ADA website compliance checker: free tools, what they test and what they miss

An ADA website compliance checker is a scanner that tests a page against WCAG 2.1 AA, the standard ADA website cases point to, and lists the errors it can detect. Free options include WAVE, axe DevTools, Lighthouse, accessiBe's accessScan, AccessibleWeb's page scanner and IBM's Equal Access checker. None of them can declare a site "ADA compliant": they find the errors a program can see, and a person must judge the rest. This guide compares the checkers, shows how to run one and explains what to do with the result.

ADA website compliance checkers compared

Based on each tool's public page and independent roundups found for this search, 2026-11-15. Plans and limits change; check the tool before relying on it.

Most free tools are built on the same open-source engine, axe-core or similar rules, so two checkers often report overlapping errors. The differences are in how the report reads, how many pages they scan and what they sell next. For an overview of the best free options, see website accessibility checker free.

Can a checker say you are ADA compliant?

No. The ADA does not set technical rules for websites; courts and agreements typically use WCAG 2.1 AA as the yardstick. Automated checkers test only the rules a program can judge: missing alt attributes, empty buttons, colour contrast of text it can measure, missing form labels, bad ARIA. They cannot tell whether alt text is accurate, whether the reading order is sensible, whether a video's captions are correct or whether a custom widget works with a screen reader. A tool that shows "100% compliant" for your home page has told you that it found no detectable errors on that page that day. Treat it as a smoke detector, not an inspection.

How to run an ADA compliance check, step by step

1. Choose five pages: home, contact, a service or product page, a blog post and the page with a form or checkout.
2. Install one extension (WAVE or axe DevTools) so the page you scan is the one visitors see, including logged-in or cookie-set content.
3. Scan and save. Screenshot the results with the date. These are your "before" records.
4. Sort errors by type. Group contrast, labels, alt text, link names and structure. Fixing one template line often clears dozens.
5. Fix the top group first. Contrast usually leads; see WCAG colour contrast checker.
6. Press Tab through the page. You should see where focus is and reach every link, button and menu.
7. Rescan and save the "after" results.

Our ADA compliant website checklist turns the manual checks into 25 items you can tick off this week.

What does a compliance score mean?

Scores differ by tool. Lighthouse weights some checks more than others and gives a number out of 100. accessScan reports a percentage against WCAG 2.1 AA. Others count errors and alerts. Two points matter: a high score from a tool that tests only a few rules is easy to reach, and the score for one page says little about the other pages. Compare the same tool on the same pages before and after, not one tool against another.

Errors, alerts and warnings: what to act on

• Errors: something definitely wrong, such as an image with no alt attribute. Fix these.
• Alerts or "needs review": the tool cannot tell. A person decides, for example whether a long alt text is useful.
• Features: things done right, shown so you know what was detected.
• Structural notes: headings and landmarks; check they make sense when read in order.

What a free checker misses

• Whether alt text describes the picture, or is "image" or a file name.
• Keyboard traps in menus, popups and calendars.
• Screen reader behaviour of forms, error messages and dynamic content.
• Captions and transcripts on video and audio.
• Documents such as PDFs linked from the page.
• Pages behind a login or after a click.
• Whether a page makes sense at 200% zoom or on a phone.

This is why the cost pages in this series list manual audits at $1,000–$7,000: a person does these. Prices and what to expect are in website accessibility audit cost.

Free scan, paid scan or written fix list: which one

• You edit your own site and want a quick look: a free extension on five pages.
• You want monitoring of many pages: automated monitoring plans from vendors are listed at about $50–$300 a month; check what they fix and what they only report.
• You do not know what to change: a written fix list; every error, the exact change for your platform.
• Your site books or sells: add a manual test of that flow by a specialist.
• You received a demand letter: an attorney first; we are not lawyers.

Beware of checkers that sell a widget

Several free scanners are run by overlay vendors. They are not necessarily wrong, but the next screen offers a subscription that adds a toolbar and patches the page in the browser. The source code does not change, and a scanner that reads your source will report the same errors. In January 2025 the FTC ordered accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims that its product made websites WCAG compliant. Use the scan for its list; decide on the fix separately. Our accessiBe alternatives page lays out the choices.

Using an ADA website compliance checker on a real page: an example

Take a plumber's contact page. WAVE reports six errors and four alerts. Two errors are form fields (name and phone) that use placeholder text instead of a label, so a screen reader announces "edit text" with no hint what to type. Two are contrast failures on a light grey "Send" button. One is an empty link around a phone icon. One is a missing document language. The alerts include a long run of text in a single paragraph and a skipped heading level. The owner adds visible labels, darkens the button, names the phone link "Call us" and the language is set in the theme. Rescanned, the page shows zero errors and one alert. That is progress, but the owner then tabs through the page and finds the sticky header covers the focused field, a problem no scanner reported. This is the pattern: the checker finds the quick wins, and a person finds what is left.

Checkers for specific platforms

If your site runs on WordPress, a scanner plugin can check pages inside the editor before you publish; our WordPress accessibility audit guide covers that route and the audit prices. On Shopify, scan the theme with your real products, not the demo; see ADA compliance for Shopify. On site builders such as Wix and Squarespace you cannot edit the templates' code, so the report tells you which errors are yours (alt text, colours, link wording) and which belong to the builder.

A monthly routine that takes twenty minutes

1. Scan your five key pages with the same tool each time and save the results.
2. Compare the error counts with last month; a jump means a new plugin, a new section or a redesign.
3. Press Tab through the home page and the form page.
4. Check that new images have alt text and new links have clear words.
5. Update your accessibility statement date if something changed.

The routine costs nothing and builds the dated record that shows you take it seriously. If you would rather get the list and the fixes written once, see the Site Record link below.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free ADA compliance checker?

For a single page, WAVE and axe DevTools are the most commonly used and give detailed results. Use one, then add a keyboard test by hand.

Is there an official ADA website checker?

No government agency publishes an ADA website scanner that certifies compliance. Tools test against WCAG, which courts and agreements often use.

How often should I check my website?

After every redesign, theme or plugin update, and at least every quarter. New pages and new apps bring new errors.

Does a passing scan protect me from a lawsuit?

Nobody can promise that. A dated record of scans, fixes and a statement shows effort; talk to an attorney about your own risk.

Can I check the whole site for free?

Most free tools do one page at a time. Whole-site scans are usually a paid or sign-up feature; our Site Record covers up to 25 pages for $499 once.

Which WCAG version should a checker use?

WCAG 2.1 AA is the common benchmark; 2.2 AA adds a few checks and is a safe target for new work.

Sources

• accessiBe accessScan, AccessibleWeb page scanner, Reciteme and IBM Equal Access Checker public pages (checked 2026-11-15).
• WebAIM, WAVE; Deque, axe DevTools.
• FTC, order against accessiBe, January 2025.
• W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 and 2.2.