7 Best Translation Apps for China Travel: Menu Scanning, Voice & Offline (2026)
Tested comparison of translation apps for China: Baidu Translate, Papago, Microsoft Translator, Pleco, and Google Translate (VPN version). Best for menu scanning, voice conversations, and offline use.
Table of Contents
TL;DR: Baidu Translate is the best all-around translation app for China — works without VPN, excellent camera translation for menus, offline Chinese pack available. Papago is best for voice conversations (natural-sounding translations). Microsoft Translator is the best offline option (full language packs, no VPN needed). Pleco is essential as a dictionary, not a translator. Google Translate is good but requires VPN in China.
The Translation Problem
You’re in a restaurant. The menu has 80 items in Chinese characters. There’s one blurry photo of a dish on page 3. The waiter is waiting. You need translation help, fast.
Here are the apps that solve this — ranked by what actually works inside China without a VPN.
| App | Works w/o VPN? | Camera/Menu Scan | Voice Conv. | Offline? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baidu Translate (百度翻译) | Yes | ⭐ Excellent | ⭐ Good | (download Chinese pack) | All-around best in China |
| Papago | Yes | ⭐ Good | ⭐ Excellent | Yes | Voice conversation, natural phrasing |
| Microsoft Translator | Yes | ⭐ Good | ⭐ Good | (best offline mode) | Offline use, multi-person convos |
| Pleco | (app) | camera translate | voice | (full dictionary offline) | Dictionary, character lookup, flashcards |
| Google Translate | BLOCKED (needs VPN) | ⭐ Excellent | ⭐ Excellent | (with offline packs) | Best overall — if VPN is working |
| Apple Translate | Yes | live camera | ⭐ Decent | Yes | Quick text translations, iOS built-in |
| iTranslate | Sometimes blocked | ⭐ Good | ⭐ Good | (paid) | UI design, watch app |
Baidu Translate — The Best App That Works Without VPN
Baidu (China’s Google) makes a translation app that’s genuinely excellent. It works inside China without a VPN. The camera translation — point your phone at a menu and see English text overlaid — is fast and accurate. Voice conversation mode supports 100+ languages.
Key features:
- Camera/menu scan: Point camera at text, see live translation overlay. Works offline with the Chinese pack downloaded. This is THE killer feature — menu translation in restaurants is what you’ll use most.
- Voice conversation: Tap the mic, speak, get translation. Natural-sounding Chinese voice output.
- Offline packs: Download Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, and 20+ other languages for offline use. Essential for subway tunnels, remote areas, and when data is spotty.
- Photo import: Take a picture of text, upload it, get translation. Better for complex layouts than live camera.
- Text-to-speech: Type or paste text, get Chinese pronunciation audio. Good for showing a translation to someone.
The downside: the app is Chinese-designed, so the interface takes some exploration. The English mode works well once you set the language to English in settings.
Get it: Available in global app stores. No VPN needed for the app itself.
Papago — Best Voice Conversations
Papago is Naver’s (Korean tech giant) translation app, and its Chinese-English voice translation is surprisingly excellent. The phrasing feels more natural than Baidu — fewer robotic translations, more “this is how a person would actually say it.”
Key features:
- Voice conversation mode: Best-in-class for Chinese-English. The translations sound like natural speech, not dictionary definitions.
- Camera translation: Good but slower than Baidu. Adequate for menus.
- Phrasebook: Useful pre-saved phrases for travel scenarios.
- Offline: Download language packs for offline translation.
- Honorific/formality options: Choose casual, polite, or formal speech in target languages. Useful for business situations.
Get it: Available globally. Works without VPN in China.
Microsoft Translator — Best Offline Mode
Microsoft Translator has the most robust offline capability — download entire language packs (Chinese pack is ~200MB) and the app works fully offline. Camera, voice, text — all offline. This is your backup when everything else fails.
Key features:
- Multi-person conversation mode: Share a conversation code, multiple people join, each sees translations in their language. Good for group dinners where one person speaks English and several speak Chinese.
- Phrasebooks: Curated travel phrasebooks with verified translations (higher accuracy than real-time translation).
- Integration: Works with other Microsoft apps (Office, Edge browser).
Get it: Available globally. Works without VPN.
Pleco — The Dictionary, Not a Translator
Pleco is not a translation app. It’s a Chinese-English dictionary, and it’s indispensable. Use it alongside a translation app, not instead of one.
Key features:
- Character lookup: Draw a character with your finger, get definition. The #1 use case. You see a character you don’t know, you draw it, Pleco tells you what it means.
- Live OCR: Point camera at text, tap a word, see definition. Different from translation apps — this gives you a dictionary entry, not a translated sentence.
- Flashcard system: For learners, spaced repetition flashcards for Chinese characters.
- Offline: Full dictionary works offline. Essential.
The basic version is free. The professional bundle (¥200-400 one-time purchase) adds stroke order diagrams, additional dictionaries, and the excellent live OCR feature. Worth it if you’re spending more than a week in China.
Get it: Available globally. The app and all features work without VPN.
Google Translate — Great, But Needs VPN
Google Translate is the best translation app in a vacuum — best camera translation, best voice, best language coverage, best UI. The problem in China: Google services are blocked. You need a working VPN for Google Translate to function.
With a VPN: it’s excellent. The camera translation is faster and more accurate than Baidu. Voice conversation is natural. Offline mode works if you’ve downloaded the Chinese pack beforehand.
Without a VPN: the app opens but requires internet for most features. Offline mode partially works (text translation) if you pre-downloaded language packs.
Strategy: Download offline Chinese-English packs before your trip. Google Translate in offline mode is a backup if your VPN drops.
Which App When?
| Scenario | Best App | |---|---| | Scanning a menu at a restaurant | Baidu Translate (camera mode) | | Having a conversation with a taxi driver | Papago (voice conversation) | | Offline, in a subway tunnel, need to translate text | Microsoft Translator or Pleco | | Don’t recognize a Chinese character | Pleco (draw it with your finger) | | Complex text with technical terms | Google Translate (with VPN) | | Quick word lookup | Apple Translate (iOS built-in, swipe down) | | Group dinner with mixed languages | Microsoft Translator (multi-person mode) |
Setup Checklist (Do Before You Leave)
- Download Baidu Translate, set language to English, download offline Chinese pack
- Download Papago, download offline Chinese-English pack
- Download Microsoft Translator, download offline Chinese pack
- Download Pleco (it’s a dictionary, always useful)
- Download Google Translate offline Chinese pack as backup (requires VPN to use online features)
- Test each app: point your camera at this text: 北京烤鸭. It should say “Beijing roast duck.”
Translation apps won’t make you fluent. They will let you order food, explain where you’re going, and understand what that sign says. For a 2-week trip, that’s enough.
