In this Memsource article I dig into why many localization teams trust it.
Memsource (aka Phrase TMS) gives you a central place to manage translation, glossaries, quality checks, workflows.
It helps teams work faster, use machine translation translation memory, and reduce repetitive effort.
How Memsource works key functions
You upload source content (files, code, text, website).
It uses translation memory (TM) so repeated segments auto fill.
You connect machine translation (MT) engines (like Google, Microsoft, Amazon) as fallback.
Glossaries let you enforce company terms.
You assign linguists, reviewers, and track progress via dashboards.
QA tools check for consistency, missing translations, formatting issues.
It integrates with CMS, Git, APIs, connectors content pipelines can be automated.
Pricing & cost insight (not a table but descriptive)
Memsource offers multiple tiers.
You pay per project manager seat; more features unlock in higher tiers.
They also provide a flat-fee MT add-on option, so you don’t pay per character for machine translation.
Given typical pricing reports: basic seats might cost tens to a few hundred USD per manager.
But big teams and heavy use of connectors, APIs, custom workflows push cost higher.
Also factor in translation or post-editing cost (when humans involved).
Pros
Strong reuse via translation memory → lower cost over time.
Flexible MT integration + ability to pick engine per case.
Glossary and terminology enforcement for brand consistency.
Good automation & connectors to tie into existing systems.
Reporting and analytics help you measure ROI and optimize workflows.
Cons
Cost can blow up as team and usage scale.
The seat-based pricing model may penalize adding more PMs.
Learning curve for custom workflows, API use, integrations.
For tiny projects, overhead may feel heavy.
Some features locked in higher plans → you might feel nickel-and-dimed.
Final thoughts
Memsource (now under the Phrase umbrella) is a mature, powerful localization / translation management solution.
It’s not perfect for every team, but for those scaling multilingual content it offers real leverage and ROI.
Use it smartly: lean on TM reuse, control MT spend, integrate well.
In time you’ll see cost savings and faster throughput.
