Making your website accessible is a big deal. It helps more people use your site, including those with disabilities. But how do you check if your site is friendly for everyone? Simple. Use a website accessibility scanner! Even better, many tools offer free audits. Let’s take a look at 9 awesome and free tools that can help.
Don’t worry – this isn’t rocket science. We’ll keep it fun, quick, and easy to follow. Ready? Let’s go!
Contents
1. Lighthouse
Lighthouse is built right into Google Chrome. You don’t even need to install anything special.
- Open Chrome DevTools
- Click on the “Lighthouse” tab
- Run the accessibility audit
It checks for things like color contrast, keyboard access, and ARIA labels. Simple and fast!
2. axe DevTools
axe is a powerful tool developed by Deque Systems. The basic browser extension is free.
- Great for developers and testers
- Highlights issues right on the page
- Has suggestions for fixes
Perfect for anyone who wants to improve accessibility on the fly.
3. WAVE Evaluation Tool
WAVE is easy to use and super visual. Made by WebAIM, it shows results directly on your webpage.
- Instant feedback
- Icons to mark issues
- Expand to learn why it’s a problem
Use it as a browser extension or visit the WAVE website and enter your URL.
4. Siteimprove Accessibility Checker
Siteimprove has a free Chrome extension. It scans your page and breaks results into categories.
- Accessibility score
- Clear explanations
- Useful for content creators too
Big plus: it doesn’t need much tech knowledge.
5. Accessibility Insights
Accessibility Insights is from Microsoft. It offers FastPass for quick testing and more detailed assessments too.
- Free browser extension
- Clear visuals and strong guidance
- Step-by-step testing support
Ideal for both quick scans and deeper dives.
6. Tenon.io
Tenon is a bit more technical, but it still offers a free trial and an online tester.
- Paste your code or URL
- Choose your settings
- Get a detailed report
Great for developers who want custom checks.
7. AChecker
AChecker is an older tool, but still useful. Enter your URL, file, or HTML to get started.
- Open source and easy to use
- Choose from accessibility standards (like WCAG)
- View errors, warnings, and suggestions
Simple, no-frills, and helpful in a pinch.
8. SortSite (Free Edition)
SortSite is like an all-in-one scanner. It checks SEO, broken links… AND accessibility!
- Free for personal use
- One URL at a time
- Downloadable desktop version
A great option if you’re checking multiple areas at once.
9. Google Search Console – Lighthouse (again!)
Yes, it’s Lighthouse again, but did you know it also works via Google Search Console?
- No need to manually run it in the browser
- See accessibility issues under “Core Web Vitals”
- Tracks performance over time
Perfect for ongoing monitoring.
Why You Should Use These Tools
Making your website accessible is not just a nice thing to do — it’s essential. Here’s why:
- More users can access your content
- Better SEO for your website
- Legal protection – avoids lawsuits!
And best of all, you don’t need a big budget. Many tools are FREE!
Wrap-Up
There’s no excuse to skip accessibility. With tools like WAVE, axe, and Lighthouse, it’s easy and fun to improve your site for everyone.
Start today. Pick one from the list and run a scan. You might be surprised by what you find — and how simple it is to fix!