Free Accessibility Checkers
Which web accessibility checkers a startup can test its site and app against WCAG with for free today, whether a free checker covers one page or a whole site, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Accessibility checkers change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
Accessibility checkers a startup can use for free today include WAVE (Free online tool and extensions), Pa11y (Free, open source tools), axe DevTools (Free browser extension, page by page), Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker (Free: unlimited post and page scans), and Accessibility Insights (Free, open source browser extension). Each of the 8 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, its page caps, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
An accessible site works for people using screen readers, keyboards and zoom, and in many markets it is also a legal requirement. Accessibility checkers flag missing labels, low contrast and broken headings against WCAG, and the best-known ones are free browser extensions and open-source tools.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Most free checkers test one page at a time, site-wide scanning and monitoring usually sit on paid plans, and no automated checker catches every issue. Each tool below shows what is free, its main limit, how many pages it scans, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which tools we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which tools are listed or where.
Free accessibility checkers for a page
Check one page at a time in the browser or with a free extension.
- 1
WAVE
Quick one-page checks from a free online tool or extension
WebAIM makes WAVE available as a free community service, with browser extensions. It tests one page at a time, and its API costs $10 for a 250-credit minimum purchase.
- First paid plan
- API: 250 credits for $10 minimum (source: wave.webaim.org)
- 2
axe DevTools
Developers testing one page at a time in the browser
The free axe DevTools extension runs basic automated testing on a page-by-page basis. Its Pro extension has a free trial, and the Bundle is sold after a demo.
- 3
Accessibility Insights
A free, open source extension for Chrome and Edge
Accessibility Insights is free and open source, with a browser extension for Chrome and the new Microsoft Edge. It tests webpages and web applications in the browser.
Start free at MicrosoftTerms read on accessibilityinsights.io on Accessibility Insights: the free allowance and how to start - 4
Silktide
A free browser checker for any page you can load
Silktide's free toolbar tests any web page for over 200 accessibility issues, including anything you can load in the browser. Its paid products are quoted for the scope your organization needs.
- First paid plan
- Quoted per scope, no fixed price (source: silktide.com)
- 5
ARC Toolkit
On-demand checks of a single page
ARC Toolkit is free for all users, and it tests a single page on demand.
- 6
Siteimprove Accessibility Checker
A quick check of one page before a deeper audit
Siteimprove's Accessibility Checker is a free tool for testing web accessibility, and it diagnoses one page per check by URL.
Start free at SiteimproveTerms read on siteimprove.com on Siteimprove Accessibility Checker: the free allowance and how to start
Site-wide accessibility scanners with a free plan
Scan many pages and track fixes over time, free to start.
- 1
Pa11y
Developers who want open source tests across a list of pages
Pa11y publishes free and open source accessibility tools. Its command-line tool iterates over a list of web pages and highlights accessibility issues.
- What's free
- Free, open source tools (source: pa11y.org)
- 2
Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker
WordPress sites that want checks inside the editor
The free Personal plan scans unlimited posts and pages, and there is no limit on pages scanned. Bulk full-site scanning needs the paid Pro version.
- Pages scanned
- No limit on pages scanned (source: wordpress.org)
Start free at Equalize DigitalTerms read on equalizedigital.com on Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker: the free allowance and how to start
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Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
ScraperAPIScraping API that handles proxies, browsers and CAPTCHAs for you1,000 API creditsReferral link
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How this comparison is built
The list covers web accessibility checkers a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each tool's terms. Every term comes from the tool's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on pages scanned, one page at a time instead of a whole site, monitoring or reports kept for paid plans can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these tools pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a tool appears, and no tool pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free accessibility checker?
By the terms each provider states, WAVE is a free online tool with browser extensions, axe DevTools and Accessibility Insights are free browser extensions, and Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker scans unlimited posts and pages for free.
Can I check a whole site for accessibility for free?
Most free checkers test one page at a time: WAVE, axe DevTools, ARC Toolkit and the Siteimprove Accessibility Checker each check a single page. Pa11y runs over a list of pages you choose, and Equalize Digital's free WordPress plugin has no limit on pages scanned.
Is axe DevTools free?
The axe DevTools browser extension from Deque is free and runs basic automated tests one page at a time.
Is there an open-source accessibility checker?
Yes. Accessibility Insights from Microsoft is a free, open source browser extension, and Pa11y is a set of free, open source tools.
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