Free website accessibility checkers compared
WAVE, Lighthouse, axe DevTools and more: what free accessibility testing tools catch and miss.
Free tools are a great first step. Here's what each is good for.
- WAVE (WebAIM): browser extension and web tool that marks issues visually on the page. Good for non-developers.
- Lighthouse (built into Chrome DevTools): gives an accessibility score along with performance and SEO. Quick, but covers only a subset of checks.
- axe DevTools (free extension): developer-focused, with low false-positive rates. It's the engine our snapshot uses.
- Accessibility Insights (Microsoft): automated checks plus a guided manual “tab stops” test.
- Screen readers: NVDA (free, Windows) and VoiceOver (built into Mac and iPhone) for real-world testing.
What no automated tool does
Automated tools catch only part of the problems. They can't judge whether alt text is meaningful, whether link text makes sense out of context, or whether a process is understandable. Combine a scan with the 5-minute keyboard test.
Where we fit
Our snapshot runs axe-core across your pages, ranks issues by impact, and adds copy-paste fixes for your specific platform.
Related guides
- Accessible links and buttons: fix “click here” and empty icon links
- Free ADA website checker: what a free scan can (and can't) tell you
- Restaurant website accessibility: menus, ordering and reservations
- Dental and medical practice website accessibility checklist
This guide is general technical information, not legal advice. Following it does not certify ADA or any legal compliance. Automated checks find only part of accessibility barriers.
Check your own site
Run a free homepage snapshot to see your top 3 issues in about a minute, or order the $149 Fix-Pack for up to 10 pages with copy-paste fixes for your platform.