Accessibility vendor comparison
Overlay widgets (automated JavaScript fixes) and manual audits solve different problems and are priced very differently. We list both categories here, with the same standard of honesty: what each vendor actually claims, and what independent accessibility practitioners say about whether that claim holds up. See About for why overlays are not ranked above manual audits just because they pay a higher affiliate commission.
accessiBe
- Manual testing included
- Yes (see notes for which tier)
- WCAG level claimed
- AA
- Notes
- AI-powered overlay widget. Published pricing: $490–$3,990/year across four tiers (not converted — see source for current USD figures). Manual testing and expert validation are included only on the top 'Scale' tier; lower tiers rely on automated remediation alone. Overlay effectiveness for genuine WCAG conformance is disputed by accessibility practitioners and disability advocacy groups — see the About page for why this listing includes that caveat.
Deque Systems (axe)
- Manual testing included
- Yes (see notes for which tier)
- WCAG level claimed
- AA
- Notes
- Enterprise platform combining automated scanning (axe DevTools) with structured manual-testing workflows (axe Auditor) and continuous monitoring (axe Monitor). Pricing is not published; industry estimates put axe DevTools Pro from roughly $1,250/year per developer seat, with full-platform enterprise implementation commonly in the $15,000–$40,000 range. Standalone accessibility audits and VPAT authoring are separate engagements, commonly $25,000+.
Level Access
- Manual testing included
- Yes (see notes for which tier)
- WCAG level claimed
- AA
- Notes
- Enterprise accessibility platform: manual audits, VPAT/ACR documentation, remediation consulting and training, combined with an automated-testing product. Pricing is quote-only and not published.
Siteimprove
- Manual testing included
- No
- WCAG level claimed
- AA
- Notes
- Automated, ongoing WCAG scanning and issue-tracking across an entire site, aimed at large content-managed properties rather than one-off audits. Pricing is quote-only; industry estimates place typical annual contracts from roughly $15,000, scaling with page count and modules.
UserWay
- Manual testing included
- No
- WCAG level claimed
- AA
- Notes
- AI-powered overlay widget plus a separate scanning/monitoring product line. Published pricing: widget plans from $49/month; scanning plans from $990/year for 100 pages/month. No manual-testing tier identified. Same overlay-effectiveness caveat applies as for accessiBe.