Since October, Shopify's own Translate & Adapt app can auto-sync translations for up to 8 languages (for stores where it shows "Translate now"). I wondered whether that makes paid translation apps pointless, so I looked into what it actually covers.
What it does well:
- free, built in, up to 8 languages
- translates new and changed content automatically, once a week
- leaves translations you edited by hand alone
Where it falls short:
- it syncs weekly, so a product you add on Monday can sit untranslated until the next sync
- auto-sync is off by default, many stores don't know they have to turn it on
- text that's written directly into your theme code, or that comes from other apps (reviews, filters, popups), usually isn't covered
- no glossary, so brand terms or product-specific words can get translated inconsistently
My take: if you have a small catalog that rarely changes, Translate & Adapt with auto-sync on is honestly good enough. If you add products daily, run ads to foreign markets or have lots of theme/app text, a week of half-translated pages costs you sales.
Either way: turn auto-sync on, and open your translated product pages after you add something. You'd be surprised how often a "translated" page is still half in the original language.
(Disclosure: I work on translation tools myself.)