Alternatives to Contrast Ratio

A web tool that calculates the WCAG contrast ratio between a text color and a background color. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

  • Contrast Ratio

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Contrast Ratio.

  • WebAIM Contrast Checker

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    WebAIM Contrast Checker gives separate normal text, large text and UI component results with alpha controls and shareable permalinks, without Siege Media marketing.

  • Colour Contrast Checker

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Colour Contrast Checker shows AA and AAA pass or fail with RGB or HSL sliders and previews text in Google fonts.

  • Colour Contrast Analyser

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

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOS

    Colour Contrast Analyser is an open source desktop app for Windows and macOS with screen-wide eyedroppers for picking both colors.

  • Contrast Finder

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

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    Contrast Finder is open source under AGPL-3.0, suggests close valid colors when a pair fails, and can be self-hosted.

  • Colorable

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Colorable uses HSL sliders with reverse and random buttons instead of typed CSS notations, showing ratio and WCAG level together.

  • Accessible Colors

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Accessible Colors checks AA and AAA and suggests nearest passing colors, based on WCAG 2.0 rules.

  • WhoCanUse

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    WhoCanUse previews the color pair across vision conditions and shows the share of people affected, with source code on GitHub.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Contrast Ratio as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Accessible Color Generator

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Contrast Ratio updates the WCAG ratio live as you type and handles semi-transparent colors, but it does not suggest accessible alternatives.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.

  • RandomA11y

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb

  • OKLCH Color Picker

    A web color picker and converter for the OKLCH color space with P3 and Rec2020 views.

    FreeOpen sourceWeb

  • Leonardo

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

    FreeOpen sourceWeb

  • Accessible Palette

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb

  • Coblis

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

    FreeProprietaryWeb