5 Best Intercom Translation Apps for 2026: A Comparative Guide

If you're using Intercom, you already know it’s the gold standard for customer communication. But when it comes to supporting a global audience, Intercom's native translation capabilities often hit a wall—especially for Help Centers.

To scale support without hiring 50 polyglot agents, you need a dedicated translation app.

In this guide, we break down the 5 best Intercom translation apps for 2026 to help you decide which fits your workflow and budget.

Quick Comparison Table

Tool	Best For	Setup Time	Pricing Model
TranslateDesk	Help Center Automation	< 1 Minute	Credit-based (Pay-as-you-go)
Lingpad	Inbox + Help Center	~10 Minutes	Subscription + Words
Lokalise	Enterprise Localization	Days	High Monthly Minimum
Crowdin	Complex Workflows	Days	Tiered Subscription
Localize	Web-wide Translation	Hours	Annual Contracts

1. TranslateDesk

Best for: Rapid Help Center translation with zero overhead.

TranslateDesk was built specifically to solve the "Intercom Article" problem. While other tools try to manage your entire software's localization, TranslateDesk focuses on making your Help Center multilingual in seconds.

Key Features: One-click sync, automatic DeepL integration, and native Intercom UI.
Pros: No complex setup; you don't need to be a developer to use it.
Cons: Focused primarily on the Help Center (Inbox support is secondary).
Pricing: Credit-based. You only pay for what you translate.

2. Lingpad

Best for: Real-time Inbox translation.

Lingpad is a strong contender if you need a plugin that sits inside your Intercom Inbox to help agents reply to customers in real-time.

Key Features: Inbox widget, human-in-the-loop options, and glossary support.
Pros: Deep integration with the Intercom Messenger.
Cons: Setup requires more configuration than TranslateDesk; pricing can scale quickly with volume.

3. Lokalise

Best for: Enterprise teams with complex software needs.

If your company is already using Lokalise to translate your entire SaaS app, using their Intercom integration makes sense.

Key Features: Massive automation suites, API access, and robust version control.
Pros: Extremely powerful; supports almost every file type.
Cons: Significant learning curve; expensive for smaller teams or those only needing Help Center translation.

4. Crowdin

Best for: Tech-heavy teams and open-source projects.

Crowdin offers a flexible ecosystem of apps, including a robust Intercom sync tool.

Key Features: Marketplace of plugins, translation memory, and machine learning pre-translation.
Pros: Very customizable workflows.
Cons: The UI can be overwhelming for non-technical support managers.

5. Localize

Best for: Teams who want to "set and forget" their entire web presence.

Localize works by detecting text on your pages and providing a translation layer, which can include your Intercom Help Center.

Key Features: Automatic content detection, visual editor.
Pros: Captures content that might sit outside of Intercom's API.
Cons: More of a "proxy" solution; can be more difficult to fine-tune specific Article metadata.

The Verdict: Which one should you choose?

If you need to translate your Help Center today without a complex project: TranslateDesk is the clear winner.
If you need real-time Inbox chat assistance: Lingpad is your best bet.
If you are an Enterprise with a dedicated localization team: Lokalise or Crowdin.

Ready to see how easy Intercom translation can be? Try TranslateDesk for free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best app for translating Intercom Help Center articles?

For pure Help Center translation with minimal setup, TranslateDesk is the top choice — it's Intercom-native, uses DeepL for high-quality translations, and installs directly from the Intercom App Store. For teams that also need real-time inbox translation, Lingpad offers strong Messenger integration. Enterprise teams with existing localization workflows may prefer Lokalise or Crowdin.

Does Intercom have built-in translation?

Intercom supports creating articles in multiple languages, but does not automatically translate content. You need to provide translations yourself or use a third-party app. The Intercom Help Center will display the appropriate language version based on the customer's browser settings.

How much does it cost to translate Intercom articles?

Costs vary by tool. TranslateDesk uses a credit-based model starting with 5 free translations, then cents per article. Lingpad offers subscription + per-word pricing. Lokalise starts at $120/month. Crowdin offers a free tier for open-source and team plans from $33/month. The right choice depends on your volume and whether you need Help Center only or also inbox translation.

Can I use Google Translate with Intercom?

There's no native Google Translate integration for Intercom Help Center articles. You could manually translate text and paste it, but you'd lose formatting and links. Tools like TranslateDesk, Crowdin, and Lingpad connect to professional translation engines (DeepL, Google Translate, etc.) and preserve formatting automatically.

What's the difference between TranslateDesk and Lingpad?

TranslateDesk focuses on Help Center article translation with one-click sync and uses DeepL for high-quality output. Lingpad specializes in real-time inbox translation with a chat widget for support agents. If your priority is Help Center articles, TranslateDesk is simpler. If you need agents to reply in customers' languages in real-time, Lingpad has an edge.

Which translation app works with the Intercom App Store?

TranslateDesk is available directly on the Intercom App Store for native one-click installation. Most other tools (Lingpad, Lokalise, Crowdin, Localize) are standalone apps that connect via API but require separate account creation outside of Intercom.

Intercom Translation — Your complete guide to translating Intercom Help Center articles.
Does Intercom Support Translation? Native Features vs. Best Tools — A deep dive into what Intercom offers natively and where it falls short.
Best Practices for Managing Translated Content — How to keep your multilingual knowledge base organized at scale.
Zendesk to Intercom Migration: The Multilingual Guide — Switching platforms? Don't lose your translations.
TranslateDesk vs. Lokalise — How we compare to enterprise localization platforms.
TranslateDesk vs. Crowdin — A focused comparison for Intercom teams.