Loco
Loco is a developer-focused, API-first translation management system (operated by White Interactive Ltd, London) that manages multi-language strings, integrates AI/LLM translation, and exports platform-agnostic file formats for app, web, and WordPress developers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Loco does
Loco is a developer-focused translation management system (TMS) operated by White Interactive Ltd (company no. 5014839), a private limited company founded in 2012 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The platform enables developers building multi-language applications and websites to manage translation strings, collaborate with translators, deploy automated translation, and export files in formats such as Gettext (PO/MO), XLIFF, JSON, Android XML, and iOS Strings. Its underlying technology is a platform-agnostic REST API combined with a web dashboard, a configurable bot system for automation, glossary management, and an in-development Translation Memory feature; it supports integration with established machine translation APIs (DeepL, Google Translate, Microsoft Translator) and major large language models (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini). The company also distributes the Loco Translate WordPress plugin via wordpress.org and offers free standalone utilities including an online PO editor and an iOS-to-Android strings converter.
Loco monetizes through a freemium model with a Free tier and a paid Pro tier (monthly or annual subscription via Stripe), supplemented by a Direct Billing pathway for UK and EU enterprises that require invoicing, with a £100 minimum over a six-month commitment. The go-to-market is primarily product-led and self-serve, supported by a documentation hub, SEO-optimized help pages, and the WordPress plugin as a separate acquisition channel. Customer segments include software developers (primary), translation and localization agencies, WordPress site owners, and mobile app developers. The business is bootstrapped, founder-led, and operates without external institutional investment.
Loco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Loco
- Legal name
- White Interactive Ltd
- Website
- https://localise.biz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Loco is a developer-focused, API-first translation management system (operated by White Interactive Ltd, London) that manages multi-language strings, integrates AI/LLM translation, and exports platform-agnostic file formats for app, web, and WordPress developers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Loco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Translation Management Software
- NAICS
- Translation and Interpretation Services (54193)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Localization Technology & Automation (TMS, Subtitle Tools, MT/AI, Speech-to-Text) (MPAHAFAH)
Keywords
Where Loco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Loco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Plans (Free and Pro): Loco offers Free and Pro subscription tiers. Free services are provided without warranty; Pro plans provide additional features with monthly or annual billing. Subscriptions constitute rolling contracts with one-month notice for price changes.
- Direct Billing (Enterprise): Manual invoicing for large companies unable to authorize recurring card payments. Minimum 100 GBP with minimum six-month duration. Available to UK and EU companies via bank transfer or SEPA payment.
- Freemium Model: Free tier provided completely without charge and without warranty. Level of free service is at company's discretion and may be extended, reduced, or stopped without warning.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Plan - Basic translation management |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pro Plan - Advanced features for teams |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Direct Billing - Enterprise invoicing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Loco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Loco is a developer-focused translation management platform that helps teams manage localization strings, collaborate with translators, auto-translate via integrated AI/LLM providers, and export translation files for many platforms. It offers Free and Pro subscription plans, a REST API for build/CI integration, an official WordPress plugin for in-admin translation editing, and free standalone tools including an online PO editor and iOS↔Android strings converter.
Product overview
Loco offers a translation management platform centered on the Loco Platform (core product) for developers to manage multi-language apps and websites. The platform integrates with AI translation providers (DeepL, Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, OpenAI, Claude, Gemini) via a bot system for automatic translation. A companion WordPress plugin (Loco Translate) extends functionality directly into WordPress admin for translating themes and plugins without a Loco account. Free standalone tools include an Online PO Editor and iOS ↔ Android Strings Converter. The platform is platform-agnostic, supporting many file formats for cross-platform localization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Loco Translate: Official WordPress plugin for editing theme and plugin translation files directly in WordPress admin
- Online PO Editor
Products and services
- Loco Platform Core SaaS translation management system for developers: manage strings, collaborate with translators, deploy AI/LLM auto-translation via bots, and export translation files for many platforms and file formats. Available in Free and Pro subscription tiers with REST API access.
- Loco Translate WordPress Plugin Official WordPress plugin enabling in-admin editing of theme and plugin translation files (PO/MO) without requiring a Loco account. Supports Gettext MO/PO formats and WordPress 6.6+.
- Online PO Editor Free standalone browser-based Gettext PO file editor supporting PO files, MO files, PHP source files, and various language pack formats.
- iOS ↔ Android Strings Converter Free standalone utility to convert localizable strings between Android and Xcode file formats, supporting XLIFF, Xcode Strings, and Android XML.
Companies that use Loco
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Loco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
Loco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Linode LLCcorePrimary web hosting provider. Most data is processed through or stored via Linode services. Linode is a US-based company with all hardware physically located in the UK. Loco has agreed to Linode's EU Model Contract.
- Stripe Payments Europe LtdcoreCard payment provider for subscription billing. Despite having an Ireland entity, all payment processing is performed via Stripe servers in the USA. Loco has agreed to Stripe's Data Processing Addendum including Standard Contractual Clauses.
- DeepLcoreSupported translation API for automatic translation via Loco bots. Supports DeepL Free and Pro APIs. Supports DeepL glossaries and formality settings for Pro accounts. 'Next-gen' LLM model available.
- Google Cloud (Translate API)coreGoogle Cloud Translation API integration for automatic translation. Requires API key with access restricted to Translation API. Supports Cloud Translation Basic (v2).
- Microsoft Azure (Translator API)coreMicrosoft Translator Text API integration via Azure Cognitive Services for automatic translation. Requires Azure subscription and secret key.
- Anthropic (Claude)coreClaude AI integration for automatic translation via Anthropic Messages API. Supports Sonnet and Opus model series. Default model is claude-sonnet-4-20250514.
- Anthropic (Claude)coreClaude AI integration for automatic translation via Anthropic Messages API. Supports Sonnet and Opus model series. Default model is claude-sonnet-4-20250514.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Loco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- memoQ: memoQ is a professional computer-assisted translation (CAT) tool and TMS vendor serving translators, LSPs, and enterprises. It competes in translation management but is a broader incumbent focused on professional translator workflows rather than developer self-serve.
- Smartling: Smartling is an enterprise translation management and localization services platform with TMS, MT, and human translation services. It overlaps with Loco in TMS functionality but targets larger enterprises with broader services rather than developer-led self-serve.
Direct peers
- Lokalise: Lokalise is a developer-first TMS offering translation management, AI-powered translation, CI/CD integrations, and SDKs across web and mobile. It competes directly with Loco for the same developer and localization team buyer with similar API-first and platform-agnostic positioning.
- locize: locize is a developer-focused localization platform from the i18next team, offering TMS, MT, and tight integration with JavaScript/i18n workflows. It is a direct peer to Loco, particularly for developer-led localization in modern web stacks.
- Phrase: Phrase (formerly PhraseApp) is an enterprise-grade localization platform combining TMS, MT, and developer tooling with strong format support and API access. It is a direct peer to Loco, targeting software companies needing cross-platform, automated translation workflows.
- Transifex: Transifex is a cloud TMS for digital content localization with API-driven workflows, AI translation, and broad format coverage. It directly competes with Loco in serving developers and product teams managing multi-language software releases.
- POEditor: POEditor is a lightweight, affordable translation management platform targeting small teams and developers with format-focused workflows. It is closely comparable to Loco's freemium, developer-centric, format-agnostic positioning.
- Crowdin: Crowdin is a cloud-based localization management platform targeting developers, translators, and product teams with TMS, AI translation, and 600+ app integrations. It is the closest large-scale direct competitor to Loco, serving overlapping developer-led localization workflows.
Emerging players
- TranslatePress: TranslatePress is a WordPress translation plugin that lets users translate content directly from the frontend, with add-ons for SEO and WooCommerce. It competes with the Loco Translate plugin in the WordPress translation ecosystem.
- WPML: WPML is a leading WordPress multilingual plugin enabling translation of pages, posts, and themes. It is comparable to Loco through direct overlap on the WordPress translation workflow, though it focuses on in-CMS translation rather than a cloud TMS.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Loco social profiles
Digital presenceLoco compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Loco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Loco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Loco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Loco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Loco
What does Loco do?
Loco is a developer-focused translation management platform that helps teams manage localization strings, collaborate with translators, auto-translate via integrated AI/LLM providers, and export translation files for many platforms. It offers Free and Pro subscription plans, a REST API for build/CI integration, an official WordPress plugin for in-admin translation editing, and free standalone tools including an online PO editor and iOS↔Android strings converter.
Is Loco a public or private company?
Loco is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Loco founded?
Loco was founded in 2012.
Where is Loco based?
Loco is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Loco make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Plans (Free and Pro) is the primary driver. The others are direct Billing (Enterprise) and freemium Model.
Who are Loco's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are memoQ and Smartling. Direct peers are Lokalise, locize, Phrase, Transifex, POEditor and Crowdin. Emerging players are TranslatePress and WPML.
Does Loco have an API?
Yes. Loco provides a REST API that enables developers to integrate translation management into build scripts and deployment pipelines. The API allows for managing strings, collaborating with translators, and exporting translation files for various platforms. Access is secured by API keys available from the dashboard. Developer documentation is at localise.biz/api.
What industry is Loco in?
Loco's product category is Translation Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAFAH, Localization Technology & Automation (TMS, Subtitle Tools, MT/AI, Speech-to-Text). Its NAICS code is 54193 and its SIC code is 7373.