[Multilingual site] WPML plugin VS Create a site with two domains

When deciding between using the WPML plugin or creating a site with two domains for a multilingual WordPress website, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of each approach. Here’s a detailed comparison to help you make an informed decision:

WPML Plugin

Pros

1. Ease of Use: WPML is designed to integrate seamlessly with WordPress, making it relatively easy to set up and manage multiple languages from a single dashboard.
2. Unified Management: You can manage all translations and content from one site, simplifying content updates and maintenance.
3. SEO Benefits: WPML allows you to optimize your site for multilingual SEO, including language-specific URLs (e.g., example.com/en/ or example.com/fr/).
4. Compatibility: WPML is compatible with most themes and plugins, offering extensive support and documentation.
5. Cost-Effective: Using WPML can be more cost-effective than maintaining separate domains for each language.

Cons

1. Performance Impact: Adding multiple languages can increase the database size and potentially slow down your site.
2. Complexity: Managing translations and ensuring consistent content across languages can become complex as your site grows.
3. Plugin Dependency: Relying on a plugin means you’re dependent on its updates and support for continued functionality.

Two Domains Approach

Pros

1. SEO Control: Having separate domains (e.g., example.com and example.fr) can provide better localization signals to search engines, potentially improving local search rankings.
2. Branding Flexibility: You can tailor each domain to specific markets, allowing for customized branding and marketing strategies.
3. Performance: Separate sites may perform better since they are not burdened by the additional data and complexity of a multilingual plugin.

Cons

1. Higher Costs: Maintaining two domains involves additional costs for domain registration, hosting, SSL certificates, etc.
2. Increased Management Effort: You’ll need to manage two separate WordPress installations, which can double the effort required for updates, backups, and security.
3. Content Duplication Risk: Without proper canonicalization and SEO strategies, there’s a risk of duplicate content issues between domains.

Conclusion

The choice between using the WPML plugin or creating a site with two domains depends on your specific needs:

• WPML Plugin is ideal if you want centralized management of your multilingual content and are looking for a cost-effective solution that integrates well with WordPress.
• Two Domains Approach is better suited if you prioritize SEO benefits in specific markets, have the resources to manage multiple sites, and want tailored branding opportunities.

Consider your budget, technical expertise, SEO goals, and long-term plans when making your decision.