Everything you need to know about SocketsIO Translation API
SocketsIO is a translation API that supports 195 languages. It's compatible with the Google Translate v2 API format, so you can switch from Google with minimal code changes — just update the base URL and API key.
1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds)
2. Get your API key from the dashboard
3. Make your first API call
Free tier gives you 500,000 characters/month — no credit card required.
Register at socketsio.com/signup. Your API key is generated instantly. Use it with the X-API-Key header, Authorization: Bearer, or ?key= query parameter.
Yes. We provide official SDKs for Python and JavaScript/Node.js. Both are available on GitHub with full documentation.
Yes. SocketsIO uses the same request/response format as Google Cloud Translation v2. Change translation.googleapis.com to api.socketsio.com and swap your API key. That's it.
195 languages, including all major languages and many regional ones. Use the /v1/languages endpoint to get the full list.
Free: 10 req/min | Basic: 60 req/min | Pro: 300 req/min | Enterprise: unlimited.
Rate limit headers are included in every response so you can track usage.
Single text: <150ms average. Batch requests scale linearly. Our infrastructure runs on Google Cloud for low-latency global access.
Yes. Pass an array of strings in the q parameter to translate multiple texts in a single request. This is more efficient than individual calls.
Yes. Use the /v1/detect endpoint. It returns the detected language code and confidence score. Auto-detection also works in the translate endpoint — just omit the source parameter.
Three options: X-API-Key header (recommended), Authorization: Bearer <key>, or ?key=<key> query parameter.
You'll receive a 429 Too Many Requests response. Upgrade your plan or wait for the monthly reset. We never charge overage fees without your consent.
Yes. Set the format parameter to html in your request. The API preserves HTML tags and only translates the visible text content — attributes, scripts, and styles are left untouched.
Yes. With sub-150ms latency and straightforward HTTP API, SocketsIO is well-suited for real-time chat translation. Integrate directly into your WebSocket message handler.
Single text: up to 5,000 characters. Batch requests: up to 128 strings per request, each up to 5,000 characters. For larger documents, split into chunks and use batch mode.
Free: 500K chars/month, 10 req/min
Basic ($9/mo): 2M chars/month, 60 req/min
Pro ($29/mo): 10M chars/month, 300 req/min
Enterprise: Custom pricing
That's up to 90% cheaper than Google Translate API. → Calculate your savings
Yes. 500,000 characters per month, forever free. No credit card required to sign up.
Monthly subscription. Character usage resets on the 1st of each month. You can upgrade or downgrade anytime. Payments are processed securely by Stripe.
Contact us for annual plans with additional discounts. → Get in touch
Yes. We offer a 7-day money-back guarantee for first-time paid plan subscribers. Contact [email protected] to request a refund.
No. Translation texts are processed in real-time and never stored. We only log request counts and character usage for billing purposes.
Yes. All API traffic uses HTTPS/TLS 1.3. We enforce HSTS headers. Unencrypted HTTP requests are redirected to HTTPS.
Yes. We don't store personal data beyond account information. Translation content is never logged or retained. → Full Privacy Policy
API keys are stored as hashed values — we never store them in plaintext. If you suspect your key is compromised, regenerate it instantly from the dashboard. Old keys are invalidated immediately.
Same quality (we use the same translation engine), same API format, 90% lower price. Google charges $20/M characters. We charge $2.90/M on Pro plan.
DeepL supports 33 languages at $25/M characters. SocketsIO supports 195 languages at $2.90/M characters. DeepL has better quality for European languages; we cover far more languages at a fraction of the cost.
Yes. Our API is drop-in compatible with Google Translate v2. Change the base URL, swap the API key, done. Most migrations take under 5 minutes.