PDFMathTranslate
Open-source tool that translates scientific PDFs with AI and keeps formulas, charts and layout. Free to install.
AI WritingFreeverified Listed on Open source
Is PDFMathTranslate free?
Yes, PDFMathTranslate has a free plan. What you get: Open source (AGPL-3.0): install free; also a free public online demo. To get it: install with pip or uv, or run the Docker image; then run pdf2zh on your PDF; then or use the public online service. Watch out: the online demo has limited computing resources. Verified on github.com.
Free plan at a glance
- Includes
- Open source (AGPL-3.0): install free; also a free public online demo
The software is free and open source. The hosted demo is free but has limited computing resources; services such as OpenAI or DeepL are billed by their own providers.
- Duration
- Free forever
How to get it free
Self-host- Install with pip or uv, or run the Docker image
- Run pdf2zh on your PDF
- Or use the public online service
Good to know
- The online demo has limited computing resources
github.com, Checked Source
Overview
PDFMathTranslate translates whole PDF papers into another language while preserving formulas, charts, the table of contents and annotations. It is open source under AGPL-3.0, and you can run it yourself or try a free public online demo.
Key features
- Keeps formulas, charts, table of contents and annotations in the translated PDF
- Works with several translation services, including Google, DeepL, Ollama and OpenAI
- Command line tool, browser interface, Docker image and Zotero plugin
- Outputs a translated PDF and a bilingual PDF
- Can translate only chosen pages
- MCP mode for use from AI assistants
Best for
- People
- Researchers reading papers in another language, Students, Developers who want to self-host a PDF translator
Limitations
- The public online demo has limited computing resources
- Installing it yourself needs Python 3.11 to 3.12 or Docker
- The AI layout model can be hard to download in some regions
FAQ
- Is PDFMathTranslate free?
- Yes. PDFMathTranslate has a free plan: Open source (AGPL-3.0): install free; also a free public online demo. We last checked github.com's pricing page on 2026-11-12.
- What does the PDFMathTranslate free plan include?
- Open source (AGPL-3.0): install free; also a free public online demo. Source: https://github.com/PDFMathTranslate/PDFMathTranslate (checked 2026-11-12).
- How do I get PDFMathTranslate for free?
- Steps: Install with pip or uv, or run the Docker image; Run pdf2zh on your PDF; Or use the public online service. Start at https://github.com/PDFMathTranslate/PDFMathTranslate (checked 2026-10-22).
- Do I need an account to use PDFMathTranslate for free?
- Not for the free option: the free route is to self-host PDFMathTranslate (Install with pip or uv, or run the Docker image). Checked 2026-10-22.
- What's the catch with PDFMathTranslate's free plan?
- The online demo has limited computing resources. Checked 2026-10-22.
- What are free alternatives to PDFMathTranslate?
- Jenni AI, Lara Translate and Paperpal all have free plans. We checked their free offers on 2026-11-12.
- Is there a free online version?
- Yes. The README points to a public free service online without installation, plus demos on HuggingFace and ModelScope. The maker notes the demo's computing resources are limited.Source: github.com/PDFMathTranslate/PDFMathTranslate
- Which translation services does it support?
- The README says it supports Google, DeepL, Ollama and OpenAI, and uses Google as the default service.Source: github.com/PDFMathTranslate/PDFMathTranslate
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Sources
- Free offer
- Verified on github.com/PDFMathTranslate/PDFMathTranslate
…work is open-sourced at https://github.com/byaidu/pdfmathtranslate with more than 222k…
- Page content
Checked against
Added by our team. We check that a free option exists and record the date; signing up is between you and PDFMathTranslate, so read their privacy policy and terms first.
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