code}",
  "pluralization_example": "{count, plural, one {You have one message} other {You have {count} messages}}"
}

This requires understanding of:

• Placeholders
• ICU message format
• Plural rules
• Context dependencies

A mistranslated variable can break your app.

It's continuous, not project-based

Literary translation is project-based.

Software localization is ongoing.

SaaS teams ship:

• Weekly releases
• Feature flags
• A/B tests
• Microcopy updates

Your localization workflow must support continuous delivery: something we explore deeper in our guide to continuous localization.

It requires cross-team collaboration

Software translation involves:

• Developers
• Product managers
• Designers
• QA testers
• Translators

Without proper tooling, collaboration becomes chaotic:

• Spreadsheets get outdated
• Strings go missing
• Context is lost
• Releases get delayed

Translation workflows compared

Translation workflows vary widely by type. Here's a simplified comparison:

Software localization is the only type that truly requires CI/CD integration and automation.

For example, platforms like SimpleLocalize support:

• Git-based string sync
• CLI & API integrations
• Version control
• Figma context sharing
• Automated workflows
• QA checks

This reduces friction between engineering and localization.

Common SaaS localization mistakes

When teams treat software translation like document translation, problems appear:

• Cut-off buttons in German
• Broken placeholders
• Missing plural forms
• Inconsistent terminology
• Strings hardcoded in code

These aren't “translation issues.”
They are localization system failures.

And they directly impact activation rates, user trust, international expansion, and revenue growth.

For more on this, check out our guide to common localization mistakes.

How to choose the right translation approach for your SaaS

If you're planning international growth, ask:

• Are we translating marketing, product, or both?
• Do we need legal review in each market?
• Are we ready for continuous localization?
• Do we have infrastructure for version control?
• Is localization integrated into product development?

If not, start with your strategic foundation and read our full localization strategy guide for global SaaS growth.

Pro tip: Check if you are ready for software localization with our localization readiness checklist.

Why this matters for your business

Translation type affects:

• Cost structure
• Tool selection
• Workflow design
• Hiring decisions
• Time to market

A SaaS company that uses document-style translation processes for UI strings will struggle with speed and consistency. It can lead to poor user experience, frustrated customers, and ultimately lost revenue. It can also damage your brand reputation. Users expect software to work seamlessly in their language. If it doesn't, they may question the quality of your product.

A SaaS company that builds localization into product development gains:

• Faster global launches
• Better UX in every market
• Higher conversion rates
• Reduced technical debt

Localization is more than just linguistic work.
It's product infrastructure.

Conclusion

Not all translation is created equal.

• Literary translation prioritizes creativity.
• Legal translation prioritizes precision.
• Marketing translation prioritizes persuasion.
• Software translation prioritizes functionality and scalability.

If you're building digital products, understanding this distinction is the first step toward building a sustainable international growth engine.

Teams that understand translation types design smarter workflows, allocate budgets correctly, and avoid scaling bottlenecks.
In global SaaS, that difference compounds quickly.

FAQ: Types of translation