What is Better i18n?
Better i18n is a localization platform built for modern development teams. It replaces the traditional workflow of managing JSON translation files in your codebase with a cloud-based system that delivers translations via a global CDN.
How it works
- You write code using translation keys like
t('welcome.title')in your app - The CLI scans your codebase and syncs keys to the Better i18n dashboard
- You translate — manually, with AI, or with human translators
- You publish — translations go live on the CDN in seconds
- Your app fetches translations at runtime — no rebuild or redeploy needed
Key concepts
Projects
A project maps to one app or website. It has a unique identifier in org/project format (e.g., acme/dashboard). Each project has its own set of translation keys, languages, and team members.
Translation keys
Keys are identifiers like common.save_button or auth.login_title that map to translated strings in each language. They're organized into namespaces for logical grouping and lazy-loading.
CDN delivery
Published translations are served from a global CDN with sub-100ms latency worldwide. SDKs fetch translations at runtime with a multi-layer fallback chain:
- In-memory cache (60s TTL)
- CDN fetch
- Persistent storage (mobile/offline)
- Static fallback data
This means your app always has translations available, even if the network is temporarily down.
Framework SDKs
Better i18n provides first-party SDKs for:
- Next.js — with ISR support and middleware
- React + TanStack Router — SSR-ready provider
- Remix / Shopify Hydrogen — loader-based integration
- Expo / React Native — with offline storage
- Flutter — pure Dart + Flutter widgets
- Server-side — Hono, Express, and any Node.js server
What makes it different?
| Traditional i18n | Better i18n |
|---|---|
| JSON files in repo | Cloud-managed, CDN-delivered |
| Rebuild to update translations | Publish and see changes in ~60 seconds |
| Manual translation workflows | AI translation with context + glossary |
| No visibility for translators | Dashboard with roles, review queues |
| CLI-only key management | CLI + Dashboard + MCP for AI agents |
Next steps
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