MTPE – Machine Translation Post-Editing – and traditional, human translation

Like many technology-driven fields, the translation industry is undergoing a profound transformation. Artificial intelligence is at the core of this change, reshaping how translation workflows are designed and executed.

Emerging tools and processes are moving beyond the traditional fully human-driven model, enabling more efficient and scalable solutions. Rather than replacing human expertise, they redefine its role—shifting the focus toward supervision, refinement, and quality assurance.

Beyond the hype, the real advantage lies in practical outcomes: reduced workload, improved accuracy and consistency, and faster, more cost-efficient delivery.

One approach that has matured significantly in recent years is Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE). This method combines the speed of machine translation with the precision of human editing, delivering high-quality results while reducing both turnaround times and overall costs.

We offer MTPE for a range of scenarios - making sure our clients don't overpay. It's an approach that is currently a reasonable choice for technical documentation, software, applications, and marketing content for technology companies.

When MTPE is a better choice than a traditional (human) translation?

What is MTPE (Machine Translation Post-Editing)?


 In simple terms, MTPE is a two-step process:

1. The text is first translated automatically (using an AI or machine translation engine)
2. A professional linguist then edits and refines the output to achieve high quality
 
The final result ensures linguistic accuracy, consistent terminology, natural, fluent style, and eliminates typical AI errors.

Modern translation projects require speed, scalability, and consistency. MTPE is designed to meet exactly those needs.

  • Up to 60% lower costs compared to human translation
  • Faster delivery for large-scale projects
  • Consistent terminology across all content
  • High-quality output refined by a professional translator

Consequently, it can be the best choice for most technical and IT content.

Ideal use cases for MTPE

MTPE is ideal if you:

  • Need to translate large volumes quickly
  • Want to reduce translation costs
  • Work with technical or repetitive content
  • Require consistent terminology across systems

 MTPE performs best with structured, technical, or high-volume content, such as:

Technical documentation

User manuals, specifications, API documentation

Software & app localization

User interfaces, system messages, localization files

Websites & SaaS platforms

Landing pages, dashboards, product descriptions

Marketing content

Blog posts, service pages, sales materials. Please note however that creative copywriting and high-impact marketing or brand messaging will typically call for a creative human linguist or copywriter.

 

When to choose human translation instead  

For some content, a fully human approach is still the better option:

  • Creative copywriting and branding
  • Content requiring deep cultural adaptation
  • High-impact marketing or brand messaging
  • High-impact, precise legal and technical documentation (such as tenders for public contracts) 

Needless to say, we offer traditional translation services, too.

Finally, in some cases, if you have high-quality existing translation memories (TMs), a human translation that leverages CAT tools (and those TMs) could be priced equally attractive as MTPE (and still offer human-grade translation quality), this

How the MTPE Process Works

A structured workflow ensures quality at every step:

1. Analysis
Evaluation of machine translation output and project requirements

2. Post-editing
Correction of errors, terminology alignment, style refinement

3. Quality assurance
Consistency checks, technical validation, glossary compliance

4. Delivery
Publication-ready content, optionally integrated into your systems

 

Technology & workflow integration

MTPE is fully compatible with modern development environments.

We work with:

  • CAT tools (Trados, memoQ)
  • Translation Management Systems (TMS)
  • Translation memories and glossaries
  • File formats like flat text/CSV as well as JSON, XML, HTML 

Pricing – how much does MTPE cost?

MTPE pricing depends on:

  • Machine translation quality
  • Content complexity
  • Project size
We differentiate between "Basic MTPE" and "Advanced MTPE". 
 
In the Basic MTPE process, the linguist's task is solely to ensure consistent terminology and linguistic correctness. However, it is not aimed at achieving a natural, human text flow (which, by the way, is typically achieves successfully nowadays with most AI models employed for machine translation).
 
In the Advanced MTPE process, all revisions included in the Basic MTPE are made, plus the linguist rephrases the target wording to a natural, human style. Essentially, this requires more work and, in terms of pricing, it is comparable to human translation from scratch, which is why we see no point in offering that flavour of MTPE process. In other words, if you choose MTPE, we will apply the Basic MTPE process, which we consider entirely sufficient to achieve the quality you need, given the performance of the modern AI models.     

Translation quality you can rely on

Every human translation or MTPE project is handled with a focus on precision and consistency:

  • Client-specific glossaries
  • Consistent terminology
  • Deep understanding of technical context and your products
  • Multi-step quality assurance
  • Flexible communication with you to ensure the outcome suits your needs perfectly 

Result: natural, accurate, production-ready content at a price that can be a lot less a traditional translation would cost.

Looking for a faster and more cost-efficient way to scale your translations?

Please get in touch to receive:

  • A free quote
  • A quick MTPE feasibility assessment
  • A workflow tailored to your product and team

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