IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker vs WCAGpilot
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
ibm.comWCAGpilot
wcagpilot.comSide by side
| Figure | IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker | WCAGpilot |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | €100/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · Accessibility Testing Software | 9.0 (#7) | 8.2 (#61) |
| Spec score · Website Accessibility Tools | 9.0 (#6) | 8.2 (#39) |
| Browser extension | The Chrome extension runs inside Developer Tools and helps locate accessibility problems and possible fixes. | No |
| CI/CD integration | Yes | No |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy | The project wiki says web data remains local, with rules and engine downloaded and run locally rather than sent to servers. | Free results are public and viewable for 30 days, while paid audits stay private to the user's account. |
| Purpose | The checker automates accessibility checking of web content and applications for web developers and accessibility auditors. | WCAGpilot checks websites for accessibility against the EAA, EN 301 549, and country-specific accessibility laws. |
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.