We built i18ny because we needed it too. When building our own multi-lingual product, we hit a wall with translation services that cost thousands per year and locked us into their ecosystem.
Stop paying monthly subscriptions for features you don't need. Get the essential translation tools your team actually uses, hosted on your infrastructure, with complete source code access.
Simple, self-hosted translation management for teams that need more control and less cost. Manage translations, collaborate with unlimited users, and integrate with your existing workflow.
Our migration wizard helps you import your existing translations from Lokalise, Crowdin, or other platforms. Get started quickly without losing your work.
Similar requirements to Campfire - runs on most modern servers:
| Concurrent Users | RAM | CPU |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 2GB | 1CPU |
| 1,000 | 8GB | 4CPU |
| 5,000 | 32GB | 16CPU |
| 10,000 | 64GB | 32CPU |
Use kamal proxy as reverse proxy, or deploy on your own Docker-compatible machine.
Deployment: One command deploy with Kamal or Docker. No complex setup required.
— once.com
The philosophy behind i18ny draws deep inspiration from 37signals' once.com platform. Their commitment to software ownership resonated with me personally, inspiring me to build this project on the same principles: software you buy once, own forever, and control completely.
We were tired of paying $500+/month for translation services just because our product went multi-lingual. So we built the tool we actually needed.
What you need to manage translations, from CLI automation to AI-powered translations and LLM integration.
Simple command-line interface for development workflow integration. Syncs translation keys between your codebase and the platform - only creates missing keys, never overwrites existing translations. Supports bulk operations, diff previews, and CI/CD pipeline integration.
Personal API keys for each user to access the CLI and integrate with your development tools. Each user gets their own authentication token from the web interface. Good for teams where different members need different access levels to projects and namespaces.
Built-in AI auto-translation using your own API key from your preferred provider. You control translation quality and costs - no vendor lock-in.
Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to integrate with your LLM of choice. Use translation workflows directly within your AI development environment.
Import existing translations from Lokalise, Crowdin, or other platforms with our guided migration wizard. Get started quickly without losing your existing work.
Exclusive locking system prevents conflicts. When a user edits a translation, it becomes locked until they save their changes.
GitHub integration for automated translation workflows. Sync translations with your repository, create pull requests for translations, and keep translations in sync with your codebase.
Organize translations with multiple namespaces like common.json and backend.yml. Create logical groupings that match your application architecture - separate frontend UI strings from backend validation messages, organize by feature modules, or create domain-specific translation sets. Each namespace operates independently with its own version history and access controls, making large-scale translation management manageable and maintaining clean separation of concerns across your entire application ecosystem.
Typical translation services charge $500-2000+ monthly. Pay once and save over $6,000 in your first year alone.
Yes. You'll receive the full project including frontend, backend, and deployment scripts.
Absolutely. It's built for internal customization. Adapt it to your needs freely.
Those services cost $500-$2000+ per month for teams and limit you on users, projects, and features. With i18ny, you pay once and get unlimited everything - no tier upgrades, no user limits, no monthly bills.
No problem. Add unlimited team members without upgrading your plan. Unlike competitors who charge per user or force tier upgrades when you grow, i18ny gives you the same powerful features regardless of team size.
Yes! Our migration wizard helps you import existing translations from Lokalise, Crowdin, or other platforms. The wizard will guide you step-by-step through uploading your files to the platform, making it easy to get started quickly without losing your existing work.
Supports JSON and YAML formats. JSON works well with JavaScript applications, while YAML is easy to edit manually. Both support nested structures for organizing translations within namespaces.
The system implements exclusive locking - when a user starts editing a translation, it becomes locked for that user only until they save their changes.
Includes a CLI tool for development workflow integration. The CLI syncs translation keys between your codebase and the platform - it only creates new keys and never overwrites existing translations. Each user generates personal API keys through the web interface. The CLI supports bulk operations, diff previews, and CI/CD pipeline integration.
Yes! Built-in AI auto-translation using your own API key from your preferred provider. You maintain full control over translation quality and costs.
Built with Rails 8, Hotwire for responsive interactions, and SQLite database. Simple, modern, and easy to deploy.
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) server allows integration with your LLM of choice for advanced translation workflows. Coming soon!