# WAVE Alternative: How AccessibilityScore.in Compares to WebAIM WAVE

Source: https://accessibilityscore.in/wave-alternative
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16 by the HalfAccessible accessibility team

WAVE, from WebAIM, is one of the best-known free accessibility checkers. AccessibilityScore.in is a different kind of tool: a scored report for a page or a whole site, with exports and repeat scans. This page compares the two honestly so you can pick the right one, or use both.

## Short answer
WAVE is WebAIM's free suite of accessibility tools, best known for browser extensions that mark issues directly on the page you are viewing. AccessibilityScore.in runs axe-core plus its own rules and produces a scored, shareable report for one page free, or for whole sites up to 250 pages, with CSV and PDF exports and scheduled scans.

## Key facts

- **WAVE publisher:** WebAIM, a non-profit service center at Utah State University
- **WAVE extensions:** Chrome, Firefox and Edge; run entirely in the browser, so nothing is sent to the WAVE server
- **WAVE API:** Paid in credits; new accounts get 100 free credits; a stand-alone engine can be licensed
- **AccessibilityScore.in engine:** axe-core plus custom rules for focus visibility, target size, names, language and titles
- **AccessibilityScore.in scope:** Free single-page score; whole-site scans of up to 250 pages with page scan credits
- **AccessibilityScore.in pricing:** Free for one page; $10 for 1,000 page scan credits

## What is WAVE best at?

WAVE is built to help a person evaluate a page. Its browser extensions overlay icons on the page you are looking at, so you can see each error, alert and structural element in context: headings, landmarks, alt text, form labels and contrast. That makes it an excellent teaching tool and a fast way for a developer or designer to inspect one page while building it.

Because the extensions run entirely in your browser, they also work on pages behind a login, in staging, or on your own machine, and WebAIM says no information is sent to its server.

## When is AccessibilityScore.in a better fit?

AccessibilityScore.in is built for reporting and tracking rather than in-page inspection. It is a better fit when you need to:

- Scan a whole site, not just the page in front of you: up to 250 pages per site scan
- Share a single score and report with people who will not install an extension
- Export findings as CSV for a backlog or as PDF for stakeholders
- Re-scan on a daily, weekly or monthly schedule and compare runs over time
- See uncertain checks listed as Needs review instead of hidden
- Get WCAG 2.2 target-size and focus-visibility checks from dedicated rules

## Do WAVE and AccessibilityScore.in find the same issues?

They overlap a lot but not completely. WAVE uses WebAIM's own rule engine; AccessibilityScore.in uses axe-core from Deque plus its own rules. Different engines report some issues differently, flag different things as needing review, and count them in different ways, so the totals will not match.

That difference is useful. Running two engines catches a few issues either one would miss, and neither replaces manual testing: WebAIM itself describes WAVE as facilitating human evaluation, not replacing it.

## Can you use WAVE and AccessibilityScore.in together?

Yes, and many teams should. A practical split:

- Use AccessibilityScore.in to scan the site, prioritise the worst pages and templates, and track progress.
- Open the flagged pages with the WAVE extension to see each problem in context while fixing it.
- Re-scan with AccessibilityScore.in to confirm the fix landed everywhere.
- Finish with keyboard and screen reader testing of key journeys.

## WAVE vs AccessibilityScore.in

| Feature | WAVE | AccessibilityScore.in |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Made by | WebAIM | AccessibilityScore.in, powered by HalfAccessible |
| Rule engine | WAVE engine | axe-core plus custom rules |
| How results appear | Icons on the page in your browser | Scored report with findings, elements and WCAG mapping |
| Pages behind a login | Yes, with the browser extension | No; public HTTPS pages only |
| Whole-site scanning | Through the API, by page | Up to 250 pages per site scan |
| Exports | API returns data | CSV and PDF |
| Scheduled re-scans | Not in the extension | Daily, weekly or monthly |
| Price | Extension free; API by credits | One page free; $10 for 1,000 page credits |

## Common questions

### Is WAVE free?
Yes. The WAVE browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge are free. The WAVE API uses paid credits, and new accounts get 100 free credits.

### What is the best free alternative to WAVE?
It depends on what you need. For a scored, shareable report of a public page, AccessibilityScore.in is free. For in-browser inspection, axe DevTools and Lighthouse in Chrome are other free options.

### Can AccessibilityScore.in test pages behind a login like WAVE can?
No. It tests public HTTPS pages as an anonymous visitor would see them. For signed-in pages, the WAVE extension or another in-browser tool is the better choice.

### Why do WAVE and AccessibilityScore.in give different results?
They use different rule engines, which report and count issues differently and flag different items for review. Compare the specific issues, not the totals.

### Does either tool prove WCAG compliance?
No. Both find issues automatically, but WCAG conformance needs manual testing of the criteria that require human judgment.

### Can I scan a whole website with AccessibilityScore.in?
Yes. Site scans discover and test up to 250 same-origin pages, using one page scan credit per page.

## Sources

1. [WebAIM: WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools](https://wave.webaim.org/)
2. [WebAIM: WAVE browser extensions](https://wave.webaim.org/extension/)
3. [WebAIM: WAVE API](https://wave.webaim.org/api/)
4. [axe-core on GitHub](https://github.com/dequelabs/axe-core)

Run a free accessibility score: https://accessibilityscore.in