TwinreadTranslate a PDF side by side in Chrome
Updated
Open the PDF, click Twinread and choose Read this PDF in Twinread. Each paragraph appears with its translation under it. It works on PDFs that contain text, not scans, and the first 5 pages of any PDF are free.
Google Chrome 138 or later, or a Chromium browser with the built-in Translator API, on desktop. No account, no API key.
Steps
- Open the PDF in Chrome and click the Twinread icon. If the tab is a PDF, a button says Read this PDF in Twinread.
- The reader opens in a new tab. For a file on your computer, choose it or drop it on the page.
- Pick the two languages under From and To. Leave From on automatic detection if you are not sure.
- Scroll. Twinread translates paragraph by paragraph as you reach them, and the translation sits under the original.
What it reads
Text PDFs only. Twinread strips running headers and footers and rebuilds paragraphs from the text on each page. A scan has no text, so there is nothing to rebuild, and the reader tells you the PDF is images of text. Free reads the first 5 pages of any PDF. Pro reads all of it and can save a bilingual copy as an HTML file.
When another tool fits better
Scanned papers, ePub files and layouts where the page design has to stay intact need a tool with OCR or document conversion. Immersive Translate lists PDF translation among its features, and Twinread’s PDF reader is built for reading text, not for keeping the layout. The comparison covers the rest.
Pro costs €5 for a month, €39 for a year or €69 once. Nothing renews. Twinread is built from reader feedback, and the roadmap page is where to ask for what the PDF reader lacks.
Questions
Can Chrome translate a PDF side by side?
Not with the built-in page translation, which does not show the original beside the text. Twinread has a PDF reader that shows each paragraph with its translation under it, for PDFs that contain text.
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
No. If the PDF is images of text, Twinread says so and stops. It does no OCR.
How much of a PDF is free?
The first 5 pages of any PDF. Pro reads the whole document and saves a bilingual copy.
Does the PDF leave my computer?
The translating happens on your computer. When you open a PDF from a web address, Twinread downloads it after you click the button for it.
Read a PDF in two languages
The first 5 pages of any PDF are free. Chrome does the translating on your computer.
Google Chrome 138 or later, or a Chromium browser with the built-in Translator API, on desktop. No account, no API key.
More guides
Sources: Twinread's own pricing and PDF reader, 6 October 2026. Twinread is an independent product and is not affiliated with Immersive Translate.