IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker vs UsableNet AQA
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
ibm.comUsableNet AQA
usablenet.comSide by side
| Figure | IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker | UsableNet AQA |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Accessibility Testing Software | 9.0 (#7) | 7.6 (#119) |
| Spec score · Website Accessibility Tools | 9.0 (#6) | 7.7 (#76) |
| Purpose | The checker automates accessibility checking of web content and applications for web developers and accessibility auditors. | AQA combines automated and guided manual accessibility testing for critical customer journeys and provides findings with severity, context, and remediation guidance. |
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.
UsableNet AQA
UsableNet AQA has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.