For translating anything offline, Google Translate is the better pick for most travelers: it is free, its App Store listing says it translates between up to 249 languages, and after you download a language it translates with no internet connection, including through the camera for some languages. iTranslate covers similar ground and has a large ready-made phrasebook, but its own site lists offline mode, camera and voice translation as iTranslate PRO features. Roam Offline, which we make, is not a full translator: it is a travel companion with an on-device AI guide, a short phrasebook, country essentials, and camera translation of menus and signs into English. If you use Roam Offline, you'll probably still want a translator alongside it (Google's, or Apple's built-in Translate app).
Who wrote this: the maker of Roam Offline (Vilde Vevatne, an independent developer). Roam Offline is our app, so read our view of it with that in mind. Nobody paid to be included here, and there are no affiliate links. Facts about other apps come from their own App Store listings, websites and help pages, checked November 8, 2026; prices are US App Store prices and can change.
At a glance
| Google Translate | iTranslate | Roam Offline (ours) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Text, photo and voice translator | Translator and dictionary with phrasebook | Offline travel companion: AI guide, phrasebook, country essentials, camera translate |
| Price (US) | Free | Free download; PRO listed at $9.99/week, $12.99–$14.99/month or $99.99/year; 7-day free trial on its site | Free; Roam Pro $2.99/month or $14.99/year; no free trial |
| Needs | iOS 18 or later | iOS 14 or later | iOS 17 or later |
| Languages | Up to 249; features vary by language | 100+ for text; 41 offline (text), 5 offline (voice) | Phrasebook: English + 13; camera translate: into English only |
| Offline text translation | Yes, after downloading languages | Yes, with downloaded packs; PRO | No free-form text translation |
| Camera translation | Yes; works offline for some downloaded languages | Yes (Lens); PRO | Yes, menus and signs into English; Pro; translated on the phone |
| Voice and conversation | Dictation, conversations, live transcribe | Voice-to-voice; offline voice in 5 languages; PRO | No |
| Phrasebook | Star and save your own | 250+ predefined phrases, custom phrasebook, voices | 17 hand-picked phrases with written pronunciation, no audio |
| Travel guide and country basics | No | No | On-device AI guide (3 free questions); emergency numbers, tipping, plugs and currency for 48 countries |
| App Store privacy label | "Data Linked to You" (includes identifiers, usage data, coarse location) | "Data Used to Track You" (usage data) and "Data Linked to You" | "Data Not Collected"; no account |
| App Store rating | 4.3 (84K ratings) | 4.7 (532K ratings) | 5.0 (1 rating) |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column. Privacy labels are self-reported by each developer and not verified by Apple.
What Google Translate does better
- Range. Far more languages than either of the others, and it is free.
- Everything a translator should do: typing, camera, voice, conversations and live transcription, in one app.
- Offline when set up: download a language on Wi-Fi and it translates with no internet; some downloaded languages also work with the camera (Google Help).
What iTranslate does better
- A real ready-made phrasebook: 250+ predefined phrases, your own phrase collections, and male or female voices.
- Learning extras: verb conjugations, dictionary, flashcards and widgets.
- The catch: on its own site, offline mode, camera and voice translation are PRO features, and PRO costs more than Roam Pro.
What Roam Offline does differently
- It answers travel questions, not just translations: an on-device AI guide for tipping, transport and customs, plus emergency numbers, plugs and currency for 48 countries.
- Nothing to download per language: the phrasebook and country data come with the app. The AI guide needs Apple Intelligence or a one-time model download (about 590 MB), and camera translate uses Apple's on-device translation, which may ask to download a language the first time: open both once on Wi-Fi before you fly.
- No account, no data collected, per its App Store privacy label.
- Where it falls short: no audio, a short phrase list, no typed or spoken translation, camera translation into English only, and it is new (one App Store rating as of November 8, 2026).
And Apple's own Translate app
If you have an iPhone, you already have a free offline translator. Apple's Translate app translates typed or spoken phrases, plays the audio, and has a camera mode for menus and signs; download your languages and set on-device translation to "Always" to keep everything on the phone (translate, camera, settings). Apple notes translation is available for supported languages only.
Which should you use?
- You need to read, type or speak any language: Google Translate or Apple Translate. Download languages before you go.
- You want a big phrase list with voices and will pay for it: iTranslate PRO.
- You want offline answers to "how does it work here?" and the arrival basics in one place, with no account: Roam Offline, next to a translator.
More on this: offline phrasebook apps with pronunciation, offline AI travel guide apps and getting good results from camera translation.
Sources
- Google Translate on the App Store (languages, features, iOS requirement, privacy label, rating), checked Nov 8, 2026
- Google Translate Help: Download languages to use offline, checked Nov 8, 2026
- iTranslate on the App Store (features, in-app prices, iOS requirement, privacy label, rating), checked Nov 8, 2026
- iTranslate: Offline translation (41 offline text languages, 5 offline voice, PRO vs free, 7-day trial), checked Nov 8, 2026
- Roam Offline on the App Store (description, prices, privacy label, rating), checked Nov 8, 2026
- Apple Support: Translate words and phrases, Use the camera in the Translate app, Change your Translate settings, checked Nov 8, 2026