Comparison
Eight tools people actually use: overlay widgets, audit platforms and free testing utilities. Prices taken from public price lists as of August 2026.
Updated: 7 August 2026
| Tool | Type | WCAG | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InclusiveWeb | Audit + adaptation panel | WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA | $29/mo panel, $49/mo audit (up to 50 pages) | SMBs in the US, UK and EU |
| AccessiBe | Overlay + scanner + manual services | Partial | $490/year (up to 5,000 visits/mo) | A fast start with US litigation support |
| UserWay | Overlay + scanner + audits and VPAT | Partial + AI fix | $490/year (up to 100,000 pageviews/mo) | High-traffic sites that want a widget |
| EqualWeb | Overlay + scanner + manual remediation | WCAG 2.1 AA (partial) | from $39/mo per directories | Teams who want remediation outsourced |
| Siteimprove | Platform (Audit + Monitoring) | WCAG 2.1/2.2 | Enterprise (on request) | Large organizations and governments |
| Deque axe | Testing (Dev tool) | WCAG 2.1/2.2 | axe-core free; DevTools Pro paid | Developers and QA teams |
| WAVE | Testing (Free tool) | WCAG 2.1 | Free | Quick check of individual pages |
| Lighthouse | Testing (Built-in Chrome) | Partial (axe-core subset) | Free | Developers for quick checks |
Audit + adaptation panel — WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA
SMBs in the US, UK and EU
Overlay + scanner + manual services — Partial
A fast start with US litigation support
Overlay + scanner + audits and VPAT — Partial + AI fix
High-traffic sites that want a widget
Overlay + scanner + manual remediation — WCAG 2.1 AA (partial)
Teams who want remediation outsourced
Platform (Audit + Monitoring) — WCAG 2.1/2.2
Large organizations and governments
Testing (Dev tool) — WCAG 2.1/2.2
Developers and QA teams
Testing (Free tool) — WCAG 2.1
Quick check of individual pages
Testing (Built-in Chrome) — Partial (axe-core subset)
Developers for quick checks
Overlay — JavaScript on top of the page (visual changes, not HTML). Remediation — fixing the code itself, by hand or with tooling. Testing — finding issues without fixing them (axe, WAVE, Lighthouse). Full WCAG conformance needs remediation plus testing.
For a first look, yes: WAVE, Lighthouse and free axe will show you the scale of the problem in minutes. For WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA conformance, no. Automated tooling finds only part of the criteria; the rest requires manual testing with people who use assistive technology.
Start free: run a few key pages through WAVE or Lighthouse to size the problem. Then it forks. If you have a developer, buy an audit — it gives you a list tied to WCAG criteria, and you fix the code. If you do not, look at a supplier who does manual remediation. A widget panel solves a different problem: it lets visitors adapt the page, but it does not fix the code.
EAA requires EN 301 549 compliance (based on WCAG 2.1 AA). A tool alone does not guarantee full compliance, but automatic remediation covers a significant part of the requirements. Recommended: automated audit + remediation + manual testing.
3 pages free. 90+ WCAG 2.1/2.2 rules. Results in 2-3 minutes.
