WAVE

WAVE is a web accessibility tool that identifies many accessibility and WCAG errors and supports human evaluation of web content. Browser extensions are available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. They can inspect password-protected, locally stored, and highly dynamic pages, including intranet pages with most authentication types. WAVE supports page scans, mobile viewport checks, and scheduled site audits. Stand-alone tools can connect to continuous-integration systems such as Selenium and Puppeteer. The API returns data in JSON or XML; basic analysis costs one credit, while advanced features may cost two or three. New accounts receive 100 free API credits. Subscription API access has a 250-credit minimum purchase for $10 a month. Stand-alone API licenses cost $4,000 a year for Basic, $8,000 a year for Expanded, and $12,000 a year for Unlimited. The stand-alone API runs on Linux, Mac, or Windows web servers with PHP and Node installed, and requires at least 1 CPU, 1 GB memory, and 100 MB storage.

WAVE combines browser-based accessibility checks with API and stand-alone options for audits and CI workflows. Readers should account for API credit requirements and the substantial annual fees for stand-alone licenses.

WAVE suits people evaluating web accessibility on individual pages, protected content, or mobile viewports. Its scheduled audits, API, and CI support may also suit teams incorporating checks into ongoing site work.

WAVE is a web accessibility evaluation tool for people who need to check pages and bring accessibility checks into development workflows. It suits individual reviewers and teams that need browser extensions, API access or stand-alone auditing tools. Its mix of automated findings and support for human evaluation is useful; API credit costs and stand-alone license fees are the main trade-offs.

Overview

WAVE checks pages for many accessibility and WCAG errors and provides tools that facilitate human evaluation of web content. Its stated standard is WCAG 2.2, and its scan scope is a page. That makes it a focused way to surface issues on individual pages, not a substitute for human assessment.

Options span browser extensions, API access and stand-alone tools, with platform support for web, Linux, macOS and Windows as well as API and extension use. The maker is based in Logan, Utah, and was founded in 2017.

Key features

Browser-based page checks

Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions can evaluate password-protected, locally stored and highly dynamic pages. Support for most authentication types, including intranet pages, makes the extensions more useful for sites that cannot be checked as ordinary public pages. Custom viewport sizes let reviewers check mobile-responsive breakpoints, although the scan scope remains page-level.

API and automated workflows

The API returns results in JSON or XML and uses GET requests containing an API key and page URL. Basic analysis costs one credit; advanced features can use two or three, so the effective number of checks depends on how much analysis a workflow needs. Stand-alone tools support scheduled audits and CI integration, including Selenium and Puppeteer. Their stated minimum requirements are 1 CPU, 1 GB of memory and 100 MB of storage; the stand-alone API runs on Linux, Mac or Windows web servers with PHP and Node installed.

Pricing

WAVE is freemium. New accounts receive 100 free API credits, enough to try basic analysis but a limited allowance for recurring or advanced checks. Pay-as-you-go credits start at 250 for a $10 minimum purchase: 250–999 credits cost $0.04 per credit, 1,000–9,999 cost $0.03 per credit, and 10,000 or more cost $0.025 per credit.

Subscription API plans start at $10 a month for 250–999 credits, with a 250-credit minimum purchase. Higher subscription tiers require at least 1,000 or 10,000 credits, respectively, and have custom pricing. Credit-based plans suit users who want API checks without a stand-alone license, but the per-analysis credit cost makes usage planning important.

Stand-alone licenses are annual: Basic is $4,000 a year for 100,000 API requests, up to 3 domains and 1 installation; Expanded is $8,000 a year for 300,000 requests, up to 10 domains and 3 installations. Both limit data distribution to the licensee. Unlimited costs $12,000 a year and removes request, domain and installation caps, with licensee-only or authorized data distribution. Basic and Expanded suit organizations whose request volumes and domain counts fit their caps; the annual fees make them a poor fit for occasional or small-scale checks.

Platforms

WAVE supports API, extension, web, Linux, macOS and Windows platforms. The browser extensions are available for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. Stand-alone server use requires PHP and Node, so platform availability alone does not remove the need to meet those server requirements.

Who it's for

WAVE is a strong fit for accessibility reviewers who need to inspect authenticated or dynamic pages, and for development teams that want scheduled audits or CI checks alongside human evaluation. Readers needing only occasional API analysis can start with free credits or a small credit purchase. Organizations needing broad, recurring API coverage may prefer a stand-alone tier, provided its annual cost and domain, request and installation limits match their work.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Extensions can inspect protected, locally stored and dynamic pages, extending checks to pages that ordinary public-page scans may not reach.
• Pros: API results in JSON or XML, CI integrations and scheduled audits support automated workflows as well as individual checks.
• Pros: Human-evaluation tools complement automated error detection rather than presenting scans as the whole accessibility review.
• Cons: API analyses consume credits, and advanced features can use two or three per analysis, making ongoing usage more expensive than the basic credit count suggests.
• Cons: Stand-alone licenses begin at $4,000 a year, a substantial commitment for smaller teams or infrequent audits.
• Cons: Basic and Expanded cap requests, domains and installations, and restrict data distribution to the licensee.

Alternatives

For broader browsing, see Website Accessibility Tools and Accessibility Testing Software.

Choose Stark instead if browser-based WCAG scans and reports plus Figma-focused automated detection and remediation are a better match; its Premium Pack costs $198 a year.

Binclusive is a paid alternative with a $59 a month Starter plan that includes three real-screen-reader test scenarios and alt text for 50 images per month.

Octopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner) is a free alternative for macOS and Windows.

pour is a free alternative offering a browser extension, bookmarklet, command-line scanner, VS Code extension and contrast checker.

Axe DevTools is another freemium alternative, with a free extension plan limited to one page at a time.

Pope Tech offers a free tier capped at 25 pages, two users, one website and one group.

SortSite is a paid alternative with a Standard plan priced at $149 a month and a 22,000-page scan allowance.

AccessLint is a freemium alternative with a free trial.

Verdict

Choose WAVE if you need page-level accessibility checks that work on protected and dynamic pages, with API, scheduled-audit and CI options for scaling the process. Its support for human evaluation is a meaningful strength, but credit consumption and stand-alone plans starting at $4,000 a year make it less suitable for teams with light needs or limited budgets.