AllyShield vs IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker

AllyShield is a web-based service for automated accessibility scans against WCAG 2.2. It supports mobile testing, CI/CD integration, and remediation guidance, with plans ranging from a free allowance to higher-volume options. The Free plan costs nothing, billed monthly, and allows 3 scans per month, 1 page per scan, and 1 domain. Starter costs €49/mo and includes 25 scans per month, 5 pages per scan, 3 domains, and 5 AI fixes per scan. Pro costs €99/mo and raises the limits to 100 scans per month, 25 pages per scan, and 10 domains; it also includes scheduled scans and API access. Agency costs €149/mo, with 500 scans per month, 50 pages per scan, 50 domains, white-label reports, and custom rules. Enterprise costs €799/mo, with unlimited scans, 100 pages per scan, unlimited domains, SSO/SAML, and dedicated support. AllyShield does not offer manual review tools or a browser extension.

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.