IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker vs WCAG Scanner
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
ibm.comWCAG Scanner
wcagscannerr.comSide by side
| Figure | IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker | WCAG Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $29/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 4 |
| Spec score · Accessibility Testing Software | 9.0 (#7) | 7.4 (#137) |
| Privacy | The project wiki says web data remains local, with rules and engine downloaded and run locally rather than sent to servers. | The privacy policy says scanned page content is not retained beyond violation data, payments are handled by Stripe, and the company does not sell user data. |
| Reports | XLSX output is included automatically, and JSON and other report formats can be configured. | The product generates PDF compliance reports and supports CSV export of raw data. |
| Support | The project Wiki directs users to submit bugs, questions, and suggestions through GitHub issues. | The contact page says support is available by email and that replies typically arrive within 24 hours on business days. |
Plans
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
- Free and open sourceFree
- Free/open-source toolkitFree
WCAG Scanner
- Free accountFree
- Starter$29 a month
- Growth$89 a month
- Enterprise$175 a month
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.
WCAG Scanner
WCAG Scanner has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.