CompliaScan vs UserWay
UserWay adds a toolbar widget to your site for visitor-facing adjustments. CompliaScan scans your actual code and shows you exactly what to fix. One is a band-aid, the other fixes the root cause — here is how they compare.
Widget Toolbar vs Code-Level Scanning
UserWay's primary product is an accessibility overlay widget — a JavaScript toolbar that appears on your website and lets visitors adjust settings like font size, contrast, cursor size, and reading aids. While UserWay also offers a separate scanning and monitoring product, the widget is its core offering and faces the same fundamental criticisms as other overlay solutions.
Key concerns with the widget-based approach:
- Widgets do not fix the actual accessibility issues in your source code — they only adjust the presentation
- Most assistive technology users already have their own tools for font sizing, contrast, and screen reading — duplicate widgets can cause conflicts
- If the widget script fails to load or is blocked by ad blockers, no adjustments are available
- Per-site pricing means costs scale linearly with your number of web properties
- Widget-based adjustments are not a substitute for properly coded accessible HTML, ARIA attributes, and semantic structure
CompliaScan takes the opposite approach: scan your actual HTML, CSS, and ARIA implementation with the axe-core engine, identify real WCAG 2.2 violations, and give you specific instructions to fix them in your source code so the improvements are permanent.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | CompliaScan | UserWay |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Code-level scanning | Overlay widget + scanner |
| Free Tier | Yes (no account needed) | Free widget (limited features) |
| Starting Price | Free / $69/mo | ~$49/mo per site |
| Fixes Actual Source Code | Yes (provides fix instructions) | No (widget adjustments only) |
| WCAG Rule Scanning | 100+ rules (axe-core + custom) | AI-powered scanning |
| Multi-Page Scanning | Up to 250 pages | Varies by plan |
| Developer API | ||
| CI/CD Integration | ||
| Monitoring & Alerts | Daily / Weekly / Monthly | Available in paid plans |
| PDF Reports | ||
| AI Fix Recommendations | Yes (BYOK — your own API key) | AI-powered (proprietary) |
| Enhanced Scanning | Lighthouse, CVD sim, heading map | |
| Per-Site Pricing | No (flat monthly fee) | Yes (per site) |
| Works Without JavaScript | Reports work regardless | No (requires JS widget) |
Pricing Comparison
CompliaScan
- Free: $0 — Single-page scan, no account needed
- Starter: $69/mo — Multi-page, reports, monitoring
- Pro: $179/mo — API, weekly monitoring, 3 seats
- Business: $349/mo — 250 pages, daily monitoring, unlimited
UserWay
- Free widget: Limited features
- Paid widget: ~$49/mo per site
- Scanner: Separate product, varies
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
- Pricing is per-site and may vary. Widget and scanner are separate products with separate pricing.
UserWay's per-site pricing model means costs multiply quickly for organizations managing multiple websites. CompliaScan's flat monthly fee covers multi-page scanning across your web properties without per-site charges. Additionally, CompliaScan's free tier provides a full single-page scan with actionable fix instructions — not just a limited widget.
Key Advantages of CompliaScan over UserWay
Fixes Root Causes, Not Symptoms
CompliaScan identifies the actual WCAG violations in your HTML, CSS, and ARIA attributes and tells you exactly how to fix them in your source code. These fixes are permanent and work for all users, including those using assistive technologies. UserWay's widget adds an adjustable toolbar but does not address the underlying code issues that cause accessibility barriers.
More Comprehensive Detection
CompliaScan runs 100+ axe-core rules plus enhanced scanning including Lighthouse performance auditing, color vision deficiency simulation, heading structure mapping, contrast analysis, and keyboard navigation testing. This gives you a complete picture of your site's accessibility — not just the issues a widget can attempt to patch over.
Flat Pricing, No Per-Site Fees
CompliaScan charges a single flat monthly fee regardless of how many sites you scan. UserWay's per-site pricing model means managing five websites costs five times as much. For agencies, freelancers, and companies with multiple web properties, CompliaScan is typically far more cost-effective.
Developer-First Workflow
CompliaScan provides a REST API, JSON/CSV/PDF export, and CI/CD integration so your team can automate accessibility testing as part of the development process. Catch regressions before they ship to production. UserWay does not offer a public developer API or CI/CD integration, making it harder to integrate into modern development workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between CompliaScan and UserWay?
CompliaScan is a code-level accessibility scanner that analyzes your website's source code and identifies real WCAG violations with specific fix instructions. UserWay is primarily an accessibility overlay widget that adds a toolbar to your site for visitor-facing adjustments. UserWay also offers a separate scanner, but its core product is the widget. CompliaScan helps you fix your actual code; UserWay's widget applies surface-level adjustments.
Is UserWay an overlay widget?
Yes. UserWay's primary product is an accessibility overlay widget — a JavaScript toolbar that lets visitors adjust font size, contrast, spacing, and other visual settings. While UserWay has expanded to include scanning features, the widget faces the same criticisms as other overlay solutions: it does not fix the underlying source code and can conflict with assistive technologies.
How much does UserWay cost compared to CompliaScan?
CompliaScan offers a free tier with no account required and paid plans from $69/mo. UserWay offers a free widget with limited features and paid plans starting at approximately $49/mo per site. The key difference is per-site pricing — managing multiple websites with UserWay multiplies your cost, while CompliaScan uses a single flat monthly fee.
Can CompliaScan replace UserWay for ADA compliance?
CompliaScan takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of adding a widget overlay, CompliaScan scans your code, identifies real WCAG violations, and provides detailed fix instructions. This builds genuine, lasting accessibility into your site. Note that no automated tool alone guarantees full ADA compliance — manual testing is also recommended.
Does UserWay actually fix accessibility issues?
UserWay's widget provides visitor-facing adjustments like font resizing and contrast changes, but does not fix the underlying accessibility issues in your website's source code. If the widget fails to load or a user does not interact with it, the accessibility problems remain. CompliaScan identifies the actual code-level issues and shows you how to fix them permanently.
Fix Real Issues, Not Just Appearances
Try CompliaScan free and see the actual accessibility issues in your code. No widget, no toolbar, no account needed. Just real scanning results with actionable fix instructions.