Frontend Frameworks

franc

Detect the language of text with franc.

Status
UnmaintainedNo commits in 882 days.
Last checked
Checked · Oct 16, 2026
License
Open source
Pricing
Free tier · from $0
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What it is

Franc is an open-source library for detecting the language of a given piece of text. It's lightweight and fast, making it ideal for applications where quick and accurate language detection is necessary.

Franc stands out with its lightweight and fast performance, making it an ideal choice for developers who need a simple yet effective solution for text language detection.

When it fits — and when it doesn’t

A good fit for

  • Developers building multilingual web applications who need a lightweight solution for language detection

  • Data scientists preprocessing text data for natural language processing tasks

  • Projects requiring quick and accurate language identification without the overhead of larger libraries

Look elsewhere if

  • Applications that require real-time streaming language detection (franc is designed for batch processing)

  • Use cases where extremely high accuracy in language detection is critical, as franc may not be as precise as specialized services

Known weaknesses

Each one links to the public issue, changelog or docs page it came from, where we have one.

  1. 01

    Limited language support beyond the top 100 languages

    Franc primarily supports over 100 languages, which may not be sufficient for applications requiring detection of less common or regional languages.

  2. 02

    Poor documentation and examples

    The official documentation lacks comprehensive examples and detailed explanations, making it difficult for new users to quickly understand how to use Franc effectively.

  3. 03

    No built-in support for additional languages or customization

    Franc does not provide an easy way to add support for new languages or customize the detection algorithm, limiting its flexibility and adaptability.

What it does well

  • Lightweight and fast language detection

  • Supports over 100 languages

  • Easy to integrate into JavaScript projects

Pricing

Free tier
YesOpen source — free to use
Paid from
$0
Model
Flat rate
Enterprise plan
No

Pricing not independently confirmed — check the vendor’s page.

Performance benchmarks

How Fast Is It?

Set up franc

Setup steps, common gotchas and what to check after 30 days.

Open the setup guide →
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