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Swordfish III is an advanced CAT (Computer Aided Translation) tool based on XLIFF 1.2 open standard, designed for demanding professional translators.
Swordfish III supports exchanging TMX (Translation Memory eXchange), the vendor-neutral open XML standard for the exchange of Translation Memory (TM) data created by Computer Aided Translation (CAT) and localization tools, originally published by LISA (Localisation Industry Standards Association).
Swordfish includes a super fast Internal database server and integrated support for RemoteTM in its two editions: LAN Server and Web Server. You can also use third party database engines like Oracle 10g, MySQL 5.x and Microsoft SQL Server 2005/2008 for storing TM and terminology data
Abiword Adobe InDesign Interchange (INX) Adobe InDesign IDML (CS4/CS5) DITA Maps HTML Microsoft Office 2007/2010 Microsoft Visio 2007/2010 MIF (Maker Interchange Format) OpenOffice/StarOffice 1.x and
License type
Perpetual
System requirements
Operating system
Linux, Windows
System requirements
Java 1.6/1.7 from Sun Microsystems or Oracle on Linux/Windows. Java 1.6 from Apple on Mac OS X. WebKitGTK+ 1.2.x is required to run on Linux systems.
Compatibility
XLIFF Supported natively. Accepts version 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 Uncleaned RTF Accepts uncleaned (tagged) RTF produced by Trados or Wordfast and generates uncleaned RTF from regular RTF files. TTX Seamless
Patricia CardetSDL Trados just ignores the Mac users. It is expensive, the updates are expensive, innovations are rare, the technical support is not responsive.
Swordfish is a multi-platform tool. It is relatively cheap, the updates are free. It is a rather new product. Innovations, improvements are coming in regularly. The technical support and the forum are super responsive. The TMX files are Trados compatible.
No more SDL Trados for me !!!!!
11 out of 12 found this review helpful.
4 out of 5
How easy is it to learn?
Very good tool, intuitive, excellent support
Review by
Marinette SomervilleI've been using Swordfish for 2 years now and am very happy with it. I originally chose this CAT tool because I work on a Mac and it works directly on Macs as well as Pcs (or Linux). I had tried Wordfast Pro (demo version) before that, but it is more expensive as you have to renew your licence and I didn't find it as intuitive and easy to use as Swordfish. I'm not an IT expert so simplicity of use was very important for me.
I was a bit concerned about its compatibility with Trados, but have had no issues so far.
The best thing about Swordfish is the support you get. Any question or issue gets a very quick response, the support is free and there are regular updates.
I haven't experienced any speed problems, but I don't usually work with very large databases. The only problem for me is the fact that you can't edit your terminology database directly in Swordfish, which is a bit of a faff (you need to export it, edit and then re-import). That might change in future versions, though.
8 out of 8 found this review helpful.
5 out of 5
How easy is it to learn?
Very easy to learn and use, multi-platform, flexible licensing, fast and reliable with many features
Review by
Andrzej Kaznowski . I have used Swordfish from the very first version and adore its features and ease of use. I don't think any CAT software is easy to learn but certainly this program makes it easier than most. Files are 100% XLIFF compliant, which makes it truly open - no lock-in to proprietary file formats or licensing models over the long-term. In fact, the commitment to open standards and choice is VERY impressive with this software - even going as far as being available for Linux, Windows and Mac! All praise must go to the developer, who responds immediately to any issues and quickly implements user requests for features. If you need a new feature or function, simply ask for it. If there is a good reason to add it then you will get it and get it fast. Now THAT'S customer service AND value for money :) Highly recommended!
6 out of 6 found this review helpful.
5 out of 5
How easy is it to learn?
very good and extremely good service
Review by
Mark Possemiers . I am computer illiterate - though owning a PC for the last 30 years, and using internet since 1993 (yes, it existed at the time), I am the typical mac user: it has to be easy.
I find - with very fast and good support (though he must be exasperated by my continuous questions) - it quite easy to learn, and three agencies who normally work with Trados don' t have a problem sending me .ttx files which this program can work with.
Highly recommended, and of course perfect for a Mac user :-)
Come on Trados ... there is a whole world of mac users there!
6 out of 6 found this review helpful.
5 out of 5
How easy is it to learn?
The only truly cross-platform CAT
Review by
fonoro . Being a Linux user (Fedora/Gnome) working as a translator, it was not easy to find the native CAT I require. For a few applications I don't have a suitable replacement, I run them on a virtualization software (VirtualBox). However, when it comes to a tool I use daily, many hours a day, that was not an acceptable solution, so I spent some time looking and stumbled upon Swordfish.
I was skeptical at first, but after the trial I ended up purchasing it. It's been more than a year now and I am glad I did. It works smoothly and integrates perfectly with my system. I like the fact that it works with standards like XLIFF, TBX, TMX, SRX, and that it opens all the documents I work with (MS Office, HTML, XML).
Tech support works well and, so far, the two problems I requested help with turned out to be user errors.
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