BetterSend vs Google Translate
What is the best AI translator for WhatsApp Web?
For reading, Google Translate's extension and DeepL's extension both translate text you select, for free, on WhatsApp Web. For a workflow built into the chat, BetterSend adds a Translate button under each received message, an Explain button for slang and idioms, and an Improve button that rewrites your reply in a chosen tone and language. If you only need to read the occasional message, the free extensions are enough; if you reply in another language every day, BetterSend saves the copy and paste.
Last checked 2026-10-06
WhatsApp Web has no translation of its own, so people reach for a browser extension. Google's own extension translates text you highlight or right-click and is free; page translation is now built into Chrome rather than the extension. DeepL's extension does the same with DeepL's engine, with character limits on the free tier and unlimited translation on DeepL Pro.
BetterSend is a different shape of tool. It is a Chrome extension for twelve work platforms, WhatsApp Web included, and a desktop app that works inside the native WhatsApp app on macOS and Windows. Translate and Explain act on messages you receive; Improve rewrites the message you are about to send, in one of 13 tones, from any language.
BetterSend is for
People who chat with colleagues or clients in another language on WhatsApp every day and want to translate, understand and reply without leaving the conversation.
Google Translate is for
Anyone who occasionally needs to read a message in another language and wants a free, one-step translation of selected text.
| Feature | BetterSend | Google Translate |
|---|---|---|
| Translating a received message | A Translate button under each message in WhatsApp Web, into any of 44 languages. On the desktop app, double-click a message in the native WhatsApp app. | Google Translate: highlight or right-click the text and click the Translate icon. DeepL: select the text and click the DeepL icon. Both are free; DeepL's free tier has character limits. |
| Understanding slang and idioms | An Explain button describes jargon, slang or idioms in the received message. | Google Translate and DeepL translate the words. Neither has an explain action. |
| Writing your reply | Improve rewrites your draft in a chosen tone and output language. Write in Portuguese, get English or Spanish back. | Google Translate: translate your text elsewhere and paste it in. DeepL: its extension can translate editable text in place and DeepL Write can improve it, with style and tone options. |
| Tone control | 13 tones, for example Friendly, Professional, Diplomatic, Concise. 3 free, 10 Pro. | Google Translate: none. DeepL Write: formal, neutral and casual style and tone options, per DeepL's support article on the browser extensions. |
| Native WhatsApp desktop app | Yes. BetterSend's desktop app works inside the native WhatsApp app on macOS and Windows. | No. Both extensions work only in the browser. |
| Mobile | No mobile app. | Google Translate and DeepL both have mobile apps; copy and paste between them and WhatsApp. |
| Free plan | Free plan: 50 actions per month and 3 tones (Professional, Friendly, Grammar fix). | Google Translate extension: free, no account. DeepL: free tier with 50,000 characters per month across DeepL's free products as of October 2026; the Chrome Web Store listing says free-tier text may be used to improve DeepL's algorithms. |
| Price | Pro is US$ 4.99 per month or US$ 39.99 per year as of October 2026, with all 13 tones and unlimited actions. In Brazil, Pix: 6 months for the price of 4 (R$ 99.60). | Google Translate: free. DeepL Individual: 7.49 euros per month billed annually on DeepL's EU pricing page, about US$ 8.74 in the US, as of October 2026. |
| Privacy | Message text is never stored; only metadata such as the action type and token count. Nothing is sent on your behalf; you always choose what to send. | Google: translated text goes to Google; read its privacy policy. DeepL: the extension listing advises not to process confidential data on the free version; Pro plans carry a data-protection commitment. |
Verdict
If you only read messages in another language now and then, the Google Translate extension is free and good enough, and DeepL's extension gives better quality for European languages. If you also write replies in another language and want them to sound right, BetterSend does translate, explain and rewrite in the chat itself, and the free plan covers 50 actions a month, so you can see whether that is worth US$ 4.99.
Common questions
Does BetterSend translate WhatsApp messages automatically?
No. Each message gets a Translate button and you press it when you want. Nothing is sent or changed on its own.
Can I use DeepL inside WhatsApp Web?
Yes. DeepL's Chrome extension translates selected text and its listing names WhatsApp among supported sites. The free tier has character limits; DeepL Pro removes them.
Does BetterSend work in the WhatsApp desktop app?
Yes. The BetterSend desktop app for macOS and Windows adds a chip to the composer in the native WhatsApp app, and double-clicking a received message translates or explains it.
Find the right tone in one click
Get the desktop app for macOS or Windows, or install the Chrome extension. Same account, the same 13 tones.
Sources
- BetterSend (checked 2026-10-06)
- Google Translate extension on the Chrome Web Store (checked 2026-10-06)
- DeepL for Chrome (checked 2026-10-06)
- DeepL support: Improve text with the browser extensions (checked 2026-10-06)
- DeepL extension on the Chrome Web Store (checked 2026-10-06)
- DeepL Pro plans (checked 2026-10-06)
- DeepL Write (checked 2026-10-06)