Alternatives to WAVE
A suite of web accessibility evaluation tools, available online and as browser extensions. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
WAVE
A suite of web accessibility evaluation tools, available online and as browser extensions.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as WAVE.
axe DevTools
Accessibility testing tools and browser extension from Deque, built on the axe-core rules engine.
axe DevTools uses Deque's axe-core engine in a browser extension, with toolkits for IDE, CI and mobile, but advanced features are sold as enterprise products.
ARC Toolkit
Browser extension from TPGi that finds accessibility issues on individual web pages.
ARC Toolkit is a free browser extension from TPGi using its ARC rules engine, checking one page at a time with no bulk API.
AccessibilityChecker.org
Web accessibility scanner that audits a site against WCAG and ADA and explains how to fix issues.
AccessibilityChecker.org gives a free WCAG and ADA scan with fix instructions and an extension, while ongoing monitoring and remediation are paid.
EXPERTE Accessibility Checker
An online checker that crawls a website and tests each page for accessibility problems.
EXPERTE Accessibility Checker is a free web tool that crawls an entire public site with 41 checks, without browser extensions for private pages.
Rocket Validator
A hosted crawler that runs HTML, CSS and accessibility checks across thousands of site pages.
Rocket Validator is a paid hosted crawler that runs accessibility and HTML checks across thousands of pages with scheduling and an API.
Tanaguru Engine
An automated accessibility testing engine that checks websites and web applications against RGAA and WCAG.
Tanaguru Engine is a self-hosted engine automating about 380 tests against RGAA and WCAG, with a product page mainly in French.
AChecker
Online accessibility checker that tests a URL, uploaded file or pasted HTML against WCAG and Section 508.
AChecker checks a URL, uploaded file or pasted HTML against WCAG and Section 508 online, but its guidelines stop at WCAG 2.0.
AccessMonitor
A Portuguese government web service that checks web pages against WCAG 2.1 accessibility practices.
AccessMonitor is a free Portuguese government web service that checks pages against WCAG 2.1 and gives a 0 to 10 score, mostly in Portuguese.
Also worth comparing
These listings name WAVE as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Accessibility Checker
WordPress plugin that scans posts and pages for accessibility problems and reports them in the editor.
WAVE checks pages through browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge on any platform, rather than reporting inside the WordPress editor.
Accessibility Insights
Microsoft's open-source tools for finding and fixing accessibility problems in web pages and Windows apps.
WAVE shows issues in place on the page and has extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge, but it is freemium and does not cover Windows apps.
ANDI
Free bookmarklet from the US Social Security Administration for testing web pages for accessibility.
WAVE shows issues in place on the page through Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions, and can check private and local pages, with bulk testing behind a paid API.
AudioEye Website Accessibility Checker
A free online scanner that checks a website for ADA and WCAG accessibility issues.
WAVE shows accessibility issues in context on the page with free browser extensions, rather than acting as an entry point to a commercial service.
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
IBM's open-source browser extension and toolkit for automated accessibility checks of web pages.
WAVE shows issues in place on the page through extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge, while bulk and CI testing need its paid API or engine.
Pa11y
Open-source command-line and dashboard tools that test web pages for accessibility issues automatically.
WAVE shows issues in place on the page through online tools and extensions, with bulk and CI testing requiring its paid API or engine.
Sa11y
Accessibility checker that highlights content issues directly on a web page with tips for fixing them.
WAVE also shows issues in place on the page, via browser extensions rather than site integration, but it is not open source and bulk testing is paid.
Stark
A suite of accessibility tools for checking and fixing issues across design and development.
WAVE shows accessibility issues in place on the page through a web tool and Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions, with bulk testing through a paid API.
UserWay Accessibility Checker
Online scanner that checks a website for ADA and WCAG accessibility issues and gives a score.
WAVE shows accessibility issues in place on the page and offers browser extensions that can check private, local and dynamic pages, with bulk testing through a paid API.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
WebAIM Contrast Checker
An online checker that tests foreground and background color contrast against WCAG AA and AAA levels.
SortSite
Website quality scanner testing accessibility, broken links, browser compatibility and SEO against over 1200 checkpoints.
WooRank
A web-based website review that audits a URL for SEO, usability and accessibility issues.
Toptal Colorblind Web Page Filter
A web tool that renders a web page through color blindness filters to test its design.
