How Much Does an Accessibility Audit Cost?

The short answer: for a small business website, an accessibility audit that includes manual testing usually costs somewhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars. Large sites and web apps cost more. The price mostly depends on how many pages are in scope, how complex they are, and what you get at the end.

What drives the price

• Pages or templates in scope. Most auditors price by page or by page template. Testing one product page covers the layout every product uses, so testing templates is far cheaper than testing every page.
• Complexity. Forms, menus, checkouts, logged-in dashboards and custom widgets take longer to test than simple content pages.
• Manual testing. Automated scans are fast and cheap but catch only some problems. Keyboard and screen-reader testing by a person takes time, and it's where most of the cost is.
• The standard. Testing against WCAG 2.2 AA covers more criteria than WCAG 2.1 AA, and some auditors charge extra for it.
• Deliverables. A formal Accessibility Conformance Report (VPAT), a review call or a re-test after fixes each add to the price.
• Turnaround. Rush delivery usually costs more.

Example prices

Option	What's included	Price
Automated scan	Instant check of a page; finds some issues	Free to a low monthly fee
WCAGGuard Emergency Accessibility Audit	Up to 10 pages, keyboard review of the main path, written fix list in 3 business days	$299
WCAGGuard Quick Review	Up to 5 key pages, automated plus manual keyboard and screen-reader checks, prioritized fix list in 5 business days	$499
WCAGGuard Full Audit + ACR/VPAT	Up to 15 page templates, full WCAG 2.2 AA review, ACR in VPAT 2.5 format, review call, one re-check	$1,299
A typical full manual audit (one provider's published range)	Most of their clients, WCAG 2.1 AA; about $100 to $250 per primary page	$1,250 to $2,750

How to keep the cost down

• Test templates, not every page.
• Start with your most important paths, such as buying a product or signing up.
• Fix what the audit finds, then pay for a re-test instead of a whole new audit.
• Use automated monitoring between audits to catch new problems early.

Questions to ask before you buy

1. Does the audit include manual keyboard and screen-reader testing, or only an automated scan?
2. Which standard do you test against: WCAG 2.1 AA or 2.2 AA?
3. How many pages or templates are included, and how do you count them?
4. Will I get screenshots, the WCAG criterion and fix guidance for each issue?
5. Is a re-test after fixes included?
6. Do you provide an ACR in VPAT format if a buyer asks for one?

Watch out for

• "Audits" that are only an automated scan with a logo on the report.
• Widgets or overlays sold as a substitute for fixing your site's code.
• Any promise that an audit will make your site meet the law or prevent lawsuits. No honest audit can promise that.

Want to see what you'd get? Download our sample audit report (PDF).