WCAG Pulse vs. axe
axe is an accessibility testing toolkit by Deque Systems, built on the open-source axe-core engine. It offers a free browser extension, a paid Pro extension with guided testing, and an enterprise Bundle with CI/CD integration.
WCAG Pulse
Free — $199/mo
Free plan included. Transparent pricing with self-serve signup.
axe
Free browser extension with basic testing. Pro extension and enterprise Bundle pricing require contacting Deque sales — not publicly listed.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | WCAG Pulse | axe |
|---|---|---|
| Automated multi-page scanning | ✓ | Paid (axe Monitor) |
| Scheduled recurring scans | ✓ | Paid (axe Monitor) |
| WCAG 2.2 support | ✓ | ✓ |
| PDF report exports | ✓ | Paid plans |
| CSV data export | ✓ | Paid plans |
| Trend tracking & history | ✓ | Paid (axe Monitor) |
| Team collaboration | ✓ | Paid plans |
| CI/CD integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| API access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transparent public pricing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free plan available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open-source engine | ✗ | axe-core (MPL 2.0) |
| Browser DevTools integration | ✗ | ✓ |
| AI-powered guided testing | ✗ | Paid plans |
Choose axe if you need
Developers who want deep integration into their CI/CD pipeline, browser DevTools workflow, or prefer building on the open-source axe-core library.
Choose WCAG Pulse if you need
Teams that want an all-in-one platform with scanning, reporting, and monitoring — with transparent, self-serve pricing.
Try WCAG Pulse Free
No credit card required. Start scanning in under 5 minutes.