WAVE review
A flexible accessibility suite spanning free page checks, browser extensions, APIs, and CI workflows.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
WAVE is a suite of web accessibility evaluation tools developed by WebAIM at Utah State University. It is intended for web authors, developers, accessibility professionals, organizations, and educators that need to inspect web pages and support human review. The online evaluator analyzes a web page URL, while browser extensions can inspect private, password-protected, intranet, and dynamic content after CSS and JavaScript are applied. Reports organize findings into WAVE categories and item details, with WCAG success-criteria mappings.
Pricing is split between free evaluation tools and credit-based API access. The online evaluator and browser extensions are free. The WAVE API minimum purchase is $10 one time for 250 API credits, with basic analysis costing 1 credit per page. The stand-alone API Basic plan costs $4,000 per year for 100,000 API requests, up to 3 domains, and 1 installation. Expanded costs $8,000 per year for 300,000 requests, up to 10 domains, and 3 installations. Unlimited costs $12,000 per year and includes unlimited requests, domains, and installations.
For teams moving beyond individual page checks, WAVE supports hosted API results in JSON or XML, scheduled site audits, continuous-integration workflows, full-page screenshots, and customizable viewport sizes. Selenium, Puppeteer, and Node.js integrations support development workflows, while web, Chrome, Windows, macOS, Linux, self-hosted, and API access broaden deployment options. WAVE is a strong fit for organizations that want flexible analysis across public and protected content. Teams seeking AI features or a lower-cost annual API program should consider a different tool.
WAVE pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free online evaluator and browser extensions for public, private, and dynamic pages
- Rendered-content testing, screenshots, WCAG mappings, and detailed issue reporting
- Hosted and stand-alone APIs support scheduled audits and CI integration
- Where it doesn't
- Annual stand-alone API plans begin at $4,000
- API Basic and Expanded limit domains and installations
- No AI features are included
WAVE fact sheet, pricing and score →
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