Side-by-side Comparison
ADAGuard vs accessiBe overlay
AccessiBe was fined $1M by the FTC. 1,416 overlay users were sued in 2025. Fix accessibility at the code level — not with a widget.
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Why the approach matters
In January 2025, the FTC announced a $1 million fine against accessiBe for deceptively claiming its AI widget could make any website WCAG-compliant in 48 hours. The settlement confirmed what accessibility professionals have said for years: overlays do not fix your code. They inject a JavaScript widget that attempts runtime workarounds — and those workarounds fail real users and real courts. In 2025, 1,416 lawsuits named overlay users as defendants, up 38% year-over-year. ADAGuard takes the opposite approach: it scans your actual DOM with Playwright, identifies every WCAG 2.2 violation at the element level, and tells your developers exactly what to change in the code.
Real DOM scanning
ADAGuard reads your actual HTML, ARIA attributes, and rendered CSS — not a JavaScript overlay applied on top of broken code.
Element-level precision
Every issue includes the exact CSS selector, outerHTML snippet, and WCAG success criterion — so developers know exactly what to fix.
Legally defensible evidence
A time-stamped audit trail of discovered violations and confirmed fixes is your best protection against ADA demand letters.
Feature-by-feature comparison
ADAGuard vs accessiBe overlay — every key capability, side by side.
| Feature | ADAGuard | accessiBe overlay |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | DOM scanner — finds real violations | JS overlay — masks issues at runtime |
| FTC compliance | No deceptive claims | Fined $1M by FTC (2025) |
| Lawsuit protection | Audit trail of real fixes | Named in 1,416+ suits in 2025 |
| WCAG 2.2 Level AA coverage | ~78% automated | Varies — overlay-based |
| Developer workflow | Issues list → code fix → re-scan | Widget install — no code changes |
| CI/CD integration | REST API on all paid plans | |
| DOM-level element selectors | ||
| Code fix suggestions | ||
| Authenticated page scanning | ||
| VPAT / ACR report generation | ||
| No third-party JS on your site | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Starting price | $0 / $49/mo | ~$490/year |
| Scheduled automated monitoring | ||
| Smart layout detection |
Why teams choose ADAGuard over accessiBe overlay
Real accessibility auditing — not a widget that masks problems.
ADAGuard finds the actual code errors in your DOM — not a surface-level fix that can be challenged in court or flagged by the FTC.
The FTC's $1M accessiBe fine (2025) specifically targeted claims that AI could auto-remediate WCAG compliance. ADAGuard makes no such claim — it shows you what to fix.
1,416 overlay users were sued in 2025 (up 38% YoY). Switching to a real scanner that fixes code gives you a legally defensible compliance posture.
DOM-level element selectors show your developers the exact HTML causing each violation, cutting remediation time by hours.
Authenticated scanning means you can test your app dashboard, member portal, or checkout flow — pages overlays never touch.
VPAT and ACR report generation is built in — no manual documentation required for enterprise or government procurement.
No JavaScript injected onto your website — zero impact on page speed, Core Web Vitals, or user experience.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about ADAGuard vs accessiBe overlay.
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