created: 2026-04-24 updated: 2026-04-24 tags: [source, github, localization, python, django] type: source url: https://github.com/WeblateOrg/weblate author: "Weblate Org" (300 contributors) published: ~2006-ongoing
Weblate GitHub Repository¶
Summary¶
Weblate is the leading open-source web-based continuous localization system, used by over 2,500 libre projects and companies in 165+ countries. Git-first, self-hostable, and deeply integrated with version control.
Key Takeaways¶
Project Stats¶
- Stars: 5,832 | Forks: 1,268 | Contributors: 300
- Primary language: Python (87.8%), Jinja (8.6%), JavaScript (1.6%)
- License: GPL-3.0
- Topics: continuous-localization, crowdsourcing, django, gettext, i18n, l10n
- Created: 2012-02-27 (project dates to ~2006)
- Latest release: weblate-5.17 (2026-04-15)
- Releases: 133
Architecture¶
Django-based web application consisting of multiple Django apps:
| Module | Purpose |
|---|---|
api |
REST API via Django REST framework |
vcs |
Version control system abstraction |
trans |
Main translation handling module |
formats |
File format abstraction layer (translate-toolkit based) |
checks |
Translation string quality checks |
memory |
Built-in translation memory |
machinery |
Machine translation service integrations |
accounts |
User accounts, profiles, notifications |
addons |
Add-ons to tweak Weblate behavior |
screenshots |
Screenshot management and OCR |
lang |
Language and plural models |
utils |
Helper utilities |
wladmin |
Django admin interface customization |
Background Task System (Celery)¶
Weblate uses Celery for background tasks with multiple dedicated queues:
| Queue | Purpose |
|---|---|
celery |
Default background task processing |
notify |
Notification emails (separate to avoid blocking) |
memory |
Translation memory entry updates (can be long, doesn't block) |
backup |
Backup tasks (single dedicated worker, no parallelism) |
translate |
Automatic translation tasks (hit external services, take long) |
Key Design Principles¶
- Git-first — Translations live in your repository as code; repo is the source of truth
- Self-hosted via Docker — Deploy on your infrastructure; full data control
- Crowdsourcing — Public projects can accept contributions from anyone
- No separate translation database — Your repo is the source of truth
- No first-party runtime OTA/SDK — Weblate handles translation management; runtime delivery is self-managed
Access Control¶
- Public — Open-source projects, anyone can contribute
- Protected — Visible to all, only invited users can translate
- Private — Only invited users can view and translate
Ideal For¶
- FOSS projects
- Teams with data privacy/residency requirements
- Organizations that want to audit and customize localization infrastructure
- Communities where contributors expect a free, transparent platform