Pa11y

Name: Pa11y
Brand: Pa11y

Claim this tool

Free and open-source tools to help designers and developers make web pages more accessible.

Free plan available

Freemium Testing & QA Developer Tools UI/UX Design

Visit Website

Freemium Visit Website

Tracked since 2026

The Bottom Line

Updated Oct 4, 2026

Price: Free plan available. Compare plans

Key facts

Provides free and open-source web accessibility testing tools.
Offers CLI tools for developers and a dashboard for non-developers.
Helps identify and track accessibility issues on web pages over time.

Pros

Completely free and open-source
Offers multiple tools for different use cases (CLI, Dashboard, Webservice, CI)
Helps track accessibility trends over time with graphs
Supports integration into continuous integration workflows

Cons

Requires some technical knowledge for CLI and Webservice tools
Dashboard might require setup and hosting by the user

What is Pa11y?

Pa11y provides a suite of free and open-source tools designed to improve web accessibility for everyone. It offers various solutions for designers and developers to identify and track accessibility issues on their websites. The core offerings include a command-line interface (Pa11y) for one-off accessibility tests, a web dashboard (Pa11y Dashboard) for daily automated testing and trend tracking, a JSON-based webservice (Pa11y Webservice) for custom integrations, and a CI-focused command-line tool (Pa11y CI) for iterating over multiple web pages. These tools cater to both technical users who want to integrate accessibility testing into their development workflows and non-technical users who need to monitor accessibility performance over time.

Available on: Web, macOS, Linux

Data compiled by Toolradar Pricing checked Oct 4, 2026 · How we evaluate

Source pa11y.org

Key Features

Command-line interface for one-off accessibility tests (Pa11y)
Web dashboard for daily automated accessibility testing (Pa11y Dashboard)
Graphs to track accessibility improvements and regressions over time
JSON-based webservice for custom integrations (Pa11y Webservice)
Command-line tool for iterating over multiple web pages, suitable for CI (Pa11y CI)

Pricing Plans

Pricing checked Oct 4, 2026. Source: pa11y.org, read Oct 4, 2026

Pa11y plans and prices, checked October 2026
Plan	Price	Details
Pa11y	Free	Command-line interface Loads web pages and highlights accessibility issues Useful for one-off tests
Pa11y Dashboard	Free	Web dashboard Automatically tests web pages for accessibility issues daily Graphs help track improvements and regressions +1 more Show less Useful for non-developers
Pa11y Webservice	Free	JSON-based webservice Backs Pa11y Dashboard Useful for building custom dashboards or repurposing data
Pa11y CI	Free	Command-line tool Iterates over a list of web pages Highlights accessibility issues +1 more Show less Geared towards use in CI

View full pricing

Is Pa11y worth the price?

Great value

The pricing for Pa11y is exceptionally generous as all tools are completely free.

This makes it an incredibly fair and accessible option for anyone looking to improve web accessibility without any financial commitment. It's best for individuals, small teams, and organizations of all sizes who need robust accessibility testing tools without budget constraints.

Full Pa11y pricing: every plan, hidden costs and alternatives

Pa11y by the numbers

Pa11y compared with 393 Testing & QA tools on Toolradar, as of Nov 2026
Metric	Pa11y	Peer median	Position (1 is best)
Free plan	Yes	74% have one	n/a
Listed as an alternative to	1 tool	2	#231 of 393 (joint)

Listed as an alternative to: #223 on 2026-10-16 to #231 on 2026-11-02 (rank among 393 tools, 1 is best).

Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All Testing & QA data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position.

Cite this: Toolradar, “Pa11y by the numbers”, Nov 2026.

Reviews

Improve Your Thinking Patterns Using ChatGPT cover

$99 Free with your review

Review Pa11y, get a free AI guide

Share your experience and we will send you Improve Your Thinking Patterns Using ChatGPT, free.

Write a review

Best Pa11y Alternatives

Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.

View full list →

SonarQube Freemium

Automated code review for bugs, vulnerabilities, and code smells

4.4

Applitools Freemium

Visual AI testing for web and mobile apps

4.3

Playwright Free

Automate modern web testing across browsers with auto-waiting

4.7

OWASP ZAP Free

Open-source web application security scanner

4.7

Percy Freemium

Catch UI bugs with automated visual regression testing

CodeClimate Freemium

Automated code review and quality analysis

See all testing & QA tools →

Still deciding?

Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.

All Pa11y alternatives 6+ tools ranked, pricing + verdict per pick Pa11y vs SonarQube Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins Pa11y vs Applitools Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins Pa11y vs Playwright Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins

Explore More

Pa11y FAQ

How does Pa11y help with continuous integration workflows?

Pa11y includes a specific command-line tool, Pa11y CI, designed for iterating over multiple web pages. This allows developers to integrate accessibility testing directly into their continuous integration pipelines, ensuring accessibility is checked with each new build.

Which teams benefit most from using Pa11y?

Pa11y is ideal for development teams, QA teams, and UI/UX designers who need to ensure their web pages are accessible. It provides tools for both technical users integrating tests into workflows and non-technical users monitoring performance.

What kind of accessibility issues can Pa11y help identify?

Pa11y helps identify and track various accessibility issues on websites. It provides solutions for designers and developers to pinpoint problems and monitor accessibility performance over time through its suite of tools.

How is Pa11y priced?

Pa11y offers a free tier, providing access to its core open-source tools. For users requiring more extensive usage or additional features, paid plans are available.

Can Pa11y be used for automated daily accessibility testing?

Yes, Pa11y Dashboard is specifically designed for daily automated testing and tracking accessibility trends. It allows users to monitor the accessibility performance of their websites over time with graphical representations.

How does Pa11y compare to SonarQube for web accessibility testing?

Pa11y focuses specifically on web accessibility, offering a suite of free and open-source tools for identifying and tracking accessibility issues. SonarQube, while also a code quality tool, has a broader scope that includes various aspects of code analysis beyond just accessibility.

What are the main trade-offs when using Pa11y?

Using Pa11y's CLI and Webservice tools requires some technical knowledge for effective implementation. Additionally, setting up and hosting the Pa11y Dashboard might require user effort.

Source: pa11y.org

Guides & Articles

Best Free Testing Tools in 2026

Expert guide

Best Prompt Management & PromptOps Tools 2026

Expert guide

Best Headless CMS Platforms in 2026

Expert guide