WAVE vs axe DevTools

From $0.04 per page (API, indicative)

From $40 per user/month (indicative, Pro)

Free for interactive use; the API is priced per page for bulk scanning.

Free extension covers a lot. Pro adds guided manual testing; enterprise plans are quote-based.

Browser extension and single-page online checker are free.

Free browser extension with the core axe-core rule set.

Widely used

WebAIM (Utah State University) · since 2001

Widely used

Deque Systems · since 2015

• The in-page visual overlay teaches non-specialists what is wrong far better than a list.
• Free for everyday developer and designer use.
• WebAIM's guidance behind each rule is authoritative and clear.

• Guided manual testing addresses the two thirds of WCAG that scanners cannot.
• Findings come with concrete code-level remediation advice.
• Deque's accessibility expertise is the deepest in the industry.

• Manual, page-by-page — not a CI tool.
• Alerts require human judgement, so counts are not directly comparable between pages.
• No issue tracking or programme management.

• Per-seat pricing adds up across a large engineering organisation.
• The free extension is good enough for many teams, blurring the upgrade case.
• Enterprise deployment needs process design, not just a licence.

Designers and developers learning accessibility, and quick manual spot checks.

Organisations with a formal accessibility programme and compliance obligations.