There are two ways to build a Crowdin app. Serverless apps run on Crowdin infrastructure: you write the UI, and Crowdin hosts and runs the app. Self-hosted apps run on a server you operate, which lets them use every module type, including those with server-side logic. Neither approach replaces the other. Pick the one that matches what your app does.
Serverless Apps
Build dashboards, panels, and other UI modules that run on Crowdin infrastructure. You scaffold, preview, and publish the app from the CLI, with no server to deploy or maintain.
Choose this path when your app is all interface: it displays data, extends the Crowdin UI, and calls the Crowdin API on behalf of the person using it.
Build an app backed by your own server, using any language and framework. This path supports every module type, including file processing, AI providers, and custom MT engines.
Choose this path when your app needs server-side logic: it processes files, reacts to webhooks, connects external services, or acts with the permissions of the account that installed it.