DeepL
“Translates the whole document” — a translator that keeps the feel of the original
What is DeepL?
DeepL is a translation tool from Germany’s DeepL SE. It translates not just sentences but Word, PDF, and PowerPoint files with their formatting intact, and can apply your company glossary, which is why it is widely used for documents in international business.
- 1Upload a file and it is translated with its formatting intact
- 2Register a company glossary to keep translations consistent
- 3It is free to use, and paid plans cover larger volumes
What sets it apart
These are the differences we found by running the same material through several tools in our training sessions.
Translates files with formatting intact
Upload a Word, PDF, or PowerPoint file as it is, and the translation comes back with tables and line breaks intact. No more copying paragraph by paragraph and reformatting afterward, so you can read even a 30-page overseas rulebook in one go.
Lets you lock in company terminology
Register your company’s terms in the glossary, such as 'use course, never program, for training courses', and the same word comes out even when the document changes. It is most valuable for documents where inconsistent wording is a risk, like proposals and contracts.
Does nothing beyond translation
Unlike a chatbot, it rarely adds commentary or summarizes, and it keeps the original’s sentence count and structure. For documents that need side-by-side review, matching the original line for line is a major practical advantage.
⚖️ The weaknesses are clear, too
It is a translator, not a conversational AI. It can’t handle requests like "Find the clauses in this contract that are unfavorable to us." Also, the free version has monthly character and file limits, so you will hit the caps quickly with heavy document work.
💡 In plain EnglishThink of a translator who respects the original: it adds nothing of its own and renders only what was written in another language.
The time spent stalled in front of a global HQ guideline or an email from a foreign client is longer than you might think. Lower the barrier to translation, and material you used to wonder whether to read becomes working material, which changes how much information the whole team has.
Same job, different approach
A 40-page English guideline has just arrived from overseas headquarters
The old way
- Start by reading just the first five pages
- Type unfamiliar sentences into the search box one line at a time
- Skips tables and footnotes
- Say in a meeting, "Here’s roughly what it says"
With DeepL
- Upload a whole PDF and get the translation back
- Read tables and footnotes with the formatting intact
- Apply the in-house glossary to keep terms consistent
- Compare it with the original and check only the key clauses
Common uses
Reading overseas guidelines and rules
Translate HQ policies, overseas certification standards, and English contract drafts as whole files to get the big picture first. Always re-check key clauses against the original.
Replying to emails from overseas partners
Translate your Korean reply, then set the tone to formal. Double-check names and amounts in the translated version yourself.
Multilingual training materials
When you turn Korean-language course materials into English versions, apply a glossary to keep job titles and course names consistent. Slides need their layout adjusted afterward because the text length changes.
Who it’s for
Best for
- ✓Anyone who needs to read foreign documents as whole files
- ✓Anyone who needs consistent terminology across proposals and contracts
- ✓Anyone who reviews translations against the original
Better served by other tools
- –Anyone who wants one tool to handle everything from translation to content analysis
- –Anyone who only occasionally needs a sentence or two translated
- –Anyone whose main goal is real-time call or meeting interpretation
Can we use it at work?
The questions that adoption leads and security teams ask first.
Note: the retention period for text may differ between the free and paid versions. Before rolling it out company-wide, confirm the details in the official terms and the data processing addendum.
10-minute quick start
- 1
Go to www.deepl.com/ko/translator and try translating one short sentence.
- 2
At the top of the screen, choose 'Translate files' and upload a Word or PDF file as is.
- 3
Add your frequently used in-house terms to the glossary. This is where quality differs most.
- 4
Compare the translation with the original and check at least the numbers, names, and amounts yourself.
Copy-and-paste prompts
Replace only the [bracketed] parts, then paste it in.
[English rulebook PDF file] (Instruction: instead of the text box, upload the file under 'Translate files'. Leave the source language on auto-detect and set the target language to Korean, and keep the downloaded file with page numbering that matches the original)
Thank you for the quote you sent last week. We will reply within 24 hours once our internal review is complete. However, two items, [delivery schedule] and [minimum order quantity], may need adjusting. Could we discuss them briefly on a video call? (Instruction: set the target language to English, and if there is a tone setting, choose formal)
curriculum = course / Nanum Consulting = Nanum Consulting / CEO = CEO / statutory mandatory training = legally mandated training (Instruction: add these to the glossary feature as source–target term pairs. The same terms will then stay consistent even when the document changes)
[Korean proposal PPTX file] (Instruction: Upload the file under Translate files and set the target language to English. After downloading, be sure to fix any text boxes that overflow because the text got longer)
[One paragraph of the English original] ↔ [One paragraph of the DeepL translation] (Instruction: place the two windows side by side and check numbers, dates, names, amounts, and negations first. For contract clauses, always base your judgment on the original)
Using it with other tools
Linking two or three tools changes your work more than any single tool does.
Overseas materials → internal reports
Korean training materials → English training materials
Before you start
- For contracts and legal documents, always rely on the original for final decisions. A translation is only a reading aid.
- Korean often drops the subject. Before translating, add the subject to any sentence where it is unclear who is doing what.
- Check numbers, units, and date formats by eye after translating. They sometimes go off inside tables.
- Translated slides run longer. Build layout cleanup time into your schedule in advance.
Pricing: personal use and work use
Plans that individuals pay for are different from plans that organizations contract for by member.
For individual use
50,000 characters/month · 1 file translation/month
300,000 characters/month · 3 file translations/month · 1 glossary
Using it at work
1,000,000 characters per user per month · 20 files · 5 glossaries · team management and analytics
Unlimited characters · 100 files · unlimited glossaries · translation memory
Character limits, file limits and supported scope are set case by case
Checked 21 Sep 2026 · Prices are shown in euros (€) on DeepL’s official Korean pricing page (deepl.com/ko/pro) and are all based on annual billing. Currency and taxes may vary by country and payment method. Prices change without notice, so check the official page before you pay. DeepL official pricing (Korean) ↗ · DeepL official data security info ↗
Agentic AI — the version that does the work itself
Beyond translation, DeepL offers a separate agent that handles work steps for you.
DeepL Agent
An **enterprise agent** you direct in plain language. It works directly with the screen and inputs in your own work environment to complete multi-step tasks. DeepL positions it for repetitive work such as prospect research, drafting emails, and translating and publishing website copy.
- Start with the official announcement: read the overview in DeepL’s press release, then apply by contacting the sales team.
- Contact DeepL sales to get started.
Installation steps and requirements follow the official documentation. DeepL Agent official press release ↗
Where DeepL falls short
We don’t just list the positives. Here is what fell short when we used it.
- File translation limits are tight
The free plan allows one file translation a month, and even the Individual plan allows only three. The tool is built for translating whole documents, yet in a busy month you end up watching the count.
- The level of formality is inconsistent
Sentences translated into Korean read smoothly, but the level of formality can shift from paragraph to paragraph. For an email going to a customer, you end up re-aligning the tone from start to finish.
- One glossary is not enough
The Individual plan allows only one glossary, so if each business unit or client uses different terms, you end up swapping the contents in and out. You need the team plan to get some breathing room.
Tools to compare
ChatGPTRebounding with Astra→
ClaudeThe most talked-about AI→
GeminiGoogle’s all-purpose AI→
Notion AIDocs and meeting notes in one place→FAQ
Last updated 22 Sep 2026 · The ratings on this page come from John Kim, CEO of Nanum Consulting, who has used these tools firsthand in training and real work.
Make DeepL work for your organization
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