Comparison
Fily vs Phrase TMS
Both translate documents with AI. They take different paths. Here's the honest comparison so you can pick the right one.
Phrase TMS (formerly Memsource) is a full translation management system: continuous localization workflows, project management, vendor management, integrations with GitHub / Figma / Contentful, an editor for translators, and dashboards for buyers. It's optimized for ongoing software localization and large enterprise programs.
Fily is an AI translation pipeline. You point your existing workflow at it — including one that already runs on Phrase TMS — and Fily processes files faster than your in-house translators alone. It complements TMS rather than replacing it.
If you need a complete localization platform for ongoing UI strings + marketing + documentation, Phrase TMS is built for it. If you need to translate document batches faster than your current workflow allows, Fily is built for that — and it accepts Phrase TXLF exports.
Side-by-side
| Capability | Fily | Phrase TMS |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow model | File-in → file-out pipeline | Full TMS — projects, jobs, vendors, dashboards |
| Continuous localization (UI strings, repos) | Not the focus | Core strength |
| GitHub / Figma / Contentful integrations | Many | |
| Document translation (DOCX, PDF, SDLXLIFF batches) | Primary use case | Supported |
| Browser CAT editor | Optional segment view | Core editor |
| AI translation | Frontier LLM + 12-step QA | Multiple MT engines, Phrase AI |
| TM 100/101 respect | Hard pass-through | |
| Glossary enforcement | Mutates output (forbidden replaced) | Term flagging in editor |
| Tag preservation | Tag count repair, dedicated codecs | |
| Scanned PDF (OCR) | Dual-backend OCR with auto-fallback | |
| Audio + subtitles | ||
| Vendor management (assigning translators) | Via Account Manager | |
| Project dashboards | Per-job dashboard | Multi-project |
| API | REST + webhooks | Comprehensive |
| Dedicated Account Manager | Every paid tier | Enterprise tier only |
| Onboarding | Hours (upload a file) | Weeks (integrations, training) |
| Pricing model | Per word | Per seat + per-project tiers |
| Typical cost (small team) | Pay-per-word | $27–$1,045+ /month/seat |
When Phrase TMS is the right choice
- You run continuous localization for software, mobile apps, or websites — strings that update on every release.
- You need deep integrations with GitHub, Figma, Contentful, GitLab, and the like.
- You have a dedicated localization team to operate the TMS.
- You're managing a vendor network through the platform — assigning, tracking, paying.
- Your work is structured around projects with recurring cadence, not one-off document batches.
When Fily is the right choice
- Your work is document batches — translations clients send you in DOCX, PDF, SDLXLIFF, MQXLIFF — not continuous software strings.
- You want AI to do the first pass before your in-house reviewers touch it, cutting post-edit time 60–80%.
- You already use Phrase TMS and want a faster engine for the AI translation step (Fily accepts Phrase TXLF exports natively).
- You don't need vendor management — you have your own translators or your AM handles escalations.
- You want to start in hours, not weeks.
- Pricing per-word fits your usage better than per-seat licenses.
The philosophical difference
Phrase TMS is infrastructure for a localization program — everything in one platform, designed to be the system of record.
Fily is a pipeline that fits anywhere — designed to integrate, not replace. You can use it alongside Phrase, alongside Trados, alongside a custom CMS, or as a standalone for ad-hoc work.
Many of our LSP customers use both. Phrase TMS handles project intake and vendor management; Fily runs the AI translation step on batch documents — receives TXLF from Phrase, returns translated TXLF for review.
See for yourself.
Upload the same file to both. Compare what comes back.