Assistiv Labs

Assistiv Labs gives web teams browser-based access to real assistive technologies for testing websites and apps. It is best suited to developers, QA engineers, designers, and accessibility specialists who need to check behavior across platforms, including on private sites. Its broad testing setup is compelling, but the cheaper tier is tightly capped and some technologies require a larger or custom-priced plan.

Overview

Each session starts clean and stays contained to the browser tab, helping testers work without inheriting another session’s state. Chrome DevTools, inspect.exe, and Xcode Accessibility Inspector are included for investigating issues. AssistivTunnel can connect to localhost, VPN-protected, and intranet sites, making the service useful before a site is publicly reachable.

Assistiv Labs combines manual testing with automated scans, CI/CD integration, and remediation guidance. Its stated WCAG coverage is 2.2. The mix supports both recurring checks in a delivery workflow and deeper investigation with assistive technologies, though access to particular technologies and testing time depends on the plan.

Key features

Real assistive technology sessions

Technologies available across plans include NVDA, Narrator, JAWS, VoiceOver, Android TalkBack, Windows High Contrast, Edge Reader mode, Windows Reduce Motion, Windows Screen Magnifier, and ZoomText/Fusion. This range makes the service relevant when a team needs to examine more than a single screen reader or browser configuration. It is not a guarantee that every technology is included at every tier: JAWS and ZoomText/Fusion require at least 15 users on Professional, while VoiceOver and Android TalkBack require contacting Assistiv Labs for pricing.

Private-site testing and security

AssistivTunnel extends testing to local and restricted sites, an advantage for teams working on prototypes or internal applications. Assistiv Labs states that it holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and a SOC 2 Type 2 attestation for Security criteria. It says data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and test-device disks are securely deleted or reset at session end, subject to some software license requirements.

Pricing

The Freelancer plan costs $19 a month and includes 120 testing minutes per month, one user, and one parallel test. It provides NVDA, Narrator, Windows High Contrast, Windows Reduce Motion, and Windows Screen Magnifier. That is a focused entry point for an individual with predictable, limited testing needs; 120 minutes can become restrictive for frequent or extended sessions.

Professional costs $99 a month and includes unlimited testing minutes and one parallel test, along with the latest, beta, and older assistive technology and browser versions. The unlimited minutes suit sustained individual testing, but the one-test-at-a-time limit still constrains concurrent work. JAWS and ZoomText/Fusion require a minimum of 15 users, and VoiceOver and Android TalkBack require contacting the company for pricing.

Company has custom pricing and includes unlimited users and unlimited testing minutes. Company plans also support SAML and OIDC single sign-on, including Okta and Auth0, and include priority support, personalized onboarding, and account setup. This is the tier to consider for larger teams needing shared access and enterprise sign-in rather than a solo workflow.

Free for Open Source costs nothing and is available to open-source projects by contacting Assistiv Labs. A new account otherwise receives a 14-day Professional trial with one user, no credit card required, and sessions capped at 10 minutes each. That trial provides a short evaluation of the higher tier, but its session limit is worth bearing in mind when judging longer testing tasks. Plans list in-app chat and email support.

Platforms

Assistiv Labs lists support for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. The browser-based approach pairs with access to assistive technologies across those environments, rather than requiring a tester to rely only on the platform they use day to day.

Who it's for

Web developers, QA engineers, designers, and accessibility specialists can use Assistiv Labs to identify barriers with real assistive technologies, investigate them with debugging tools, and incorporate automated scans into CI/CD. It is particularly well matched to teams testing private sites or needing multiple technology configurations. A solo tester who needs only occasional checks may prefer the Freelancer tier; teams that need multiple simultaneous tests, or specific tools gated by minimum seats or custom pricing, should weigh those constraints before choosing.

Pros and cons

Broad assistive technology coverage: access across screen readers, magnification, contrast, and motion settings supports testing beyond a single configuration, though availability varies by tier.

Works with private projects: AssistivTunnel reaches localhost, VPN-protected, and intranet sites, which is useful before launch.

Testing plus workflow support: manual review tools, automated scans, CI/CD integration, and remediation guidance cover several stages of accessibility work.

Entry plan has a firm quota: Freelancer’s 120 monthly minutes and one parallel test suit limited use, not a busy testing schedule.

Some tools raise the price bar: JAWS and ZoomText/Fusion require at least 15 users on Professional, while VoiceOver and TalkBack require a pricing inquiry.

Alternatives

Accessibility Testing Software and Website Accessibility Tools are broader directories for comparing options in these categories.

Choose WAVE instead if a freemium option with a free plan and a $10 a month API subscription starting at 250 credits fits better than remote real-technology sessions. Evinced is a paid alternative with a free 14-day trial and support across web, mobile, API, and self-hosted environments. Access Continuum is another paid option, with licensed-product pricing available by demo request.

Total Validator offers a free one-page summary for a single web page, making it a possible fit for a narrow, low-cost check. A11yInspect has a free plan with unlimited webpage testing and no login or credit card requirement. Axe Developer Hub has a free plan for open-source projects or solo developers, with one API key. Alfa is a free, MIT-licensed open-source option distributed as separate npm packages. Welcoming Web offers a free core accessibility widget and a Pro plan from $19 a month; consider it when a widget is a better fit than assistive-technology testing.

Verdict

Assistiv Labs is a strong fit for accessibility teams that need browser-based access to real assistive technologies, private-site testing, and a mix of manual and automated checks. Its clean sessions, debugging tools, and broad technology range make it more than a basic scan service. Look elsewhere if the monthly minutes on Freelancer are too restrictive, if you need several parallel tests, or if the minimum-seat and custom-pricing requirements for particular technologies do not suit your team.