WAVE vs Welcoming Web
WAVE
wave.webaim.orgWelcoming Web
welcomingweb.comSide by side
| Figure | WAVE | Welcoming Web |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $10/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 13 | 4 |
| Spec score · Accessibility Testing Software | 9.4 (#2) | 9.1 (#5) |
| CI/CD integration | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Plans
WAVE
- Subscription API — 250–999 credits$10 a month
- Subscription API — 1,000–9,999 creditsPrice not published
- Subscription API — 10,000+ creditsPrice not published
- Stand-alone API — Basic$4,000 a year
- Stand-alone API — Expanded$8,000 a year
- Stand-alone API — Unlimited$12,000 a year
- Free API creditsFree
- API credits 10000+$0.03, paid once
- API credits 1000-9999$0.03, paid once
- API credits 250-999$0.04, paid once
Welcoming Web
- FreeFree
- Pro$19 a month
- PRO$19 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
WAVE
WAVE is a web accessibility tool that identifies many accessibility and WCAG errors and provides tools for human evaluation of web content. Its browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge can examine password-protected, locally stored, and highly dynamic pages. The service supports page scans, scheduled site audits, intranet pages with most authentication types, and custom viewport sizes for checking responsive breakpoints. Stand-alone tools can integrate with continuous-integration systems including Selenium and Puppeteer. The API returns JSON or XML; basic analysis uses one credit, while advanced features may use two or three. New accounts receive 100 free API credits. Subscription API access has a 250-credit minimum purchase for $10 a month. Stand-alone API licenses cost $4,000 a year for Basic, $8,000 a year for Expanded, and $12,000 a year for Unlimited. The stand-alone API runs on Linux, Mac, or Windows web servers with PHP and Node installed; minimum requirements are 1 CPU, 1 GB memory, and 100 MB storage.
Welcoming Web
Welcoming Web is a website accessibility management platform combining a visitor-facing widget, automated audits, remediation support, and ongoing monitoring. The widget lets visitors change text size, contrast, spacing, and motion, and offers profiles for common accessibility needs. Teams can use guided fixes and AI-assisted remediation suggestions, with manual review tools and reports. Welcoming Web says it supports WCAG 2.2, ADA Title III, EN 301 549, and the Equality Act 2010, but does not issue or guarantee compliance certification. Listed website integrations include WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Drupal, Magento, Joomla, WooCommerce, React, Angular, and Vue.js; workflow connections include GitHub, Jira, Slack, and CI/CD pipelines. Setup options are an embedded script, Google Tag Manager, or API. Scans are read-only, and the first free browser scan checks one page. The Free plan includes the core widget and basic features. Pro starts at $19/month with traffic-based pricing and adds remediation, reports, analytics, and priority email support.