Functional Accessibility Evaluator vs IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
Functional Accessibility Evaluator
accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
ibm.comSide by side
| Figure | Functional Accessibility Evaluator | 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 |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Website Accessibility Tools | 7.6 (#88) | 9.0 (#6) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | FAE is an open source web application that analyzes web pages for accessibility requirements and use of HTML accessibility features. | The checker automates accessibility checking of web content and applications for web developers and accessibility auditors. |
| Reports | FAE processes saved page-level results and aggregates them into a summary report for the website. | XLSX output is included automatically, and JSON and other report formats can be configured. |
| Rulesets | The shared evaluation library offers HTML5 and ARIA Techniques and HTML4 Legacy Techniques rulesets, with HTML5 and ARIA Techniques recommended as the most up-to-date. | Published rulesets cover WCAG 2.2, WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.0 at A and AA levels, plus IBM Accessibility rules. |
| Scan scope | site | page |
| WCAG version | wcag 2.0 | wcag 2.2 |
Plans
Functional Accessibility Evaluator
- Functional Accessibility Evaluator (FAE)Free
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
- Free and open sourceFree
- Free/open-source toolkitFree
In their own words
Functional Accessibility Evaluator
Functional Accessibility Evaluator 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.