AccessiBe alternative
Looking for an AccessiBe alternative?
Here is why merchants are switching — and what to look for in a replacement.
Public regulatory & litigation record
January 2025
The FTC ordered AccessiBe to pay $1 million and prohibited compliance claims that are 'false, misleading, or unsubstantiated.'
July 2024
AccessiBe was named in a class action by Tribeca Skin Care alleging deceptive compliance claims.
2024
1,023 ADA web lawsuits targeted sites that already had an overlay widget installed. The overlay did not stop the suit.
Why a scanner wins in court
Documented remediation > runtime patching.
An overlay script injected into your storefront modifies what sighted users see but cannot reliably change what assistive technologies encounter. When a screen-reader user files a complaint, their attorney's expert will test the underlying DOM — not the overlaid presentation layer. Multiple plaintiff-side experts have testified that overlay-modified output is forensically indistinguishable from the original violation for screen-reader testing purposes.
A scanner identifies the specific element, the specific WCAG success criterion, and the specific code location that needs to change. That output can be acted on by a developer and documented as a remediation in a timestamped log — which is the artifact an attorney needs to argue good-faith compliance effort.
The FTC's own finding against AccessiBe centered on the gap between what overlay vendors claim ("fully compliant") and what automated and manual testing can verify. We agree with the FTC: automated scans catch approximately 25–57% of violations. That is why every ScanAccess PDF says so on the cover. Honesty is its evidentiary value.
Head-to-head
AccessiBe vs ScanAccess
AccessiBe figures sourced from their public pricing page and the FTC order. ScanAccess figures are our published pricing.
| Feature | AccessiBe | ScanAccess |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | JavaScript overlay (modifies presentation layer) | axe-core scanner (flags real DOM violations) |
| Entry price | $49/mo monthly · $490/yr | $29/mo · $290/yr |
| Legal-defense PDF | Not offered at any tier | Yes — Defense tier ($49/mo). Timestamped + hash-verified. |
| Plain-English fix instructions | No — marketing output only | Yes — every finding includes file + line + fix |
| Shopify-app violation attribution | No | Yes — maps each finding to the installed Shopify app |
| Manual review checklist | No | Yes — 10-item checklist in every PDF and dashboard |
| Lawsuit-risk ranking | No prioritisation | Yes — ranked by 2025-2026 demand-letter frequency |
| FTC enforcement status | $1M fine, Final Order Apr 2025 | No enforcement actions |
| Refund policy | Disputed in Capterra reviews; auto-renewal complaints on record | 30-day money-back, no questions. Cancel anytime in customer portal. |
| Compliance claims made | "Full compliance" — found deceptive by FTC | Documented good-faith effort only. We never claim full compliance. |
Where AccessiBe wins
Honest note: AccessiBe's widget can be installed in 90 seconds and provides a visible "accessibility menu" on your storefront. If your buying criterion is "show site visitors that I take accessibility seriously" with a UI affordance, an overlay does that — ScanAccess does not modify your storefront. We chose not to. If you want the visible widget, an overlay is the answer.
Honesty note
We are not affiliated with AccessiBe. References to regulatory actions and litigation above are drawn from public FTC press releases, court filings, and published research. We do not claim ScanAccess will stop lawsuits or guarantee legal compliance. Automated tools detect approximately 25–57% of accessibility violations. ScanAccess documents your good-faith compliance effort — it does not replace manual review or legal counsel.