CompliaScan vs WAVE
WAVE is a well-respected free tool for manual page-by-page accessibility checks. CompliaScan is a full-featured scanning platform with automated multi-page scanning, monitoring, and AI recommendations. Both are legitimate tools — here is how they compare.
Manual Checking vs Automated Scanning
WAVE, built by WebAIM, is one of the most well-known accessibility evaluation tools. Its free browser extension and web service visually annotate accessibility issues directly on your page with colored icons and indicators. WAVE is excellent for quick, manual spot-checks and is widely recommended in the accessibility community.
However, WAVE has limitations for teams that need to manage accessibility at scale:
- The free version only evaluates one page at a time — you must manually navigate to each page
- No scheduled monitoring or alerts — you must remember to re-check pages after changes
- No PDF report generation for stakeholders or compliance documentation
- The WAVE API uses per-credit pricing (~$100/mo for 100 page checks) which can become expensive at scale
- No AI-powered fix recommendations or enhanced scanning features like color vision deficiency simulation
CompliaScan complements manual tools like WAVE by providing automated multi-page scanning, scheduled monitoring with alerts, detailed fix instructions with AI recommendations, PDF reports, and a developer API — all the features needed for ongoing accessibility management.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | CompliaScan | WAVE |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Automated code-level scanning | Manual visual annotation |
| Free Tier | Yes (no account needed) | Yes (browser extension) |
| Multi-Page Scanning | Up to 250 pages (automated) | One page at a time (manual) |
| Automatic Crawling | ||
| Fix Instructions | Detailed, per-element | Brief descriptions |
| AI Fix Recommendations | Yes (BYOK — your own API key) | |
| Monitoring & Alerts | Daily / Weekly / Monthly | |
| PDF Reports | ||
| Developer API | REST API (included in plans) | Credit-based (~$1/page) |
| CI/CD Integration | ||
| Enhanced Scanning | Lighthouse, CVD sim, heading map | Contrast, structure, ARIA checks |
| Visual Issue Annotations | ||
| WCAG 2.2 Level AA | ||
| Keyboard Navigation Testing | ||
| Screen Reader Testing |
Pricing Comparison
CompliaScan
- Free: $0 — Single-page scan, no account needed
- Starter: $69/mo — Multi-page, reports, monitoring
- Pro: $179/mo — API, weekly monitoring, 3 seats
- Business: $349/mo — 250 pages, daily monitoring, unlimited
WAVE
- Browser extension: Free
- Web service: Free (single page)
- WAVE API: ~$100/mo for 100 credits
- API scaling: ~$1 per page evaluation
- API pricing is credit-based. Each page evaluation uses one credit. Higher volume plans available at reduced per-credit rates.
Both CompliaScan and WAVE offer free tools for single-page checks. The difference becomes clear at scale: scanning 250 pages monthly with WAVE's API would cost approximately $250/mo in credits, while CompliaScan's Business plan covers 250 pages for $349/mo and includes monitoring, alerts, PDF reports, AI recommendations, and full API access — features WAVE does not offer at any price.
Key Advantages of CompliaScan over WAVE
Automated Multi-Page Scanning
CompliaScan automatically crawls and scans up to 250 pages per scan. Enter your URL and CompliaScan discovers and evaluates linked pages automatically. With WAVE, you must manually navigate to each page and run the evaluation one at a time. For sites with dozens or hundreds of pages, this time difference is significant.
Ongoing Monitoring and Alerts
CompliaScan schedules automatic re-scans on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis and sends email alerts when new accessibility issues are detected. This means you catch regressions as they happen. WAVE has no monitoring or alerting capabilities — you have to remember to re-check pages manually after every content or code change.
Detailed Fix Instructions and AI Recommendations
CompliaScan provides specific, per-element fix instructions for every violation found, including the affected HTML, the WCAG criterion, and step-by-step guidance. With AI recommendations enabled (BYOK), you get intelligent code suggestions. WAVE identifies issues with visual annotations and brief descriptions but does not provide the same level of detailed, actionable fix guidance.
Professional Reports and Compliance Documentation
CompliaScan generates downloadable PDF reports suitable for stakeholders, clients, legal teams, and compliance documentation. Export scan data as JSON or CSV for integration with other tools. WAVE does not generate downloadable reports or compliance documentation in any format.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between CompliaScan and WAVE?
Both are legitimate accessibility evaluation tools. WAVE is a free browser extension from WebAIM that visually annotates issues on one page at a time. CompliaScan is a full-featured scanning platform with automated multi-page scanning, scheduled monitoring, PDF reports, AI recommendations, and a developer API. WAVE is great for quick manual checks; CompliaScan is built for ongoing accessibility management at scale.
Is WAVE free to use?
WAVE's browser extension and single-page web checker are free. The WAVE API for programmatic access starts at approximately $100/month for 100 credits (one credit per page evaluation). CompliaScan also offers a free tier for single-page scans, with paid plans from $69/mo that include multi-page scanning and monitoring.
Can WAVE scan multiple pages automatically?
WAVE's free tools only evaluate one page at a time manually. The WAVE API allows programmatic access but uses per-credit pricing. CompliaScan automatically crawls and scans up to 250 pages per scan with no per-page credit system.
Does WAVE provide fix instructions?
WAVE identifies and annotates accessibility issues with brief descriptions of each issue type. CompliaScan provides detailed, per-element fix instructions with the specific HTML, WCAG criterion, and step-by-step remediation guidance, plus optional AI-powered code recommendations.
Should I use WAVE or CompliaScan?
They serve different purposes and can complement each other. WAVE is excellent for quick, visual spot-checks on individual pages. CompliaScan is better for ongoing automated scanning, monitoring, professional reporting, and developer workflow integration. Many teams use WAVE for quick checks and CompliaScan for their primary scanning and monitoring platform.
Go Beyond Manual Checking
Try CompliaScan free and see what automated multi-page scanning, monitoring, and AI-powered fix recommendations can do for your accessibility workflow. No account needed.