On 11 October 2026 Orshot shipped Automated Creative Translation. You can now translate the text layers of a template into another language inside Orshot Studio or on every API render. The design, fonts, images and layout stay the same; only the words change.
This is useful for teams that already run multi-market campaigns and want to avoid maintaining a separate template for every language. It is not a general email personalization feature, and it does not replace the work of getting the right image into Mailchimp, Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign.
What Orshot actually shipped
In Orshot Studio you can:
- Select one or more text layers, right-click, and choose Translate to.
- Translate the whole template from the template menu.
- See the word count and AI-credit cost before you confirm.
On the API you pass a translate field (for example "translate": "el" or a fuller object with to, from, context and glossary). Every text layer is translated before the image, PDF or video is rendered. You can also exclude individual layers or send a single layer to a different language.
Cost is 1 AI credit per 100 source words. Text Orshot has already translated (same text, languages, context and glossary, within 90 days) is free. Failed translations do not cost credits.
Orshot also has approval flows, version history, and an MCP server. The translation feature is available in both the Studio and the API.
Where this helps email marketers
If you already use Orshot and you need the same visual design in several languages, the new feature removes a manual step. One master template can produce a Greek, Spanish or German version without rebuilding the layout.
It is less helpful when:
- Your primary channel is email and you want the image to personalise at open time with ESP merge tags (first name, city, offer, product).
- You need the image to update after the email has already been sent (new price, new stock, new weather, new event details).
- You manage multiple clients on different ESPs and want role-based access so clients can review but not edit the master template.
- You prefer to pay only when the recipient actually opens the image rather than a fixed credit or seat model.
How OKZest handles the same job today
OKZest does not currently offer built-in AI translation of template text. You handle language the way most email programmes already do: put the localised strings in your ESP or CRM, then pass them as merge tags.
Typical pattern:
- Design one template in OKZest’s visual editor with dynamic text layers for headline, offer, name, etc.
- In your ESP (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign or any other that accepts an image URL) store the correct language strings per contact or segment.
- Paste the OKZest image URL into the email and swap in the ESP’s merge tags.
- When the recipient opens the email, OKZest renders the image with their data. If a field is empty, fallback text is used.
The same template works across ESPs because the personalisation happens via the URL, not inside a single platform. You only pay for images that are actually generated on open. Free plan: 2,500 watermarked images per month, no credit card required. Paid plans start at $12/month for 500 images and include the REST API, MCP and Zapier.
Teamwork features let agencies give clients a read-only Client role so they can review and approve designs without editing the master. Projects keep client work separate. These are available on every plan.
MCP and Zapier are already live, so an AI assistant or no-code workflow can generate the personalised image URLs without a developer writing the HTML each time.
Practical comparison for email agencies
| Need | Orshot (with new Translate) | OKZest |
|---|---|---|
| Translate template text with AI | Yes (Studio + API, 1 credit / 100 words) | No built-in AI translation |
| ESP merge tags (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign) | Possible via API, less email-native | First-class, paste URL + merge tags |
| Image updates after the email is sent | Via API re-render | Open-time dynamic image URLs |
| Fallback text for missing data | Custom | Built-in |
| Client review without edit rights | Approval flows | Dedicated Client role + projects |
| Pay only on open | Credit / plan model | Yes |
| Free plan | 100 credits/month (recent change) | 2,500 watermarked images/month |
| MCP / API | Yes | Yes (API on paid plans, MCP + Zapier) |
Orshot is strong when you need multi-channel generation (images, PDFs, video) and now language localisation in one render call. OKZest is stronger when the main job is personalised email images that work across any ESP, update at open time, and are managed by account managers who need clients to review without breaking the design.
When to use which
Use Orshot’s new translation if you are already on Orshot, you generate creatives for several channels, and language is the main missing piece.
Use OKZest if you are an email marketer or agency running programmes in Mailchimp, Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign and you want:
- One template that works across all of them
- Open-time personalisation and updates after send
- Fallback text, website screenshots as layers, and a full visual editor
- Role-based client review
- Transparent pay-per-open pricing
Both tools have APIs and MCP. The difference is the workflow they optimise for.
Next step
If you want to test the ESP-native approach, register for the free OKZest plan (2,500 watermarked images per month, no credit card). Design a template, paste the URL into a test email in your ESP, and see the image personalise on open. You can add teammates or a client reviewer under the Client role whenever you need it.
https://okzest.com/identity/account/register