Top 5 Free Tools to Edit and Translate .po Files (Mac & Windows)

If you try to open a .po file in Notepad or TextEdit, you are going to have a bad time.

While .po (Portable Object) files are technically text files, they have a strict structure. One missing quote or a misplaced whitespace can render the file unreadable by WordPress. To work with them safely, you need a dedicated Gettext editor.

Whether you are a developer looking to fix a typo or a site owner trying to translate a plugin, here are the top 5 free tools to edit .po files on Mac and Windows—and why you might want to skip them all for a cloud-based automator.

1. PoEdit (The Industry Standard)

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

If you ask any old-school WordPress developer how they translate files, they will say "PoEdit." It is the Photoshop of translation files.

• Pros:
  • Visual Interface: It cleanly separates the "Source Text" from the "Translation," making it easy to see what you are doing.
  • Syntax Highlighting: It highlights variables like %s in different colors so you don't delete them.
  • Validation: It warns you if you miss a plural form.
• Cons:
  • Manual Labor: The free version is essentially a typewriter. You have to type every translation by hand.
  • Paywall: The automatic translation feature is locked behind a "Pro" license.

2. Loco Translate (The Plugin)

Platform: Web (WordPress Plugin)

Loco Translate is incredibly popular because it lives inside your WordPress dashboard.

• Pros:
  • Convenience: You don't need to download files via FTP. You just click and edit.
  • Free: The core features are free.
• Cons:
  • Performance: As we discussed in previous articles, editing files on your live server uses CPU resources and can bloat your database.
  • Risk: One wrong click can break your live site instantly since you are editing production files.

3. Notepad++ / VS Code (The Developer Way)

Platform: Windows / Mac

If you are a coder, you might be tempted to just use your code editor.

• Pros:
  • Fast: No new software to install.
  • Search/Replace: Powerful regex capabilities for bulk changes.
• Cons:
  • High Danger: These editors treat .po files as raw text. They won't warn you if you accidentally delete a msgstr tag or leave an unclosed quote. It is very easy to corrupt the file.

4. EazyPo (The Basic Web Tool)

Platform: Web-based

There are several simple online viewers where you upload a file to edit it.

• Pros:
  • No Install: Good for a quick fix on a public computer.
• Cons:
  • File Limits: Most crash on large files (>1MB).
  • Privacy: You are uploading your data to a random server with unclear privacy policies.

5. GlotPress (The Community Tool)

Platform: Web (Self-Hosted)

This is what WordPress.org uses for its own translation.

• Pros:
  • Collaboration: Great for teams where 10 people translate at once.
• Cons:
  • Complexity: Installing GlotPress is a technical project in itself. It is overkill for 99% of users.

The Problem with "Editors" vs. "Automators"

All 5 tools above share the same problem: They are Editors.

They assume you are the translator. They provide the canvas, but you have to bring the paint. If you have a WooCommerce file with 4,000 strings, using PoEdit means you have to manually type 4,000 sentences. That is days of work.

The Alternative: SimplePoTranslate

Why edit when you can automate?

SimplePoTranslate is not just an editor; it is a processor.

• Don't Type: We use Context-Aware AI to fill in all 4,000 strings for you in minutes.
• Don't Worry About Syntax: While PoEdit warns you about syntax errors, we prevent them. Our Syntax Locking technology ensures code variables are untouched.
• Cloud Power: Unlike Loco Translate, we don't slow down your site. You upload, we process, you download.

If you need to change one specific word (e.g., change "Cart" to "Basket"), PoEdit is great. But if you need to translate an entire file? Manual editors are obsolete.

Stop typing. Start automating. Try the Free Tier at SimplePoTranslate.com