WeLocale has a new language switcher studio: 12 looks, live preview, plan by plan
Last updated: 6 November 2026
We rebuilt how you set up the language switcher on a WeLocale site. The settings page is now one studio with a live preview, and the widget (v1.3.0) ships six switcher styles in both a Dark and a Light theme. This post covers what changed, what each plan includes, and what we are working on next.
Why we touched the switcher at all
The switcher is the one part of a translated site your visitors actually see. Everything else, the scanning, the translation, the replacing of text, happens in the background. So the page where you choose how it looks deserves to be easy to use.
The old page showed ten cards in a gallery, with a separate preview somewhere else. It worked, but you could not see a change on your own page quickly, and the dark and light versions of the same style looked like unrelated choices.
What is new
One studio instead of a gallery. Controls sit on the left, a live preview on the right. The preview is the real widget running in a frame, with a Desktop and Mobile toggle, so what you see is what your visitors get.
Six styles, each in Dark and Light. Choosing a look is now two steps: pick a style, then pick a theme.
| Style | What it is |
|---|---|
| Dropdown | A floating select in the corner of the page |
| Pill | A compact floating pill that cycles through languages |
| Flags | A floating flags switcher |
| Globe | A small floating globe icon |
| Sticky bar | A fixed bar that stays in view while the page scrolls |
| Inline bar | A bar that sits in the page and scrolls away with it |
Six styles times two themes makes 12 looks. Pill and Flags in Dark are new in this release, so the grid is complete. Dark and Light are chosen by you, not detected: we left out an automatic theme on purpose, because a switcher that changes colour on its own is harder to match to your design.
Nothing breaks for current sites. Your saved choice stays a single value, so sites already using the switcher keep working without any change on your side.
What each plan includes
Styles are tied to the plan, and every style in an unlocked family is available in both themes.
| Free | Starter | Pro | Scale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0, no card required | $15 a month | $39 a month | $69 a month |
| Dropdown | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Sticky and inline bars | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Pill, Flags and Globe | no | no | yes | yes |
| Languages | 2 | 10 | 20 | 50 |
Beyond the switcher, the higher plans add the things that matter once a site grows. Pro and Scale include hreflang and SEO meta tags, the option to remove the WeLocale badge, auto language detection and a force-language setting. Starter and above include priority support and automatic crawling of your pages. Exact limits for every plan are on the pricing page.
How to compare switchers on any tool
We make no claims about other products here. Check their documentation, or use this short list on any translation tool you are weighing up:
- How many switcher styles are there, and are they all available on the plan you would actually buy?
- Is there a dark and a light version, or do you restyle it with CSS yourself?
- Can you see the switcher on your real page before you save?
- Does the mobile version behave differently, and can you preview it?
- Does the switcher work without changing your site's code?
What we are working on next
The studio is the base for the next step: letting you tune the look of the widget to your own site, with your colours, corners and type. We will announce it when it ships, not before. If there is a switcher style or setting you want, tell us through the contact page. We read everything.
Stay tuned.
FAQ
Do I need to update anything on my site?
No. Sites that already use a switcher keep their current choice, because the saved value did not change.
Can I change the theme without changing the style?
Yes. Style and theme are separate choices in the studio, so you can switch a Pill from Dark to Light and nothing else changes.
Which styles are on the Free plan?
The floating dropdown, in Dark or Light. Free is a permanent plan with no card required, and it includes 2 languages.
Where do I find the studio?
In your dashboard, open a website, go to Settings and then Language switcher.
Does the preview match my live site?
It runs the same widget code your visitors get, on a sample page. It shows the switcher itself, so check your own site after saving to see how it sits against your design.
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