IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker vs WCAGWatch
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
ibm.comWCAGWatch
wcagwatch.comSide by side
| Figure | IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker | WCAGWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 5 |
| Spec score · Website Accessibility Tools | 9.0 (#6) | 8.5 (#20) |
| Audience | IBM describes the tools as intended for web developers and accessibility auditors. | The maker describes WCAGWatch as built for company website teams, client sites, storefronts, WordPress sites, and content platforms. |
| 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. | WCAGWatch says it does not sell personal information and does not store full credit card numbers on its own servers. |
| Purpose | The checker automates accessibility checking of web content and applications for web developers and accessibility auditors. | WCAGWatch scans public website pages for common accessibility issues and supports recurring monitoring, issue history, and reporting. |
| Reports | XLSX output is included automatically, and JSON and other report formats can be configured. | Reports can include affected pages, severity, selectors, WCAG references, and fix notes, with PDF and CSV export options depending on plan. |
| Scan scope | page | site |
| Support | The project Wiki directs users to submit bugs, questions, and suggestions through GitHub issues. | Support requests can cover scans, websites, reports, billing, account access, or plan setup through the contact page. |
| WCAG version | wcag 2.2 | wcag 2.2 |
Plans
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
- Free and open sourceFree
- Free/open-source toolkitFree
WCAGWatch
- FreeFree
- Starter$19 a month
- Pro$39 a month
- Business$79 a month
- Agency$149 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.