These apps can help make language barriers a problem of the past.
We’ve rounded up our five favorite translation apps out of the dozens available.
Best for Translating Images: Pocket TransIator
Translate via camera, text, and speech.

nazar_ab / Getty Images
throw in responses in translation keyboard.
Only available for iOS at this time.
Premium is costly for this punch in of app.

Ads without Premium subscription.
you’ve got the option to also translate via text and speech in over 175 languages.
Although Translate is free to download and use for iOS devices, there are ads without a Premium subscription.

Best for Viewing a Translation Dictionary: iTranslate Translator
Easy built-in phrasebook for finding quick phrases.
Voice-to-voice capability in over 100 languages.
App provides different dialects to choose from.

Offline mode, other features require Premium subscription.
Interface is a bit more difficult to figure out than other apps.
Voice translation only with Premium subscription.

It includes an in-depth phrasebook and offers translation in over 100 languages.
However, you’ll need a Premium subscription to use these tools.
This app is free to download and use for both Android and iOS devices.

After a seven-day free trial period, you’ll have to pay for a yearly subscription.
Download For:
Best for Handwritten Translations: Google Translate
Write blurbs to translate with your finger.
Use 108 languages when typing.
Use camera to translate images in 94 languages.
Only 59 languages for offline translation.
Voice translation is a bit slow.
Use your finger to write what you want to translate and receive the phrase back in over 100 languages.
Google Translate is also agreat online translatoras well as anoffline translator.
Google Translate is free to download and use for iOS and Android devices.
Best for Internet-Free Translation: Microsoft Translator
Languages are free to download for offline use.
App is free to use without any subscription required.
Connect devices to have conversations inside app.
Camera translation doesn’t always detect each word.
Some features are not available in all languages.
Want to translate text into Klingon?
Microsoft Translator can do so.
Or, you might use Microsoft’s internet-free ability to translate to and from any language as you travel.
Simply download the language you’ll need ahead of time.
Microsoft Translator also offers various features, including alternate translations, phrasebooks, camera translation, and conversation translation.
Microsoft Translator is free to download and use for both Android and iOS devices.
Plus, no premium subscription is required.
Best for Spanish Translation: SpanishDictionary.com Learning
See dictionary with each translation.
View examples of the translated text.
Hear phrase in Spanish with touch of a button.
Ads inside app without upgrading.
App may not understand localized slang used.
SpanishDictionary.com Learning is the perfect English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English translator out there.
The app only focuses on Spanish, complete with a dictionary and examples for each translation.
You also have the option to hear the phrase you translate by tapping the speaker icon.
The app is free to download and use but requires an upgrade to remove ads.