ACE Scanner vs IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
ACE Scanner
accessibilitychecker.orgIBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
ibm.comSide by side
| Figure | ACE Scanner | IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $89/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 2 |
| Spec score · Accessibility Testing Software | 8.3 (#45) | 9.0 (#7) |
| Browser Extension | The ACE Chrome Extension tests interactive elements, dynamic content, and user flows. | The Chrome extension runs inside Developer Tools and helps locate accessibility problems and possible fixes. |
| CI/CD integration | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Automation Coverage | Automated testing catches approximately 70–80% of accessibility issues; manual testing covers the rest. | IBM states automated checks cover only part of its requirements and must be followed by manual and screen-reader testing. |
Plans
ACE Scanner
- Lite$89 a month
- Starter$149 a month
- Growth$299 a month
- TailoredPriced on request
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
- Free and open sourceFree
- Free/open-source toolkitFree
In their own words
ACE Scanner
ACE Scanner has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker automates accessibility checks for web content and applications, with tools aimed at web developers and accessibility auditors. Its rule engine connects checks to accessibility standards, including WCAG 2.2, and scans at page level. Results can identify the issue type, applicable WCAG success criteria, affected element, XPath, progression level, and a help link. Browser extensions are available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. They work in browser DevTools and include a visualization mode for keyboard checking. For CI/CD workflows, packages are available for Node, Cypress, and Java; the project Wiki also lists a Karma plugin and names Selenium, Puppeteer, Playwright, and Zombie as testing or parsing engines. The extension can combine up to 50 stored scans into a Microsoft Excel report. The Wiki says web data, rules, and the engine stay local rather than sending web data to servers or third parties. The tool is free at free. IBM cautions that automated checks cover only part of its accessibility requirements, so manual and screen reader testing should follow.