Notes 
Linguist is not just another browser extension. It’s a full-featured translation system that respects your privacy. Translate offline on your device, use any translation service (including your own like ChatGPT), and explore custom translator options. It’s free, open-source, and does not collect personal data.
Reviewed by Marcus Holmberg
Linguist
github.com/translate-tools/linguist/#readme 1 rating so far*
Rate Linguist: No account needed
Threat level
Hardened
A hardened pick. Worth the effort once you have chosen to shrink your footprint on purpose. Enough for most people. Threat levels
Our take
More ambitious than the average translate extension, with offline on-device translation and the option to point it at your own translation backend, which is genuinely rare. The cost of that flexibility is setup: getting offline models or a custom service running is more work than a one-click add-on. Pick Linguist when you want translations that can stay entirely on your machine and you’re willing to configure it. If you just want a quick page translation with no fuss, a lighter front-end will get you there faster.
GitHub at a glance
translate-tools/linguist BSD-3-Clause addonbrowser-extensionchromechrome-extensiondictionaryfirefoxfirefox-addonfirefox-extensionfosslanguage-learninglanguagesmachine-translationoffline-translatorossplugableproductivitytranslatetranslationtranslatorwebextension
Stars
1,084
+5 this week
Forks
51
6 watching
Last commit
2mo ago
healthy
Latest release
v7.1.0
3mo ago, 50 total
Star history
Issues
45% closed
259
open
216
closed
+1 / -0
opened / closed, last 4 weeks
Opened vs closed, last 12 weeks
Commits, last 26 weeks
5 commits, active 4 of 26 weeks
8 contributors since Jun 2021
Languages
- TypeScript 89.5%
- CSS 6.5%
- JavaScript 3.2%
- Other 0.8%
Updated daily from the GitHub API. Star tracking since Jun 15, 2026.
Linguist alternatives
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DeepL Translate Warning: The free version of DeepL does not respect your privacy, only the paid pro version. Source: Privacy Policy. The texts of free users are used to train and improve the…
TranslateLocally Offline neural machine translation that runs entirely on your device, with a desktop app and browser extension.
LibreTranslate 100% Self-Hosted. No Limits. No Ties to Proprietary Services.
SimplyTranslate Mobile Clearweb, Onion, I2P and Lokinet instances are also available for SimplyTranslate.
Linguist license, in plain English
BSD-3-Clause Permissive
Permissive: use and modify freely. You just keep the notice and do not use the authors' names to endorse your version.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Private use
Requires
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Endorsement using author names
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: Permissive licensing lets anyone reuse this, including inside closed products. That is freedom to build on, but no guarantee that downstream copies stay open.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.
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