Forrester's first evaluation of localization services, scoring 11 providers across 27 criteria. Smartling was named a Leader.


AI made content easy to produce and made choosing who translates it considerably harder. Every provider now describes itself as AI-first, and until this evaluation, very few had been tested on it by anyone independent. Forrester assessed 11 localization services providers against 27 criteria built for how this work actually happens now, with AI in the workflow, governance under real scrutiny, and quality you have to be able to prove.

 

Why this evaluation matters

Until now, choosing a localization partner meant weighing RFP responses, reference calls, and reputations against each other with no common standard to measure them by.

This report gives the category that standard. Whether you are building a shortlist, preparing for a renewal, or making the internal case for a change, the criteria are published, the reasoning behind every result is visible, and all 11 providers were measured the same way.

Forrester's criteria are also the questions worth asking any provider you are considering: how quality is governed, how models are controlled, how AI risk is managed, how the work connects to the systems you already run, and how all of it gets measured.

 

wave-creative-grid-2026-final-lpWhat's inside

  • How all 11 providers were assessed, and the reasoning behind each result
  • The 27 criteria Forrester used in the evaluation
  • Which providers received above-average customer feedback, and how Forrester gathered it
  • Forrester's view of how the market is splitting as AI reshapes it
  • What mature quality governance, model control, and AI risk management look like in practice

Smartling in the evaluation

Smartling was named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Localization Services, Q3 2026.

Forrester's evaluation states that Smartling "excels at turning fragmented enterprise localization into an automated, measurable production model." The evaluation also states that Smartling is "a strong fit for enterprises that want an AI-forward localization platform with deep integration, automation, and governance for quality and brand."

Smartling also received above-average customer feedback in the evaluation. Including Smartling, only two vendors in the whole evaluation received above-average customer feedback. That feedback came from live interviews Forrester conducted with Smartling customers.


How Forrester ran the evaluation

Forrester Wave evaluations score providers against a published set of criteria, drawing on vendor briefings, product demonstrations, and live interviews with each provider's customers. Criteria are set before the evaluation begins and published alongside the results, so you can see how every result was reached.

 

Get the report

Read the full evaluation, including the criteria, the methodology, and how all 11 providers were assessed.

 

Objectivity statement

Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. This report is part of a broader collection of Forrester resources, including interactive models, frameworks, tools, data, and access to analyst guidance. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity here .