Mate is a translator first
Mate’s Chrome page lists the moves: double-click any word for a pop-up; highlight a chunk and see it translated; translate an entire page and flip between the original and the translation; use the right-click menu inside Chrome’s PDF viewer; set keyboard shortcuts. Under “Learn languages with Mate” they add pronunciation and phonetics, click-to-translate on Netflix subtitles, a phrasebook you can categorise, word genders and synonyms, and CSV export of history and the phrasebook.
Their free-versus-Pro help article is public: the extension stays able to translate in the popup, on-page tooltip, floating button, one shortcut, right-click, and manual full-page translation, with a local history and phrasebook and Netflix subtitle translation. Pro adds phonetics, noun genders, voice input, automatic “always translate this language,” sync, CSV export, and a few extra controls. Mate lists Pro pricing on its site.
BrowseAndLearn has no full-page flip, no PDF menu, no phrasebook export, and no “always translate French to English.” It highlights useful words on the live site. Hover for the translation. Chrome stays in English.
When each one fits
- Mate Translate — you need a dictionary and a page translator that stays out of the way until you select something. 248 languages is the count on Mate’s own Chrome page.
- BrowseAndLearn — you can already read the page. You want a few words marked so the language you are learning shows up without a selection.
BrowseAndLearn is free for 7 days, then $5 a month; cancel anytime.
Languages on this side
Twelve languages paired with English: Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Arabic in both directions, plus Hebrew as English → Hebrew. That is not 248. If you need Luxembourgish or Zulu — both named on Mate’s page — Mate is the translator.
What this is not
It is not a Mate skin, a full-page bilingual view, or a claim that we are “more accurate.” For bilingual paragraphs, see Immersive Translate alternative. For in-page word swaps, see BrowseAndLearn vs Toucan.
Questions
Does BrowseAndLearn replace Mate Translate?
No. Mate is for looking up whatever you point at — a word, a paragraph, a PDF selection, a full page. BrowseAndLearn will not translate a whole page or a PDF viewer. If lookup-on-demand is the job, keep Mate.
What does BrowseAndLearn do that Mate does not lead with?
It chooses a subset of words and highlights them without a click. Hover for the meaning. That is a learning overlay, not a “translate this now” tool.
Can I use both?
Yes. Mate for the sentence you do not understand at all; BrowseAndLearn for a light sprinkle of target-language practice on pages you can already read.
Price
Free for 7 days, then $5 a month. Cancel anytime. For user counts and review scores, see the Chrome Web Store listing.