The short answer
Kobold vs Transcy: the short answer
Transcy is a Shopify translation app with a free plan and paid plans from $14.90 to $599 a month. Every paid plan below the $599 Global plan caps products and the number of languages you can edit. On the free plan, and for languages past your plan's editable limit, Transcy translates the page in the visitor's browser and stores nothing. Kobold (usekobold.com) is a paid AI tool, from $79 a month, that makes Shopify theme code changes and translates your theme and store content. Every language it translates is stored in Shopify, with no product cap, at 12 credits per 1,000 words per language. You review a sample first, and auto-translate can keep store and theme content current in each language. If you only need Google-quality translation on a small catalogue, Transcy costs less.
Pick Transcy for
A free or low-cost start
A free plan for one language, unlimited Google Translate words on every plan, and a built-in currency converter and language switcher.
Pick Kobold for
Every language stored and reviewed
From $79 a month, shared with theme work. Every language stored in Shopify, no product caps, a glossary and brand voice, and a sample you approve first.
What do Kobold and Transcy each do?
Transcy is a Shopify app by FireGroup (FIREAPPS JSC). It has been on the Shopify App Store since May 2020 and, as of 7 October 2026, is rated 4.5 out of 5 from 2,577 reviews, with the Built for Shopify badge [1]. It translates products, collections, theme content, checkout, navigation, policies, notifications, metafields and metaobjects, blog posts and pages [7]. Google Translate is included on every plan. Other AI engines cost tokens, and from the Continental plan you can use your own API key [2][6].
Transcy also does things Kobold doesn't: a currency converter (1 to 168 currencies depending on the plan), a language and currency switcher, and redirects by visitor location from the Continental plan [2].
Kobold (usekobold.com) is a standalone web app for Shopify theme code changes and translations. It translates into the languages you've already added in Shopify, in four areas [24]:
- Theme text
Buttons, labels and cart text from your theme's language files.
- Theme content
Text typed into sections and theme settings.
- Store content
Products (title, description, product type, SEO title and description, options and values), collections, pages, blogs and posts, menus, storefront filter labels and image alt text.
- Metafields
The metafield and metaobject fields you tick, field by field. Off until you turn it on.
Kobold's translations don't come with a currency converter, a language switcher or location redirects. Those stay with your theme and Shopify. It asks Shopify for theme and translation permissions, plus read-only ones that auto-translate uses to notice changes and metafield translation uses to list your metaobjects [26].
Are Transcy translations stored in Shopify?
It depends on the language. Transcy has two kinds [2][3]:
- Non-editable languages
Translated in the visitor's browser by a script when they pick the language. Transcy's FAQ says “It is unable to edit the translation for Non-edit languages and unconfigurable with Shopify market.” [2] The page loads in the original language and is translated before it's shown [3].
The free plan's one language is “Instant on-page translation”, and Transcy's pricing page lists no editable languages on it [1][2]. Three paid plans allow more languages in total than they allow to edit: Regional has 3 languages and 2 editable, Continental 15 and 10, Cross-Border 50 and 20. On Local Plus and Global every language is editable [2]. If your store has more languages in Shopify than your plan can edit, Transcy shows “Language migration needed” and blocks editing until you upgrade or remove languages [9].
Content from other apps, such as reviews and widgets, is translated live on the storefront and not stored, except for three apps with a deeper integration [11]. Transcy says live translation is slower: “the original text appears first and is then replaced” [12].
Kobold has no browser-only tier. Every translation it adds is written to Shopify: store content and theme content through Shopify's translations, theme text to your theme's language files. You can edit it in Shopify, and it stays in your store if you cancel Kobold [24]. To be fair, storing translations in Shopify isn't unique to Kobold: Transcy's editable languages and Shopify Translate & Adapt store them too [10][23]. The difference is that Kobold stores every language it translates.
How do Transcy's plans and limits work?
Transcy doesn't count words. Each plan caps products and languages, and Google Translate words are unlimited on every plan [2]. The prices below were checked on 7 October 2026. Annual prices are per month, billed yearly. Language counts don't include your store's default language [4].
- Regional, $29 a month ($23 yearly)
3 languages, 2 editable, 200 products, 20 glossary rules. Auto re-translate covers 10 products and 10 collections. Scheduled sync with 2 time slots [2].
- Continental, $69 a month ($55 yearly)
15 languages, 10 editable, 300 products, 200 glossary rules. Auto re-translate covers 50 products and 50 collections. Your own API key allowed [2].
- Cross-Border, $99 a month ($79 yearly)
50 languages, 20 editable, 1,500 products, 500 glossary rules. Auto re-translate covers 200 products, 200 collections and 200 other items. Real-time sync [2].
- Global, $599 a month ($479 yearly)
147 languages, all editable, unlimited products. Listed on transcy.io only [2].
The auto re-translate quota is separate from the product cap. Transcy's own example: on Cross-Border, all 1,500 products can be translated, but only 200 are re-translated automatically when they change. The other 1,300 have to be re-triggered by hand [4]. Content over a quota is disabled until you upgrade or buy more quota [5]. Transcy moved to these plans on 4 September 2025. Its $29.90 Growth plan became the $29 Regional plan, and its $59.90 Premium plan became the $99 Cross-Border plan [20].
Kobold has no product cap and no limit on how many of your languages it translates. You pay per word: 12 credits per 1,000 source words per language, from the same monthly credits as theme work [25]. Very large runs are split into several runs in a row.
Does Transcy use Google Translate or AI, and what does each cost?
Google Translate is included on every plan. AI engines (OpenAI and five others listed on Transcy's pricing page) are pay-per-use from Local Plus upward [2]. They're paid in tokens: $1 buys 1,000 tokens, and translation costs 1.2 tokens per word [6]. By our calculation that's about $1.20 per 1,000 words per language, before bundle bonuses of up to 10% [6]. Plans include 150 to 1,000 tokens a month on Local Plus to Cross-Border, which covers roughly 125 to 833 words [2].
From Continental, you can bring your own API key for OpenAI, DeepL or one other provider and pay that provider directly [2]. DeepL needs your own DeepL API plan. DeepL bills you, and Transcy charges no fee or tokens for it [8].
Kobold uses AI translation for every language and has no cheaper machine-translation tier. At 12 credits per 1,000 words, that's about $0.70 per 1,000 words per language with Agency credits and $0.96 with a top-up [25]. Kobold writes each draft with your brand voice from store memory and your glossary, and uses the translations you approved earlier as examples [24]. Only visible text is counted: HTML tags, Liquid and placeholders aren't words. A draft that has to be redone isn't charged again [24].
How do Kobold and Transcy keep translations up to date?
Transcy's Automate Translation runs when content is created or updated in Shopify, for example when a product title changes [5]. It isn't on the Free or Local Plus plans. Regional and Continental sync on a schedule, with 2 and 4 time slots. Real-time sync needs Cross-Border ($99 a month) or Global [2]. Automatic re-translation covers only your plan's quota, from 10 products on Regional to 200 on Cross-Border. Global has no quota [2][4].
Kobold's auto-translate is off by default and set per language. An owner turns it on once a translation of that language you started, covering store or theme content, has gone live. It handles changes made after that; text that was already missing stays with Translate missing [24]. Each language has its own settings:
- Apply automatically or hold for review
Apply adds translations that pass Kobold's checks with no one reading them first. Turning it on is the owner's approval. Hold keeps them waiting for you, with one email a day [24].
- 30 minutes after a change, or once a day
The first change opens a 30-minute window and later changes join it. Or everything that changed is translated at 03:00 store time [24].
- Store content, theme content and the metafields you chose
Theme text, metafields you didn't choose, shop policies and URL handles are never auto-translated. Theme text stays with Translate missing [24].
- No product quota
Every product, collection, page and post that changes is covered, at the same per-word rate. An optional monthly credit limit for auto-translate, per store, keeps spend in check [24].
When one batch adds up to more than 20,000 words across its languages, Kobold holds it for review even in Apply mode and emails the owners. Moss's page-fit check doesn't run on automatic translations, so check the language on your store now and then, or use Hold for my review where that matters [24].
Can you review translations before they go live?
Yes. Every translation you start goes through these steps before it's live [24][27]:
- Sample of 10
Nib translates 10 strings per language first. You approve, edit or reject them, and your choices guide the rest.
- Checks
Placeholders, links, emails and phone numbers unchanged, no numbers added, HTML intact, every plural form present and the glossary followed. A row that fails can't be approved until it's fixed.
- Review table
The original, the current translation and Kobold's draft side by side. Filter, search, approve, reject or edit.
- Theme copy first
Theme text and theme content go onto a copy of your theme, so you can preview each language. Apply to live theme then writes only the rows you approved.
- Undo for 30 days
Kobold saves what was there before and puts it back, except rows someone changed since.
Transcy lets you edit translations of editable languages in the app and keeps a version history, from 1 to 10 versions depending on the plan [2][7]. Its glossary has “Never translate” and “Always translate” rules from Regional, with 20, 200 or 500 rules by plan. Rules apply only after you re-translate, only to editable languages, and not to content from other apps [14]. The Transcy pages we checked don't describe a sample or an approval step before translations go live [2][7][14].
What do Kobold and Transcy leave untranslated?
Transcy covers more Shopify areas than Kobold. It translates checkout text and order notifications for editable languages (notifications from Regional) [16][17]. It also translates metafields from Regional, with in-app editing for a few text types [13]; Kobold translates the metafields you tick, field by field [24]. In custom Liquid sections it translates the visible text and keeps Liquid tags and variables as they are [15].
What does translating a store cost with Kobold vs Transcy?
Assumptions: about 200 source words per product, all text included (so 30,000 words is about 150 products, 70,000 about 350 and 200,000 about 1,000); year 1 is one full translation plus 11 months in which 8% of the words change; year 2 is 12 months of 8% change; Kobold at 12 credits per 1,000 words per language, valued at $0.058 (Agency) to $0.08 (top-up) per credit [25]; Transcy at its cheapest App Store plan with enough products and editable languages, billed yearly or monthly [2]; AI tokens at 1.2 tokens per word and $1 per 1,000 tokens, before included tokens and bonuses [6].
Scroll sideways to see all three columns
| Store | Transcy plan (Google) | Transcy plan + AI tokens | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30,000 words · 1 language | Year 1: 677 credits ($39–$54). Year 2: 346 credits ($20–$28). | Regional: $276–$348 a year | Regional, plus about $68 of tokens in year 1 and $35 in year 2 |
| 30,000 words · 3 languages | Year 1: 2,030 credits ($118–$162). Year 2: 1,037 credits ($60–$83). | Continental: $660–$828 a year | Continental, plus about $203 of tokens in year 1 and $104 in year 2 |
| 70,000 words · 1 language | Year 1: 1,579 credits ($92–$126). Year 2: 806 credits ($47–$65). | Cross-Border: $948–$1,188 a year | Cross-Border, plus about $158 of tokens in year 1 and $81 in year 2 |
| 70,000 words · 3 languages | Year 1: 4,738 credits ($275–$379). Year 2: 2,419 credits ($140–$194). | Cross-Border: $948–$1,188 a year | Cross-Border, plus about $474 of tokens in year 1 and $242 in year 2 |
| 200,000 words · 1 language | Year 1: 4,512 credits ($262–$361). Year 2: 2,304 credits ($134–$184). | Cross-Border: $948–$1,188 a year | Cross-Border, plus about $451 of tokens in year 1 and $230 in year 2 |
| 200,000 words · 3 languages | Year 1: 13,536 credits ($785–$1,083). Year 2: 6,912 credits ($401–$553). | Cross-Border: $948–$1,188 a year | Cross-Border, plus about $1,354 of tokens in year 1 and $691 in year 2 |
Transcy figures come from its pricing page and token help article, checked 7 October 2026 [2][6]. Regional allows 2 editable languages, so 3 stored languages need Continental. Above 300 products, only Cross-Border or Global will do [2]. From Continental, your own API key can replace tokens, and you pay that provider instead [2][8].
Read the Kobold column carefully. The dollar figures are the value of the credits used, not a separate bill. Kobold needs a plan of at least $79 a month ($948 a year), and translation takes its credits from the same monthly pool as theme work [25]. At 30,000 words, Transcy's Google plans ($276 to $828 a year) cost less than that. Above 300 products, Transcy needs Cross-Border at $948 to $1,188 a year [2], about what Kobold Starter costs. Starter's 1,000 credits a month cover the ongoing changes in every example here, but big first runs need top-ups or a bigger plan, and credits spent on translation aren't available for theme work.
- Big first runs may not fit in one month
At 30,000 words × 3 languages the first run is 1,080 credits, just over Starter's 1,000. At 200,000 × 1 it's 2,400 and at 70,000 × 3 it's 2,520, both within Growth's 4,000. At 200,000 × 3 it's 7,200: Agency, Growth with top-ups, or spread over several months [25].
- Checks on translations you start
Moss's checks on a translation you start are charged like other QA and aren't in the per-word rate. Auto-translate has no checks fee [24].
Kobold vs Transcy vs Shopify Translate & Adapt: comparison table
Scroll sideways to see all three columns
| Feature | Transcy | Shopify Translate & Adapt | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | From $79 a month, credits shared with theme work; 12 credits per 1,000 words per language | Free plan; paid plans $14.90 to $599 a month; AI engines cost extra tokens | Free |
| Where translations live | In Shopify, every language | In Shopify for editable languages; in the visitor's browser for the free plan and languages past the editable limit | In Shopify |
| Languages | Every language you've added in Shopify | 1 to 147 by plan; 0 to 147 of them editable | Auto-translate for 2 languages (8 in 12 European countries); more by hand |
| Product limits | None | 100 to 1,500 by plan; unlimited on Global ($599) | None listed |
| Engine | AI translation with your brand voice and examples | Google included; AI engines through tokens or your own key (Continental and up) | “AI translations from Shopify” |
| Keeps up with changes | Auto-translate per language for store and theme content: 30 minutes after a change or once a day, apply or hold for review | Scheduled sync from Regional, real-time from Cross-Border; limited by a re-translate quota | Weekly Auto-sync in 12 European countries; elsewhere click Auto-translate again |
| Review before live | Translations you start: sample of 10, review table, theme copy preview, approval. Auto-translate: apply or hold, per language | Edit in the app; version history | Shopify advises reviewing before you publish |
| Glossary | Keep as is, or translate as a fixed term per language | Never or Always translate rules from Regional (20 to 500 by plan) | None documented |
| Format checks | Placeholders, links, numbers, HTML, plurals and glossary checked on every row | Liquid tags and variables kept in custom Liquid | None documented |
| Checkout and notifications | No | Yes, for editable languages; notifications from Regional | Email templates through Shopify's CSV export, not the app's search |
| Metafields | Yes, the fields you choose; text types only, JSON values only | Yes, from Regional; in-app editing for some text types | Yes |
| Undo | Undo any run for 30 days | Version history (1 to 10 versions by plan) | Not described in the pages we checked |
| Currency and switcher | No; use your theme and Shopify | 1 to 168 currencies by plan, switcher; location redirect from Continental | Not part of the app |
| If you uninstall | Translations stay in Shopify; undo ends | Editable-language translations stay in Shopify | Translations stay in Shopify |
Transcy cells come from [1][2][4][5][6][10][13][14][15][16]. Translate & Adapt cells come from [21][22][23]. Kobold cells come from [24][25]. All checked 7 October 2026.
When should you use Transcy instead of Kobold?
The better pick for stored, reviewed languages
Use Kobold when
- Every language must be in Shopify
No browser-only languages, so every language is editable in Shopify and stays if you cancel.
- Your catalogue is large
No product cap and no re-translate quota. You pay per word, for the first translation and for the words that change.
- You want to check it before it ships
A sample of 10, a review table, format and glossary checks, and undo for 30 days.
- You also change your theme
The same credits cover theme code changes, tested on a copy and approved before they go live.
Can I move from Transcy to Kobold, or use both?
Yes. Transcy's editable-language translations are stored in Shopify and stay after you uninstall it [10]. Kobold fills only missing and out-of-date translations, and keeps existing ones, including those made by another app, unless you ask it to replace them [24]. Languages Transcy translated in the browser aren't stored in Shopify, so Kobold sees them as missing. Transcy has no export of its own and points to Shopify's export under Settings › Languages [18]. It can also pick up translations other apps stored in Shopify [19].
Don't let both translate the same language automatically. Both would translate the same changes. Pick one per language.
How much does Kobold cost?
Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial with 250 credits, enough for about 20,000 words in one language before Moss's checks. Your plan's monthly credits arrive with the first charge. Credits reset on the 1st of each month and don't roll over. Prices exclude VAT [25].
Starter
$79a month
1,000 credits a month
1 store · 1 seat
Growth
$249a month
4,000 credits a month
1 store · 3 seats with roles
Agency
$699a month
12,000 credits a month
Up to 15 stores · 5 seats · client approval links
Translation costs 12 credits per 1,000 source words per language. Translating a 250-word product description into German and French is 500 words, so 6 credits. A typical theme change uses 40 to 120 credits. You can top up 500 credits for $40 at any time [25].
Kobold and Transcy: frequently asked questions
What is Kobold?
Kobold (usekobold.com) is a paid AI web app for Shopify merchants and agencies. It makes theme code changes and translates theme and store content into the languages you've added in Shopify. Translations are stored in Shopify. The ones you start are reviewed before they go live, and auto-translate can keep store and theme content current. Plans start at $79 a month with a 14-day free trial.
Kobold or Transcy: which should I use?
Use Transcy if you want a free or low-cost start, Google Translate quality is enough, or you need a currency converter or checkout translation. Use Kobold, from $79 a month, if every language must be stored in Shopify, your catalogue is past Transcy's product caps, or you want to review a sample before anything goes live.
Is Transcy free?
Transcy has a free plan for one language, translated in the visitor's browser and not stored in Shopify. As of 7 October 2026, paid plans on the Shopify App Store cost $29, $69 or $99 a month, and transcy.io also lists Local Plus at $14.90 and Global at $599. AI engines other than Google Translate cost extra tokens.
Does Transcy store translations in Shopify?
For editable languages, yes, and they stay after you uninstall Transcy. The free plan's language and any language past your plan's editable limit are translated in the visitor's browser by a script, can't be edited and aren't stored in Shopify.
How much does Kobold charge to translate?
12 credits per 1,000 words of your store's original text, per language. That's about $0.70 to $0.96 per 1,000 words per language, depending on how you buy credits. Credits come from your plan's monthly pool, shared with theme work, and a redrafted translation isn't charged again. Translations you start also include Moss's checks, charged like other QA.
Does Kobold limit the number of products?
No. Kobold has no product cap and no limit on how many of your store's languages it translates. You pay per word. Very large translations are split into several runs in a row.
Does Kobold translate metafields?
Yes, the ones you choose. On Kobold's Metafields tab you turn on Translate metafields and tick the metafield and metaobject fields that hold copy; Translate missing and auto-translate then cover them on every product or entry. JSON fields get only their text values translated, URL, file, number and reference fields are never translated, and app fields start off.
Does Kobold translate automatically?
Yes, per language, once an owner turns auto-translate on. New and changed store content and theme content are translated in a 30-minute window after a change, or once a day. Each language either applies translations that pass Kobold's checks or holds them for your review. Theme text is never auto-translated.
Can I switch from Transcy to Kobold without losing translations?
Yes for editable languages: Transcy stores them in Shopify and they stay after uninstall, and Kobold keeps existing translations unless you ask it to replace them. Languages Transcy translated in the browser aren't stored, so Kobold translates them as missing.
Do Kobold translations stay if I cancel?
Yes. Kobold writes translations to Shopify, so they stay in your store after you cancel or uninstall. Undo ends at uninstall, because Kobold's saved copies are deleted with your store's data, and auto-translate turns off.
Sources
Transcy and Translate & Adapt facts were checked against these pages on 7 October 2026. Numbers match the markers in the text.
Transcy (primary)
- [1]Transcy on the Shopify App Storeapps.shopify.com
- [2]Transcy pricingtranscy.io
- [3]Transcy: how translation workstranscy.io
- [4]Help: pricing plans Q&Ahelp.transcy.io
- [5]Help: Automate Translationhelp.transcy.io
- [6]Help: App Wallet and tokenshelp.transcy.io
- [7]Help: translate and update contenthelp.transcy.io
- [8]Help: DeepL with Transcyhelp.transcy.io
- [9]Help: Language migration neededhelp.transcy.io
- [10]Help: uninstalling and reinstallinghelp.transcy.io
- [11]Help: third-party app contenthelp.transcy.io
- [12]Help: loading speedhelp.transcy.io
- [13]Help: metafield and metaobject typeshelp.transcy.io
- [14]Help: glossaryhelp.transcy.io
- [15]Help: custom Liquidhelp.transcy.io
- [16]Help: checkout pageshelp.transcy.io
- [17]Help: order and email notificationshelp.transcy.io
- [18]Help: exporting translationshelp.transcy.io
- [19]Help: translations from another apphelp.transcy.io
- [20]Transcy blog: new pricing planstranscy.io
Shopify
- [21]Translate & Adapt on the Shopify App Storeapps.shopify.com
- [22]Translate & Adapt: automatic translationhelp.shopify.com
- [23]Translate & Adapt: requirementshelp.shopify.com
Kobold
- [24]Translationsdocs.usekobold.com
- [25]Creditsdocs.usekobold.com
- [26]Connect a store and permissionsdocs.usekobold.com
- [27]QA checksdocs.usekobold.com