Is the free accessibility checker really free?

Yes. You get 10 scans per month, every month, at no cost. There is no trial period, no credit card required, and no hidden limit that expires. The free tier is a permanent part of Scanluma's pricing.

Do I need to create an account?

You need an email address to create a free account. No credit card, no payment details, no personal information beyond your email. The account is needed so Scanluma can save your scan results and count your monthly scans.

What does the 10-scan limit mean?

Each scan checks one URL. Running a scan on example.com/about uses one of your 10 monthly scans. The counter resets at the start of each calendar month. If you need to scan more pages regularly, the Pro plan includes unlimited scans and automated weekly monitoring.

Does it scan my entire website or just one page?

The free checker scans one URL per scan. If you want to check multiple pages, you can run separate scans for each. Multi-page and automated sitewide scanning is available on the Pro and Agency plans.

How accurate are the results?

Scanluma uses the same scanning engine as large enterprise accessibility platforms. The results cover machine-detectable WCAG issues reliably. Some accessibility requirements, such as the appropriateness of alt text or the logical reading order of complex content, require human judgement and cannot be detected by any automated tool. For a comprehensive audit, automated scanning is the starting point, not the complete picture.

How is this different from the Pro plan?

The free checker is for single-page scans on demand. The Pro plan adds automated weekly monitoring for your website, email alerts when new issues appear, unlimited scans, full scan history, and report exports. If you want to stay on top of compliance over time rather than run one-off checks, Pro is the right plan.

How long does a scan take?

Most scans complete in under 10 seconds. The exact time depends on the page size and number of resources loading, but results are typically ready before you would finish reading this sentence.

Free website accessibility checker

What the free checker tests

Scanluma checks your page against the major accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 at levels A, AA, and AAA, ADA Title III, the European Accessibility Act, and Section 508. Each scan covers 50+ issue types across structure, content, and interaction.

These are the five issues found on the largest share of sites scanned:

CRITICAL

Missing alt text on images

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers and contribute nothing to search engine indexing. The alt text guide covers what good alt text looks like in practice.

Found on ~87% of sites

CRITICAL

Insufficient colour contrast

Text that doesn’t meet WCAG contrast ratios is difficult to read for users with low vision. The colour contrast guide explains the thresholds and how to check them.

Found on ~78% of sites

SERIOUS

Form inputs without labels

Unlabelled form fields leave screen readers with no way to announce what information is expected. Users relying on assistive technology cannot reliably complete forms without proper labels.

Found on ~71% of sites

SERIOUS

Broken heading structure

Headings that skip levels or appear in the wrong order disrupt keyboard and screen reader navigation. Screen reader users rely on headings to move efficiently through page content.

Found on ~64% of sites

MODERATE

Non-descriptive link text

Links labelled \”click here\” or \”read more\” give no destination context when read in isolation by a screen reader. Each link should make sense without the surrounding sentence.

Found on ~59% of sites

What your report includes

The homepage tells you Scanluma produces a report. This is what’s actually in it.

Severity groupings

Results are grouped into four levels: critical, serious, moderate, and minor. Critical and serious issues typically affect users who depend on assistive technology, such as screen readers or keyboard-only navigation. Moderate and minor issues affect compliance scores and general usability but may not completely block access.

Plain-language descriptions

Each issue includes a plain-language explanation of the problem, what it means for users, and which standard or criterion it fails. The explanations are written for site owners and content managers, not just developers. You do not need to know HTML to understand what the report is telling you.

Code snippets for every issue

Every issue includes the specific HTML element where the problem was found, plus a code snippet showing what the corrected markup looks like. You can copy it directly, pass it to a developer, or use it as a starting point when making changes yourself. Most accessibility checkers tell you what is wrong. Scanluma shows you where it is and what the corrected code looks like.

How free accessibility tools compare

Several free tools exist for checking website accessibility. They work differently and suit different contexts.

WAVE (WebAIM)

WAVE is a free web-based tool and browser extension made by WebAIM, a non-profit accessibility organisation. It overlays visual indicators directly on your page to show where issues appear. No account is needed, and you can run as many checks as you like. WAVE is well suited to reviewing issues visually in the context of your actual page layout. It does not save reports, generate code snippets, or offer monitoring.

Google Lighthouse

Lighthouse is built into Chrome DevTools and runs directly in your browser. It covers four categories: performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO. The accessibility score reflects a subset of WCAG criteria, and Google’s own documentation notes that Lighthouse cannot detect all accessibility issues. It is a useful starting point and works well alongside a dedicated accessibility checker for fuller coverage. No account is needed, but results are not saved between sessions.

axe browser extension

The axe extension is a free browser extension available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. It is developer-focused and runs in the browser’s DevTools panel. The extension is accurate and widely used in development and testing workflows. It requires comfort with DevTools to use effectively, and it does not save reports or offer monitoring.

Scanluma free checker

Scanluma is web-based and requires no browser extension or installation. You need an email address to create a free account, but no credit card. Each account gets 10 scans per month. Results are saved to your account so you can refer back to them, and each issue includes a code snippet alongside the plain-language description. Automated monitoring and multi-page scanning are available on paid plans.

Free plan vs Pro plan

Free plan

10 scans per month, every month. No credit card, no trial period. Good for checking individual pages and understanding what needs attention.

✓ 10 single-page scans per month

✓ Full issue report with severity levels

✓ Plain-language descriptions

✓ Code snippets for every issue

✓ WCAG 2.1, 2.2, ADA, EAA, Section 508 coverage

✓ Email to get started, no credit card

Pro plan — €29.95/mo

Unlimited scans, automated weekly monitoring for one website, email alerts when new issues appear, and full scan history. Built for ongoing compliance, not one-off checks.

✓ Unlimited single-page scans

✓ Automated weekly monitoring for 1 website

✓ Email notifications when new issues appear

✓ Full scan history

✓ Report export

✓ Everything in the free plan