Best Open Scans Alternatives in 2026
The top Open Scans alternatives are Octopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner), WAVE and IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker: 15 website accessibility tools our editors would look at instead of Open Scans, in our ranking order.
Open Scans: A GitHub-based workflow for recurring, cross-engine scans of public web pages. Where it falls short: only supports publicly accessible URLs.
Switching from Open Scans? For most website accessibility tools buyers the best Open Scans alternative is Octopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner), built for auditors scanning complex websites locally. On a budget, Pope Tech starts at $25/mo. Accessibility Cloud offers the most scan limit (500 pages).
Why People Look for an Open Scans Alternative
- Only supports publicly accessible URLs
- Does not provide verified manual review or mobile testing
- API access is not available
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallOctopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner)9.3
Auditors scanning complex websites locally
Visit Octopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner) - Lowest pricePope Tech7.6
Paid plans from $25/mo
Visit Pope Tech - Best free optionOctopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner)9.3
Has a free plan
Visit Octopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner) - Most scan limitAccessibility Cloud8.2
500 pages
Visit Accessibility Cloud
All 15 Open Scans Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forAuditors scanning complex websites locally
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 3.5
A free desktop scanner for detailed local audits of complex websites.
9.3/10★★★★★Visit site -
Best forEstablished teams needing flexible page analysis
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 3.5
A flexible accessibility suite spanning free page checks, browser extensions, APIs, and CI workflows.
- API access
- Scheduled scans
- Browser extension
9.1/10★★★★★Visit WAVE -
Best forOpen-source teams needing browser and batch checks
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 3.5
A technically focused toolkit for browser, batch, and CI/CD accessibility checks.
- API access
- Browser extension
- CI/CD integration
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit IBM -
Best forEnterprise web and mobile programs
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 3.5
A broad accessibility program platform for teams managing web, mobile, and software assets.
- Browser extension
- CI/CD integration
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Level Access -
Best forDevelopers wanting a free web testing toolkit
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 3.5
A free web testing toolkit with guided checks, CI/CD workflows, APIs, and developer integrations.
- API access
- Browser extension
- CI/CD integration
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Axe DevTools -
Best forEnterprise engineering and QA teams
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 3.5
A broad accessibility testing platform for enterprise web and mobile delivery teams.
- API access
- Browser extension
- CI/CD integration
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Evinced -
Best forBusinesses wanting managed remediation support
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 3.5
A broad accessibility platform for organizations seeking managed remediation support.
- CI/CD integration
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit AudioEye -
Best forMature teams managing sites and PDFs
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 8.4 vs 3.5
A mature platform for scanning, prioritizing, and improving website and PDF accessibility.
- API access
- Scheduled scans
- Browser extension
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Siteimprove -
Best forOrganizations needing broad accessibility coverage
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 8.2 vs 3.5
Broad accessibility coverage with a free professional plan and paid annual tiers.
- API access
- Scheduled scans
- Browser extension
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forOrganizations needing deep audit workflows
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 3.5
A broad accessibility workspace for audit, remediation, documents, and compliance workflows.
- CI/CD integration
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Limina -
Best forMature teams focused on monitoring trends
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 8.0 vs 3.5
A broad enterprise monitor for scheduled scans, complex flows, reporting, and remediation.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit axe Monitor -
Best forFormal manual audits and VPAT workflows
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 3.5
A documentation-focused accessibility tool for repeatable audits and VPAT workflows.
- Browser extension
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit axe Auditor -
Best forFree users needing guided WCAG assessments
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 7.8 vs 3.5
A free, open-source Chrome and Edge extension for guided page-level WCAG assessments.
- Browser extension
- CI/CD integration
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Microsoft -
Best forDevelopers embedding accessibility rules in tests
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 7.7 vs 3.5
A focused page-analysis engine for adding WCAG checks to developer test workflows.
- API access
- CI/CD integration
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit axe-core -
Best forTeams wanting affordable site monitoring
- Better than Open Scans:
- Editor score 7.6 vs 3.5
Affordable web accessibility monitoring with scheduled scans, reporting, and workflow tools.
- API access
- Scheduled scans
- CI/CD integration
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Pope Tech
Open Scans Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Open Scans?
Octopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner): #1 in our Website Accessibility Tools ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. A free desktop scanner for detailed local audits of complex websites.
Is there a free alternative to Open Scans?
Yes. Octopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner), WAVE, IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker, Axe DevTools and Accessibility Cloud have a free plan or a free tier (8 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Open Scans alternatives?
Only supports publicly accessible URLs; Does not provide verified manual review or mobile testing; API access is not available.
Which Open Scans alternative has the most scan limit?
Accessibility Cloud, with 500 pages.
How do I switch from Open Scans?
Take a full backup of your site files and database at Open Scans (or use a migration plugin). Open the new hosting account; many hosts migrate a WordPress site for you, check before doing it by hand. Import the backup and check the site on the temporary address the new host gives you. Point your domain's DNS to the new host, wait for it to switch, then cancel Open Scans.
How to Switch from Open Scans
- Take a full backup of your site files and database at Open Scans (or use a migration plugin).
- Open the new hosting account; many hosts migrate a WordPress site for you, check before doing it by hand.
- Import the backup and check the site on the temporary address the new host gives you.
- Point your domain's DNS to the new host, wait for it to switch, then cancel Open Scans.
Open Scans vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | WCAG version | Scan scope | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | Open Scans | Free | Wcag 2.2 | Site | 3.5 | |
| 1 | Octopus Scanner (formerly A11y Scanner) | Yes | Free | Wcag 2.2 | Site | 9.3 |
| 2 | WAVE | Yes | Wcag 2.2 | Page | 9.1 | |
| 3 | IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker | Yes | Free | Wcag 2.2 | Page | 9.0 |
| 4 | Level Access Platform | 8.8 | ||||
| 5 | Axe DevTools | Yes | Wcag 2.2 | Page | 8.7 | |
| 6 | Evinced | No | Wcag 2.1 | Site | 8.6 | |
| 7 | AudioEye | No | 8.5 | |||
| 8 | Siteimprove Accessibility | No | Wcag 2.2 | Site | 8.4 | |
| 9 | Accessibility Cloud | Yes | €1,980/yr | Wcag 2.2 | Site | 8.2 |
| 10 | Limina | 8.1 | ||||
| 11 | axe Monitor | 8.0 | ||||
| 12 | axe Auditor | 7.9 | ||||
| 13 | Accessibility Insights for Web | Yes | Free | Wcag 2.2 | Page | 7.8 |
| 14 | axe-core | Yes | Free | Wcag 2.2 | Page | 7.7 |
| 15 | Pope Tech | Yes | $25/mo | Wcag 2.2 | Site | 7.6 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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