I'm trying to organize a community translation project for an open-source app, and I'm overwhelmed by the options for where to host it. I've looked at a few crowdsourcing collaboration platforms, but they all seem geared towards either massive corporate projects or very simple tasks. Is there a good middle-ground tool that works for a volunteer group of maybe twenty people who need to discuss nuances as they work?
Weblate can be a sweet spot for a volunteer group of around twenty, because it's a real collaboration platform that sits between a heavy enterprise system and a simple task board. It’s open source, supports self-hosting or a hosted service, and it plugs straight into Git workflows so translators can work in context. It also gives you per string comments, glossaries, review workflows, and automatic syncing with your repo, which helps you keep nuance and discussion tied to actual changes. citeturn0search0turn0search3
Pootle is another open-source option; it's older but functional and acts as a translation management system with translation memory and glossaries; it's a lighter weight alternative if you don't need heavy automation. citeturn0search4turn0search2
If you’re okay with a more Git-centric approach, you can run translation workflows inside GitHub or GitLab using issues and pull requests. It’s not a dedicated TMS, but for a small team it can be incredibly flexible, topic-specific discussions stay with the code, and you don’t pay extra.
For OSS friendly hosted options, Transifex offers an Open Source program that can provide free or discounted access for eligible projects; it’s a cloud-based translation management platform with built-in review and automation tools. citeturn0search1
Consider a quick pilot: pick 2 languages, a single file, and a minimal translation task; compare speed, discussion quality, and overhead. That will tell you if a custom setup or a ready-made platform fits your needs without diving into a big commitment.