Accessibility overlay
AccessVane vs accessiBe: what the difference actually is
accessiBe is an overlay. It loads on top of your finished pages and tries to correct them in the visitor's browser. AccessVane changes what your server sends. That single difference decides everything else.
Side by side
| What is being compared | accessiBe | AccessVane |
|---|---|---|
| Where the fix happens | In the visitor's browser, after your page loads | In your pages, before they are sent |
| What happens if you cancel | Everything reverts, because nothing was changed | The repairs stay, because they are in your site |
| Screen reader behaviour | Injects its own layer alongside the visitor's own software | Does not interfere; the visitor's software works normally |
| Price | Annual subscription | Free scanner and free plugin |
| Compliance claim | Marketed as a compliance solution | States plainly that automation covers about a third of WCAG |
What is on the public record
- In 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission reached a $1 million settlement with accessiBe over how it marketed its widget as a compliance solution.
- Sites running accessiBe appeared in 258 US web accessibility lawsuits during 2024.
- The company markets an annual subscription. The FTC action concerned what that subscription was said to deliver.
In fairness to accessiBe
accessiBe's toolbar genuinely does offer useful preferences for some visitors: bigger text, higher contrast, a reading guide. If that is what you want, that is a reasonable thing to buy. The problem is buying it as a substitute for fixing the site.
Decide with your own data
Scan a page of your site. If accessiBe is installed, the report names it and lists what is still failing underneath.
Scan my page free