Ariada vs IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
Ariada
ariada.org
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
ibm.comSide by side
| Figure | Ariada | IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Accessibility Testing Software | 8.2 (#58) | 9.0 (#7) |
| Browser extension | The Chrome side panel runs a multi-domain compliance scan on the active tab locally, covering accessibility, privacy, security, AI-readiness, structured data, and sustainability. | The Chrome extension runs inside Developer Tools and helps locate accessibility problems and possible fixes. |
| CI/CD integration | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy | The maker says the site has no analytics or tracking, and the GitHub Actions workflow requires no Ariada account or API key. | The project wiki says web data remains local, with rules and engine downloaded and run locally rather than sent to servers. |
| Purpose | Ariada publishes open-source accessibility rule packs and tools for scanning websites against WCAG 2.2 AA and European Accessibility Act requirements. | The checker automates accessibility checking of web content and applications for web developers and accessibility auditors. |
| Support | Accessibility feedback can be sent to [email protected]; the maker aims to acknowledge reports within five business days and publish a remediation track within 14 business days. | The project Wiki directs users to submit bugs, questions, and suggestions through GitHub issues. |
Plans
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
- Free and open sourceFree
- Free/open-source toolkitFree
In their own words
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.