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Side by side translation extension for Chrome

Side by side translation shows the original text and its translation together, so you can check one against the other. Twinread does this in Chrome by putting the translation directly under each paragraph. It uses Chrome's built-in translator, runs on your computer, and needs no account.

Needs Google Chrome 138 or later on desktop. No account, no API key.

Two ways to show both languages

Some tools show two columns, the original on the left and the translation on the right. Others put each translation under its paragraph. Twinread does the second. Each pair stays together, so your eyes move down the page once and there is no second pane to scroll in step. It does not offer a two-column layout.

Set it up in five steps

1. Install Twinread from the Chrome Web Store. It needs Google Chrome 138 or later on desktop.
2. A welcome page opens. Choose your two languages, then press "Download the language model now". Chrome downloads a small model once for each language pair. After that, translation works without a connection.
3. Open a page in the language you want to read. It must be an https page.
4. Click the Twinread button in the toolbar, then "Translate this page". Alt+A does the same. Visible paragraphs come first, and text that loads as you scroll is picked up.
5. Read. The bar at the bottom right switches between Bilingual, Translation only and Show original, without translating again.

Chrome lets a page use its language model only after a click, once for each website. The toolbar button and the shortcuts count as that click. If a Start translating button appears, press it once.

Choose how the translation looks

There are four looks for the translation: Subtle, Underline, Highlight, and Dim the original. Pick one in the popup and it applies at once. Subtle keeps the translation quieter than the original. Highlight makes it stand out.

Translate less than the whole page

Select text on any page and a small card shows the translation, with a copy button. Alt+Shift+S translates the selection from the keyboard. Hold Alt over a paragraph to translate only that paragraph.

What it leaves alone

Code, forms, editable areas, hidden text and one-word menu labels are not translated. Text already in your language is skipped. Links in the original stay clickable, and Show original brings the page back untouched with one click.

Limits

• Google Chrome 138 or later, on desktop. Other browsers, including other Chromium builds, cannot run Chrome's built-in translator, and Twinread says so.
• Pages served over https only. Chrome does not turn its translator on for plain http pages.
• One translation engine: Chrome's. You cannot switch to another service or an AI model.
• Web pages only. Chrome keeps its own pages, the Web Store and the PDF viewer off limits to extensions.

Everything above is free, with no limit on pages or length. Pro adds sites that translate as they load, translation of what you type, a glossary and custom styles, and new installs get 7 days of it. See the pricing. If you need more engines or PDFs, read the comparison with Immersive Translate.

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