Top 23 Free Accessibility Testing Tools for Website Compliance in 2026

If you're wondering if there's a free way to check your website's accessibility, the answer is yes.

Free accessibility testing tools make it possible to scan your site for accessibility barriers without paying for software or professional audits. These tools can help you identify accessibility barriers on your site and understand how close you are to meeting ADA and WCAG standards.

Slow-loading web pages, poor font choices, and difficult navigation are common web problems that pose a slight inconvenience for most users. However, for users with disabilities, these inconveniences can restrict their internet use entirely.

The goal of web accessibility testing is to eliminate accessibility problems and make it easy for everyone — particularly those with disabilities — to use the internet. While web accessibility is a fundamental right, it’s also a legal requirement. Organizations are responsible for creating accessible online content or risk facing legal actions (e.g., lawsuits or demand letters) that can be incredibly costly.

There are accessibility testing tools to help identify and eliminate web accessibility barriers. Website accessibility software checks digital content for errors like missing alt text or poor color contrast. Highlighting these issues helps you take proactive steps to resolve them and create a more accessible, compliant, and inclusive online experience.

Whether you’re just getting started with accessibility or you have some experience in the industry, free accessibility testing tools can help you create compliant and accessible websites, mobile apps, and other digital content.

What is an Accessibility Testing Tool?

Web accessibility testing tools are software programs or online platforms that scan digital content to determine if it complies with accessibility compliance standards (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)). Depending on the platform, some tools may provide recommendations for remediation.

Testing tools come in various forms, including browser extensions, standalone software, online services, and mobile accessibility checkers. For example, browser extensions like axe or WAVE allow for quick, in-browser accessibility checks on Chrome or Firefox. At the same time, dedicated software and online services provide deeper analysis and automated reporting. Mobile accessibility checkers help ensure apps meet accessibility standards across different devices.

By scanning web pages for accessibility errors, developers and designers can identify where improvements must be made to ensure digital content is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Not only does this help you avoid potential lawsuits, but it also improves overall usability and functionality for everyone.

These tools allow you to run a free scan of your site's accessibility — helping you quickly understand whether your site meets key compliance benchmarks like WCAG.

They're an easy first step toward identifying accessibility gaps that could be putting your business at risk.

Top Free Accessibility Testing Tools

Below, we've compiled a list of the top free accessibility testing tools to help you get started on your path to accessibility. Each one includes a free feature or version — such as a browser extension or limited-page scan — that allows you to check your site for common accessibility issues.

Use these free accessibility scanners to detect common issues like missing image alt text or color contrast problems — and to learn where your site's accessibility can be improved.

AudioEye

AudioEye’s Digital Accessibility Platform pairs automated fixes with Expert Audits from certified accessibility specialists who test with screen readers and other assistive technology. Real Time Monitoring keeps that coverage continuous, testing for new issues continuously so new problems get caught as your site changes. The free Website Accessibility Checker scans your site for common WCAG violations, including poor color contrast, missing alt text, keyboard navigation issues, and more. With AudioEye's combination of automation and expert testing, you can detect up to 2.5x more accessibility issues than other leading tools and get legal protection services through AudioEye Assurance to help reduce your legal risk.

Accessible Web RAMP

Accessible Web RAMP’s(opens in a new tab) free browser extension, Accessible Web Helper(opens in a new tab), lets you scan digital content for accessibility issues directly from your browser. The tool scans your web pages, highlights the location of violations, and checks the color contrast ratios of the page’s web elements. You can also choose which WCAG rulesets to scan your content against based on your accessibility goals.

Silktide Accessibility Checker

Silktide’s free accessibility checker(opens in a new tab) tests your site against over 200 WCAG guidelines and provides step-by-step remediation guidance. The tool is added to your Chrome browser and scans the page currently loaded within your browser. It includes four tools: a WCAG checker, a disability simulator, a free screen reader, and a color contrast checker. These tools help you get closer to ADA compliance and WCAG conformance.

Total Validator

Total Validator(opens in a new tab) checks whether your website is accessible and meets accessibility regulations, including WCAG, Section 508, and ARIA tests. The free browser extension(opens in a new tab) checks multiple web pages to ensure HTML and CSS validation, helping you stay up-to-date on accessibility regulations.

Sa11y

Geared toward content authors, Sa11y(opens in a new tab) helps you identify content-related accessibility issues. The tool quickly scans web pages and displays accessibility errors or warnings via a notification badge with the total number of issues detected. Sa11y is available as a bookmarklet(opens in a new tab) and can be used in any desktop browser.

AAArdvark

AAArdvark(opens in a new tab) performs a free test of your homepage for accessibility issues. The Chrome Extension(opens in a new tab) tests digital content for conformance with WCAG level A, AA, and AAA and provides guidance on the remediation process. The rest of AAArdvark’s accessibility tools are available for a free, one-time use to enhance your accessibility insights further.

Monsido

Monsido(opens in a new tab) performs an accessibility audit of your site to identify WCAG 2.2 and ADA compliance issues. The platform provides an accessibility score and highlights where errors are on your site and at which WCAG level (i.e., A, AA, and AAA) they fall under. The platform also includes additional free accessibility tools(opens in a new tab), including a color contrast checker, accessibility statement generator, and accessibility handbook.

Accessible Metrics

Accessible Metrics(opens in a new tab) provides a free manual accessibility scan of your homepage. The scan identifies WCAG and Section 508 accessibility errors and helps to locate dead links. The insights provided help you determine where users with disabilities may have difficulty interacting with your site and provide actionable solutions for remediation.

WebAccessibility.Com

WebAccessibility.com(opens in a new tab) provides a free Website Health Accessibility Score(opens in a new tab) to help you understand your website’s current WCAG conformance level. With these insights, you can create a remediation plan to break down accessibility barriers and expand your audience base.

ARC Toolkit

The ARC Toolkit(opens in a new tab) enables you to uncover and resolve accessibility issues across your digital content. The platform features free accessibility testing tools, including an accessibility scan, color contrast checker, and JAWS screen reader testing. You can also get a free 5-page monthly scan of your most-used web pages to better understand your site’s accessibility.

IBM Equal Access Toolkit

Available as an open-source download, the IBM Equal Access Toolkit(opens in a new tab) includes a suite of accessibility tools, including the Accessibility Checker. The Accessibility Checker is freely available as a Chrome, Edge, or Firefox extension that integrates into the browser’s development tools. Using IBM’s accessibility rules engine, the tool scans digital content for WCAG 2.2 accessibility issues, highlights the source, and provides recommendations for fixes.

QualWeb

QualWeb(opens in a new tab) is an automated web accessibility tool that checks web pages against WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards. For example, the tool determines whether a website has a responsive design, is keyboard accessible, has a minimum color contrast ratio of 4.5:1, is compatible with assistive technologies, and all images have alt text. The open-source platform can be used as a command line tool, a browser extension, or integrated directly into JavaScript products.

axe Monitor

axe Monitor(opens in a new tab) is an accessibility scanner that reports on the accessibility status of your site. The tool pinpoints where accessibility errors are occurring on your site as well as identifies where accessibility has declined over time. You can use the tool’s reporting tools to drill down further and perform root cause analysis for certain accessibility issues.

AChecker

AChecker(opens in a new tab) monitors accessibility against ADA, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and EQA compliance across your website. The free scanner provides an accessibility review, highlighting likely and potential problems. It also performs HTML and CSS validation to ensure you don’t have any non-conformant code.

Google Lighthouse

Google Lighthouse(opens in a new tab) is a free, open-source auditing tool built into Chrome DevTools. It scores pages across performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices, running 57+ accessibility checks powered by the axe-core engine. It's also available as a CLI tool and through PageSpeed Insights, so it fits into most development workflows without any extra setup.

ACHECKS

ACHECKS(opens in a new tab) monitors your website for WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance using intuitive dashboards available in AChecker and Google Lighthouse. The platform features multiple accessibility testing tools, including an accessibility scanner, PDF checker, and color contrast checker. ACHECKS also enables you to set which WCAG conformance level you want to test content against (i.e., Level A, AA, or AAA).

Accessibility Cloud

Accessibility Cloud’s(opens in a new tab) basic version of its web accessibility testing platform enables you to test and monitor your websites and documents against WCAG, EN 301 549, ADA, Section 508, and more. The free plan(opens in a new tab) includes automatic accessibility testing, multiple compliance targets, accessibility monitoring and email notifications, and more. The basic plan is available for one user and one site and can test up to five pages.

WAVE

WAVE(opens in a new tab) is a suite of accessibility evaluation tools that help web authors make their content more accessible by remediating WCAG errors. The solution is available as a browser extension(opens in a new tab) and performs accessibility testing directly within your web browser. The extension can also check intranet, password-protected, dynamically generated, or sensitive web pages to further enhance accessibility.

Accessibility Checker

Accessibility Checker(opens in a new tab) is a free ADA and WCAG compliance checker that identifies web accessibility issues and provides recommendations for fixing them. The platform also features additional free accessibility tools, including a color contrast checker and PDF accessibility checker. After the scan, you’re provided with a detailed, accurate audit of your site's accessibility errors and solution recommendations.

Includia Accessibility Checker

The Includia Accessibility Checker(opens in a new tab) is a free Chrome extension that provides detailed accessibility reports within seconds of scanning your website. The report also contains a breakdown of issue severity, step-by-step instructions for remediation, and accessibility scores. With this information, you can prioritize fixes and better understand the impact of website changes. It also helps you conform to WCAG guidelines.

AInspector for Firefox

AInspector for Firefox(opens in a new tab) evaluates web pages for compliance based on WCAG 2.0, WCAG 2.1, or WCAG 2.2 Level A and Level AA requirements using the OpenA11y Evaluation Library. The solution organizes evaluation results by Rule Categories and WCAG guidelines, allowing for easier fixes. The tool is designed to help users better understand accessibility standards to create a better experience for users with disabilities.

Microsoft Accessibility Insights

Accessibility Insights(opens in a new tab) is a free, open-source tool from Microsoft available as a browser extension for Chrome and Edge and as a Windows desktop app. It uses the axe-core engine for automated checks and includes a FastPass mode for quick audits, plus a guided manual assessment that walks you through WCAG criteria automation can't cover. Results can be exported to HTML, GitHub, or Azure DevOps.

TAW (Test de Accessibilidad Web)

TAW(opens in a new tab) is an accessibility evaluation tool that checks websites against WCAG 2.1 guidelines, along with its own heuristics for mobile accessibility. Developed by the CITC Centro Tecnológico, TAW provides annotated reports highlighting accessibility violations and offers recommendations for remediation. It’s available as an online service, desktop application, and Firefox add-on.

Most Common Findings with an Accessibility Test

The issues accessibility testing tools uncover vary depending on the specific tool. However, most automated testing tools scan digital content for ADA, Section 508, WCAG, and AODA compliance issues, including:

• Alt text: WCAG guidelines recommend all images or other visual content contain written descriptions that can be read by assistive technologies such as screen readers. This ensures users can understand all information on a web page.

• Color contrast: Poor color contrast (i.e., the difference between web elements and the background) can make reading difficult for users with visual impairments (including low vision or color blindness). Most accessibility testing tools test contrast ratios to ensure an appropriate balance.

• Navigation issues: Many users with disabilities rely on a keyboard or assistive technologies to navigate the web. Testing tools ensure websites are navigable via these methods, and some highlight where navigation improvements can be made.

Most free accessibility testing tools will only find these common, surface-level issues. More complex barriers — such as dynamic content problems, inconsistent heading structures, or issues within interactive components — typically require expert review.

What Should You Do with Your Accessibility Testing Results?

After you’ve received the results of your accessibility test, you may wonder: what next? You may be surprised at the volume of errors on your site. Rest assured, even if you find dozens of accessibility errors that range in complexity, you can fix them.

The next step is to conduct additional accessibility testing. Software alone — no matter how advanced — cannot identify all accessibility errors, so manual accessibility testing is also needed. Once you comprehensively understand your content’s accessibility, you can create a remediation plan.

At this stage, decide whether you'll fix accessibility issues on your own or bring in expert help. Working with certified accessibility professionals can save your team time and ensure that each fix addresses the root causes of accessibility barriers. For example, AudioEye's platform pairs automated fixes with Expert Audits and Agentic Audits, so issues get caught and resolved continuously rather than piling up between reviews.

Accessibility requires ongoing monitoring and adjustments to ensure continued compliance. Conduct regular accessibility scans of your site and supplement them with expert testing. This will help you maintain compliance with accessibility guidelines and create more accessible, inclusive digital content.

Start Testing Your Site with AudioEye

Each of the accessibility testing tools above provides a great starting point for your accessibility journey. Based on the insights the tools provide, you’ll start to understand how accessible your existing digital content is. This gives you the knowledge needed to break down accessibility barriers and create a more inclusive user experience.

Ready to see where your site stands? Scan your site with AudioEye’s Website Accessibility Checker and find out in minutes.

Want to learn more about AudioEye? Schedule a demo today.