Alternatives to Accessible Colors

A web checker that tests text and background contrast against WCAG and suggests the closest passing colors. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

  • Accessible Colors

    A web checker that tests text and background contrast against WCAG and suggests the closest passing colors.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Accessible Colors.

  • Accessible Color Generator

    A web tool that finds the closest accessible variation of a brand color for a chosen background.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Accessible Color Generator also suggests the nearest accessible variation for AA or AAA, with separate large and small text results, though the page promotes courses.

  • Contrast Finder

    A web tool that checks color contrast against WCAG and suggests close valid color pairs.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    Contrast Finder suggests close valid color pairs as well, is open source under AGPL-3.0, can be self-hosted and accepts CSS color keywords.

  • WebAIM Contrast Checker

    An online checker that tests foreground and background color contrast against WCAG AA and AAA levels.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    WebAIM Contrast Checker adds results for UI components and shareable permalinks, but relies on manual lightness adjustments rather than suggesting passing colors.

  • Colour Contrast Analyser

    A free desktop app for checking foreground and background color contrast against WCAG, with eyedropper pickers.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOS

    Colour Contrast Analyser moves the check to an open-source Windows and macOS desktop app with a screen eyedropper and WCAG 2.0 to 2.2 results.

  • Colour Contrast Checker

    A web tool that checks foreground and background colour pairs against WCAG contrast levels.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Colour Contrast Checker gives clear AA and AAA results with RGB or HSL sliders and Google font previews, without automatic color suggestions.

  • Colorable

    A web tool for testing the contrast of a text and background color pair against WCAG levels.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Colorable offers HSL sliders plus reverse and random buttons for experimenting with pairs, showing ratio and WCAG level instead of suggesting fixes.

  • Contrast Ratio

    A web tool that calculates the WCAG contrast ratio between a text color and a background color.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Contrast Ratio calculates the ratio live as you type and supports semi-transparent colors, with no suggestion of passing colors.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Accessible Colors as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • RandomA11y

    A web tool that generates random color pairs meeting WCAG contrast requirements.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Accessible Colors starts from your own text and background pair and suggests the nearest colors that pass WCAG AA or AAA, rather than producing random passing pairs.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.

  • WhoCanUse

    A web tool showing how a text and background color pair looks to people with various vision conditions.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

  • Leonardo

    Adobe's web tool for generating accessible color themes and scales from target contrast ratios.

    FreeOpen sourceWeb

  • Coblis

    A browser-based simulator that shows how an image looks to people with color vision deficiencies.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

  • Accessible Palette

    A web tool for building color systems with consistent lightness and WCAG contrast across hues.

    FreeProprietaryWeb