A bilingual_book_maker alternative that runs in your browser
bilingual_book_maker is a free, open source command line tool. Easy Book Translation gives you a bilingual ePub without Python, API keys or a terminal.
Easy Book Translation vs bilingual_book_maker
Official site: https://github.com/yihong0618/bilingual_book_maker
bilingual_book_maker is an open source Python project under the MIT license. You run it from the command line or with Docker, point it at a book and at a translation service you choose, and it writes a new file with _bilingual added to the name. It reads ePub, TXT, Markdown, SRT subtitles and PDF, and it has many options: a glossary file, a session mode that keeps recurring names stable, translation only output, resuming after an interruption, and translating chosen paragraphs again.
Easy Book Translation aims at the same kind of result for readers who do not want to set anything up. You upload an ePub in the browser, we build a glossary for the whole book, translate every paragraph on our servers, and put each translation under its original paragraph. There is no API key to manage and nothing to install, and you can edit any paragraph before you export.
The trade is simple. bilingual_book_maker is free software that gives you full control, and you pay only for the translation service you connect. We are a paid service that does the setup for you. The table only uses what its README states and what our product does today.
| Topic | Easy Book Translation | bilingual_book_maker |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A web app, nothing to install | An open source command line tool, MIT license |
| Setup | Sign in and upload | Python 3.10 or newer, or Docker |
| Files it accepts | ePub only, up to 50 MB | ePub, TXT, Markdown, SRT and PDF |
| Output | Bilingual ePub with each translation under its original paragraph | A _bilingual file for each input; translation only with --single_translate |
| Translation service | Included, no API key | Your own key or endpoint: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and more, or engines like Google Translate and DeepL |
| Names and terms | Glossary built automatically, editable in the app | Glossary file with --glossary, and a session mode that keeps recurring names stable |
| Fixing a paragraph | Edit it in the built in editor, then export again | --retranslate translates chosen paragraphs again |
| Interruptions | Progress is saved, close the tab and come back later | --resume continues after an interruption |
| Price | Per book from $2.99, or $9.9 per month | Free software; you pay the translation service you connect |
When to choose bilingual_book_maker instead
- You are comfortable with a terminal and want full control over the model, the prompt and every option.
- You want free, open source software you can run on your own computer or server.
- You already pay for an AI API or a Codex subscription and want to use that quota.
- You need TXT, Markdown, subtitles or PDF, not only ePub.
Sources
Facts about the other product come only from its own site, docs or README. Products change, so check the linked pages for the latest details.
- Open source under the MIT license. https://github.com/yihong0618/bilingual_book_maker/blob/main/README.md (checked on 2026-09-27)
- Needs Python 3.10 or newer; a Docker image is also published. https://github.com/yihong0618/bilingual_book_maker/blob/main/README.md (checked on 2026-09-27)
- Works with epub, txt, md, srt and pdf files; an ePub input produces a file named book_name_bilingual.epub. https://github.com/yihong0618/bilingual_book_maker/blob/main/README.md (checked on 2026-09-27)
- Supports OpenAI and Anthropic format endpoints, other providers such as Gemini, and machine translation engines such as Google, DeepL, Caiyun and Tencent; a Codex subscription can also be used. https://github.com/yihong0618/bilingual_book_maker/blob/main/README.md (checked on 2026-09-27)
- Has a --glossary option and a session mode that keeps recurring names stable across the book. https://github.com/yihong0618/bilingual_book_maker/blob/main/README.md (checked on 2026-09-27)
- Has --single_translate for translation only output, --resume after an interruption, and --retranslate for chosen paragraphs. https://github.com/yihong0618/bilingual_book_maker/blob/main/README.md (checked on 2026-09-27)
See it before you try it
Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen · Chapters 1–2, sample · English → Simplified Chinese
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
凡是有钱的单身汉，总想娶位太太，这已经成了一条举世公认的真理。
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
尽管这样的男人第一次来到一个地区时，他的感情或看法如何，人们知道得很少，但这条真理在邻近的各个家庭中却是如此根深蒂固，以致于他被视为他们某个女儿理所当然的财产。
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”
“亲爱的班纳特先生，”他的太太有一天对他说，“你听说尼日斐花园终于出租了吗？”
These files are the pipeline's real output. Download one and open it in Apple Books, Calibre or any ePub reader.
Built for whole books
Names stay themselves
Before translating, we read through your book and build a glossary of people, places and special terms. Every request carries it, so “Mr. Darcy” is the same person on page 3 and page 300, and you can edit the glossary yourself.
Your book, not a rebuild
Translations are inserted into the original file, right after each paragraph. Chapters, images, footnotes, fonts and styles stay exactly where the publisher put them.
Every line editable
Disagree with a sentence? Click it, fix it, re-export. The built-in editor covers every paragraph and the glossary.
Impossible to lose work
Every finished batch is saved instantly. Close the tab, lose your connection or cancel, and the next run picks up exactly where it stopped.
A novel in minutes
Dozens of parallel requests with speed that adapts to the model. A full-length novel typically lands in 10–30 minutes.
Reads anywhere
The output is a standard ePub. If it reads books, it reads yours: Apple Books, Kindle via Send-to-Kindle, Calibre, KOReader.
How it works
Upload your ePub
We read every paragraph, pull the cover, and build a glossary of names and terms so the whole book is translated consistently.
We translate it
Paragraph by paragraph, dozens of requests in parallel. Watch live progress, or close the tab and come back later while it keeps going.
Download the bilingual book
Each translation sits right under its original paragraph. Edit anything you like, export, and read in any ePub reader.
Simple pricing
Per book
Pay once for the book you upload. The exact price is quoted up-front from its length and covers the whole translation.
Monthly
For readers with a stack. A generous monthly allowance covers several full-length books.
Questions, answered
Is Easy Book Translation built on bilingual_book_maker?
No. It has its own translation pipeline and its own ePub builder. Both tools share the idea of placing each translation under its original paragraph.
Do I need an API key?
No. Translation is included in the price. With bilingual_book_maker you connect your own key or endpoint, which gives you more choice of models.
Can I host Easy Book Translation myself?
No, it is a hosted service. If running everything on your own machine matters to you, bilingual_book_maker is a good choice.
Which one costs less?
bilingual_book_maker itself is free, and you pay only for the translation service you use with it. Easy Book Translation charges per book, from $2.99, or $9.9 per month, and in return you skip the setup.