WAVE

Overview

WAVE is a web accessibility evaluation tool for people who need to check web pages and assess accessibility beyond automated findings. It suits both individual reviewers using browser extensions and teams building repeatable audits into their workflows. Its strongest case is the mix of page-level checks, human evaluation support and automation; its API costs and minimum commitments are a more serious fit for organizations with sustained needs.

WAVE identifies many accessibility and WCAG errors, with WCAG 2.2 as its stated standard. It combines automated scans with tools that facilitate human evaluation, rather than making automated results the whole assessment.

Key features

Page checks and browser extensions

The scan scope is a page, with a scan limit of 250. Extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge can check password-protected, locally stored and highly dynamic pages. Support for most authentication types, including intranet pages, makes the extensions useful for environments that cannot be assessed through a public URL alone.

API and automation

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 may use two or three. That per-analysis model is straightforward to estimate, but advanced use can consume a credit balance faster than page counts alone suggest.

Stand-alone tools support continuous integration, including Selenium and Puppeteer, and scheduled site audits. Custom viewport sizes allow teams to check mobile responsive breakpoints. The stand-alone API runs on Linux, Mac or Windows web servers with PHP and Node installed; minimum system requirements are 1 CPU, 1 GB memory and 100 MB storage.

Pricing

WAVE is freemium, but its free access is a starting balance rather than an ongoing free API tier: each new account receives 100 API credits. The low-cost route for continued use is credit purchasing, while subscriptions impose monthly credit minimums and stand-alone licenses are annual commitments.

• Free API credits: 0.00 USD per free, with 100 credits for every new account. Suitable for a small evaluation or limited initial use, not a recurring workload.
• API credits 250–999: 0.04 USD per once, billed at $0.04 per credit, with a 250-credit ($10) minimum purchase. This is the smallest paid credit purchase.
• API credits 1000–9999: 0.03 USD per once, billed at $0.03 per credit, for purchases of 1,000 to 9,999 credits.
• API credits 10000+: 0.03 USD per once, billed at $0.025 per credit, for purchases of 10,000 or more credits. The lower per-credit rate comes with a much larger minimum order.
• Subscription API — 250–999 credits: 10.00 USD per month, with a 250-credit ($10) minimum purchase and 250-credit minimum. This suits a small but continuing API workload.
• Subscription API — 1,000–9,999 credits: custom pricing, with a 1,000-credit minimum. Subscription API — 10,000+ credits: custom pricing, with a 10,000-credit minimum. These tiers are aimed at higher-volume use, but the stated minimums require buyers to plan for that scale.
• Stand-alone API — Basic: 4000.00 USD per year for 100,000 API requests, up to 3 domains and 1 installation. Data distribution is limited to the licensee.
• Stand-alone API — Expanded: 8000.00 USD per year for 300,000 API requests, up to 10 domains and 3 installations. Data distribution remains licensee-only.
• Stand-alone API — Unlimited: 12000.00 USD per year for unlimited API requests, domains and installations, with licensee-only or authorized data distribution. This is the broadest option, but its annual price and license terms are aimed at larger deployments.

The cheaper API credit purchases avoid an annual license but do not provide the request, domain or installation allowances bundled into stand-alone plans. Conversely, the stand-alone tiers give defined annual request volumes and deployment limits, so they are easier to assess for a team with stable usage. Support is provided through a contact channel at Utah State University.

Platforms

WAVE is available as a web tool, browser extension and API, with listed platform support for Linux, macOS and Windows. Its extensions work with Chrome, Firefox and Edge. The stand-alone tools’ CI/CD and scheduled-audit support makes WAVE relevant to teams that need checks in development or on a regular cadence, not only one-off page reviews.

Who it's for

WAVE is a sensible choice for accessibility reviewers who need page-level scanning alongside human evaluation, and for development teams that want to automate checks with Selenium or Puppeteer. It is particularly useful when pages require authentication or when responsive breakpoints need checking. Organizations with modest API needs can begin with the free credits, while teams running sustained or broad API programs should compare the credit minimums and annual license limits against their expected volume.

It is less compelling for buyers seeking a generous ongoing free API allowance or a low-cost, all-inclusive site-wide license: the free API balance is limited to 100 credits per new account, page scans are page-scoped, and recurring use entails credit purchases or an annual stand-alone plan.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Browser extensions can assess password-protected, local and highly dynamic pages, covering cases that a public-page-only workflow would miss.
• Pro: Scheduled audits, CI/CD support, and custom viewport sizes help teams fold accessibility checks into recurring development and responsive-design work.
• Pro: Human evaluation support complements automated identification of many accessibility and WCAG errors.
• Con: The free API allocation is only 100 credits per new account, and basic and advanced analyses consume credits at different rates.
• Con: Subscription tiers begin at a 250-credit monthly minimum, while stand-alone licenses start at 4000.00 USD per year, making ongoing use a budget decision rather than a casual upgrade.
• Con: Stand-alone plans cap domains and installations except for the 12000.00 USD per year Unlimited tier; even the expanded tier limits data distribution to the licensee.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison of options, see Website Accessibility Tools and Accessibility Testing Software.

• AccessLint is another freemium option with a free plan and free trial; consider it when those terms or its API, extension, macOS and web platform mix better match your needs.
• A11yInspect offers a free plan and trial across extension, Linux, macOS and Windows; it is worth considering if that platform combination suits your workflow.
• Octopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner) is free software for macOS and Windows, with optional developer contributions; choose it if a free desktop option is the priority.
• Axe DevTools offers a free extension plan for one page at a time, with a Pro plan whose price is custom; consider it for that single-page free starting point.
• Pope Tech offers a free forever tier with 25 pages, 2 users, 1 website and 1 group; it is a practical alternative when those free-plan caps fit the work.
• ADAWCAG.org has a no-signup, no-card free scan for one page and a Starter plan at 149.00 USD per month with a 1-day free trial; consider it if a one-off page scan or trial is the priority.
• ADA Scanner offers a free tier of 25 scans a month, with Starter at 9.00 USD per month for 250 scans, 10 pages and 1 site; it may fit a reader seeking a defined monthly scan allowance at a lower entry price.
• AccessProof has a free plan for 1 website and 1 scan per month, plus a 14-day trial on paid plans; consider it if that small free allowance or trial is sufficient.

Verdict

Choose WAVE if you need accessibility page checks that can include protected content, human evaluation support and a path into scheduled or CI-driven audits. Its breadth across extensions, API and stand-alone tools is the main reason to pick it. Look elsewhere if you need ongoing free API use or cannot justify its credit minimums and annual license costs.