ChefBear vs Google Translate vs Papago vs Google Lens for Restaurant Menus
In short: Google Translate, Papago and Google Lens translate the text on a menu, for free, on iPhone and Android. ChefBear is a menu app for iPhone: it also explains each dish, shows a picture of it and recommends what to order. Use a translator when the words are enough, and ChefBear when you want help choosing.
Side by side
| ChefBear | Google Translate | Papago | Google Lens | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made for | Restaurant menus | Any text | Any text | Anything the camera sees |
| Translates menu text | Yes, dish by dish | Yes, over the camera view or a photo | Yes, from a photo | Yes, in the camera view |
| Explains each dish | Yes | No | No | No |
| Pictures of dishes | Yes: the menu's photo or an AI reference image | No | No | No |
| Recommends what to order | Yes, by taste and party size | No | No | No |
| Offline | No | Yes, for downloaded languages | Typed text | Not stated |
| Languages | Reads menus in most common languages; results in English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Spanish, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese | Up to 249; feature support varies by language | 14 | The languages Google Translate supports |
| Platforms | iPhone (also iPad, Apple-silicon Mac) | iPhone, Android, web | iPhone, Android, web | iPhone (in the Google app or Google Photos), Android |
| Price | Free, no scan caps; optional Express subscription | Free | Free | Free |
"No" means the app's own store page and help pages do not describe the feature.
When Google Translate is the better choice
- You have an Android phone. ChefBear isn’t on Android yet.
- You have no signal and downloaded the language beforehand.
- You need one line translated, or a sign, a receipt or a conversation.
When Papago is the better choice
- You are in Korea or Japan and want one translator for menus, signs and talking to staff.
- You want a free app on Android.
When Google Lens is the better choice
- You already use the Google app and want to translate what is in front of the camera without installing anything else.
- You want to look up more than text. Note that on iPhone, Lens works inside the Google app or Google Photos, not the Camera app.
When ChefBear is the better choice
- The translation alone does not tell you what the dish is.
- The menu has no photos and you want to see what you are ordering.
- The menu is long and you want a short list picked for your taste.
- You are ordering for a group and want the order sized for the table.
Many travelers keep both: a translator for everything, and ChefBear for the menu. For more apps, including Apple Translate, DeepL, ChatGPT and MenuGuide, see the best menu translator apps compared.
Questions people ask
Is ChefBear better than Google Translate for menus?
They do different jobs. Google Translate translates the menu's words for free on any phone and can work offline. ChefBear, on iPhone, also explains each dish, shows a picture and recommends what to order, but it needs an internet connection.
Papago or Google Translate for a menu in Korea or Japan?
Both translate text in a photo for free. Papago covers 14 languages, including Korean, Japanese and Chinese; Google Translate covers far more languages. Neither explains dishes or recommends what to order.
Can Google Lens translate a menu on iPhone?
Yes, through the Google app or Google Photos. Google says Lens does not work with the iPhone Camera app itself.
Is ChefBear free?
Yes. Scanning, translation, dish images and recommendations have no daily, weekly or monthly cap. Only very heavy use slows down until the next month. ChefBear Express is an optional subscription for faster processing.
Is ChefBear on Android?
Not yet; an Android app is on the way. For now ChefBear is an iPhone app that also runs on iPad and Apple-silicon Macs. On Android today, Google Translate and Google Lens cover translation, and MenuGuide adds dish photos.
Try ChefBear
Download ChefBear on the App Store. It is free, and the first menu takes under a minute.
How this was checked: every statement about another app comes from its own App Store or Google Play listing, website or help pages, read on 2026-11-10. Things those pages don't say are left out. Written by the ChefBear team. If an app has changed since then, tell us through support and we'll update this page.