| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: How likely are you to buy a CAT tool/upgrade in the future? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How likely are you to buy a CAT tool/upgrade in the future?".
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| | | | | Cascading collapse | Aug 27, 2025 |
As the little hands of the translation "industry", we're certainly not the only ones to see the AI-powered thing chewing up our grazing land and replacing it with sterile, easy-to-manage, standardized, machine-friendly concrete slabs.
CAT tool makers will also see their market shrinking, if not already underway (just like translators, translation agencies, translation platforms, etc.).
As regards CAT tools, I'll follow the same policy, i.e. buy upgrades only when it makes econ... See more As the little hands of the translation "industry", we're certainly not the only ones to see the AI-powered thing chewing up our grazing land and replacing it with sterile, easy-to-manage, standardized, machine-friendly concrete slabs.
CAT tool makers will also see their market shrinking, if not already underway (just like translators, translation agencies, translation platforms, etc.).
As regards CAT tools, I'll follow the same policy, i.e. buy upgrades only when it makes economic/operational sense (OS incompatibility, Gold client requirement, killer feature...)
Philippe ▲ Collapse
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I will have to renew my MemoQ licence later in the year. I have found that agencies are either turning away from CAT tools on the market and creating their own platform or they are switching to cheaper tools. The big name on the market has become too expensive - when I looked at the latest upgrade, the price was around 500 euros and added features are probably minimal. I could not justify the expense, especially as my earnings are dropping and fewer clients are using the big name CAT tool.
| | | | | Will there be a future? | Aug 27, 2025 |
I will have to renew my MemoQ licence soon as well. But this is my only plan regarding CAT tools. This year has been very (very!) challenging for me. Things are changing incredibly fast in our industry. And CAT tools companies will have to adjust themselves to this too.
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WolfgangS
France
Local time: 07:28
English to German
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I asked at Atril's how much the update from DVX2 to DVX3 would cost me. Well, it's around 350 € (VAT included, but I cannot write off VAT). Quite some money for a tool that is not developed any further.
| | | | | Not likely... | Aug 27, 2025 |
I’m one of those dinosaurs who don’t use CAT tools. I used Trados when I worked in-house and I deeply disliked it. I particularly hated all the time wasted aligning and re-aligning documents. I also used XTM for a while at the request of a long-standing customer but it only served to reaffirm my dislike: what was fed into the system had not been updated or was clearly wrong and I wasted more time updating and correcting it, and justifying to the client why it was wrong, than I would have tra... See more I’m one of those dinosaurs who don’t use CAT tools. I used Trados when I worked in-house and I deeply disliked it. I particularly hated all the time wasted aligning and re-aligning documents. I also used XTM for a while at the request of a long-standing customer but it only served to reaffirm my dislike: what was fed into the system had not been updated or was clearly wrong and I wasted more time updating and correcting it, and justifying to the client why it was wrong, than I would have translating from scratch. Anyway, most of the texts I translate are different with a very small number of repetitions, with one exception: my longest-standing customer tends to have extremely repetitive texts, but nothing that the Word search function can’t solve easily. Another loyal customer, sends me an export file for me to work on. So, as long as I continue receiving all the work I need I will happily get along without them…
P.S. Dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago but I’m still here…
[Edited at 2025-08-27 15:19 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Cecília Alves 
Argentina
Local time: 02:28
Member (2011)
English to Portuguese
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| Not sure yet, but probably not | Aug 27, 2025 |
It's been around 4 years I don't renew my memoQ license as I've been using it less and less nowadays. The Trados version I use is still the 2022, and it works fine so far. As for other tools, mainly online/cloud, as long as my clients provide me login access to them, I don't see any reason to buy a license. With decreasing real job offers and shrinking income, I think it's safer to cut off unnecessary spending and invest on more important things.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 07:28
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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I upgraded MemoQ recently by mistake (based on a misunderstanding with a client about which version of MemoQ their system requires) but the new version that I bought had no new features over the old version whose free upgrade path had expired 3 years previously.
If MemoQ comes with a version that allows me to save multiple logins for a single checkout server, then I might consider upgrading (currently, you can save only one login per server, so you have to keep a list of login name... See more I upgraded MemoQ recently by mistake (based on a misunderstanding with a client about which version of MemoQ their system requires) but the new version that I bought had no new features over the old version whose free upgrade path had expired 3 years previously.
If MemoQ comes with a version that allows me to save multiple logins for a single checkout server, then I might consider upgrading (currently, you can save only one login per server, so you have to keep a list of login names in a Notepad file on your computer and "forget" and re-enter the relevant login credentials manually each time). Or if it becomes possible to export glossary entries from checked out projects. Or possible to export TMs or at least the one highest TM match for each segment. Or if it becomes possible to roll back changes and more easily create backup versions of live projects.
Or: I would definitely buy a new version of MemoQ if it becomes possible to mark QA flags as ignored by selecting a selection of them (across type boundaries) without having to use the mouse and without having to do the action for each individual type of QA flag individually. And definitely if it becomes possible to disable server synchronization during translation or during QA (currently, if you unplug your network cable during translation or during QA, MemoQ will assume that your internet is just very slow and will continue to attempt to synchronize after each and every QA flag, and prevent you from continuing).
I can't seriously see myself upgrading Trados -- I can't think what possible new killer feature they could come up with that would entice me to buy it. Maaaaybe if I hear from dozens and dozens of other translators that Trados had finally fixed their bilingual review bugs (so that import from bilingual review works more than 50% of the time), I might consider upgrading. Or if exporting views becomes built-in and not part of an add-on.
I will continue to renew Wordfast Classic and Pro (it's a 3-year subscription), so the latest version will always be available to me, but that is not "buying an upgrade". ▲ Collapse
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Chris Spurgin
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:28
Russian to English
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| Not unless it is absolutely necessary | Aug 28, 2025 |
I have only upgraded at client request and that was for a key client years ago.
New CAT tools simply don't justify the outlay. They always have the same bugs and the new features are cosmetic at best. I have seen quite a few instances where new versions are worse than the older ones.
I am at a loss as to how CAT tools cost so much to buy.
| | | | | Not very likely | Aug 28, 2025 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
I can't seriously see myself upgrading Trados -- I can't think what possible new killer feature they could come up with that would entice me to buy it. Maaaaybe if I hear from dozens and dozens of other translators that Trados had finally fixed their bilingual review bugs (so that import from bilingual review works more than 50% of the time), I might consider upgrading. Or if exporting views becomes built-in and not part of an add-on.
It's their policy to move "non-essential" features to add-ons.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:28
Italian to English
| Not likely at all | Aug 28, 2025 |
I enjoyed CafeTran, but it looks as if I may never need it again because I won't be doing any more translating.
| | | | | Not a CAT Tool, but... | Aug 28, 2025 |
I’ve invested time, effort and money in subtitling additional training (Ooona) this year, and I’m hoping to buy a dedicated subtitling software soon.
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WolfgangS
France
Local time: 07:28
English to German
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| Talk about upgrading... | Aug 29, 2025 |
Still rubbing my eyes, but is MemoQ really asking 360 € for the annual subscription, that is, an increase with respect to past SMA of 200 %? Or have I missed something?
| | | | | Have never paid for one | Aug 29, 2025 |
I have never paid for this kind of tool but have used an online tool paid for by clients. So it’s not at all likely I will start paying for one now.
| | | | | The cost of no new features | Sep 1, 2025 |
WolfgangS wrote:
Still rubbing my eyes, but is MemoQ really asking 360 € for the annual subscription, that is, an increase with respect to past SMA of 200 %? Or have I missed something?
According to them, that's a fair price to pay for an application that will receive no new features (as confirmed by their boss).
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