Askem PDF Fixer vs Normfluss

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.

Normfluss checks PDF documents for accessibility, applies structural fixes, and provides a signed record describing the checks and decisions made. It evaluates PDFs against PDF/UA-1 and the parts of WCAG 2.2 AA that apply to PDF files. The platform can automatically handle tags, reading order, and tables; people review judgment calls in a guided editor. A self-hosted model drafts image descriptions in English, French, German, or Dutch, but a person must accept each suggestion before it is applied.

Users can check up to 25 PDFs at once for free. Files may be up to 100 MB and 150 pages without an account, or 1,000 pages with a free account. A remediated file can be downloaded with a signed evidence record. Normfluss offers a REST API and HMAC-signed webhooks. Processing takes place in the EU; the maker says models are self-hosted, files are not used for training, and no third-party AI is used. Unauthenticated free-check files are deleted after 72 hours; account documents remain until deleted. Plans include a free check and one-time credit bundles from €50, paid once. The platform reports technical conformance, not legal certification or advice.