AccessiblePDF vs Askem PDF Fixer

AccessiblePDF is a web service from Palanisi Labs LLC for remediating PDF files. It tags uploaded PDFs, including scans, runs checks with veraPDF, and returns PDF/UA-1 files. A free compliance check is available before paid remediation. OCR for image-only pages is included in the $0.50, paid once plan, billed at $0.50 per page with no minimums. Results can include a tagged PDF with a PDF/UA identifier, bookmarks, before-and-after validation results, and a plain-English change list; accessible HTML is available on request. The Tag Editor places a live page beside its tag tree for editing reading order, tables, lists, headings, and alt text, with screen-reader preview and revalidation. Other plans cover manual remediation and team use. The service lists WCAG 2.1 AA, PDF/UA-1, Section 508, ADA Title II, EN 301 549, and AODA. Processing uses US regions, AES-256 at rest, and TLS 1.2+ in transit.

Askem PDF Fixer is a paid web service that checks PDF accessibility, applies automatic corrections, and validates results against PDF/UA-1 and applicable WCAG 2.1 AA criteria. Fixes cover document structure and tags, reading order, image alternative text, metadata, artifacts, and untagged content. Every document receives a validation result and a per-document record; Askem says more than 9 in 10 documents pass. A single upload accepts PDFs up to 500 pages and needs no integration, project, or procurement process. Batches can contain up to 200,000 documents. Files can be processed in any language, with the language set in PDF metadata. Scanned PDFs, complex tables or infographics with ambiguous meaning, context-dependent alternative text, and forms with conditional logic are flagged for manual handling. Documents are processed and stored on EU infrastructure and are not transferred outside the EU. OCR and API access are not available. Pricing is on request, with a 20-minute call offered for prospective customers.