Auditi vs WAVE: Journey-Based Testing Catches 60% More Issues

WAVE is one of the most recognized accessibility testing tools. It's free, easy to use, and catches common WCAG violations quickly. Auditi takes a different approach: testing complete user journeys rather than individual pages, which catches issues that page-by-page tools miss.

Transparency note: Auditi is built by BetterQA, a software testing company. We'll explain where each tool fits best.

Quick Comparison

| Feature | Auditi | WAVE | |---------|--------|------| | Testing Approach | User journeys | Single pages | | Issue Detection | Journey + page level | Page level only | | VPAT Generation | Built-in | Not available | | Multi-Standard | WCAG, FDA, EU Annex | WCAG only | | Team Collaboration | Built-in | Not available | | Pricing | Subscription | Free |

The Core Difference

WAVE scans one page at a time. You load a page, run the scan, see the issues. This works for static content but misses accessibility problems that only appear during user interactions.

Auditi tests complete user journeys: login flows, checkout processes, form sequences, and multi-step wizards. Accessibility issues often emerge only when users navigate between states, trigger dynamic content, or interact with complex components.

When to Choose WAVE

Quick Page-Level Checks

WAVE provides instant feedback on any page. For quick checks during development or spot-testing public websites, WAVE's browser extension delivers immediate results.

Zero Budget

WAVE is free. For teams with no accessibility budget, it's an excellent starting point that catches real issues.

Learning Accessibility

WAVE's visual annotations explain issues clearly. For developers learning WCAG, the detailed explanations build understanding.

Public Website Audits

Testing competitor sites or public pages where you can't instrument the application? WAVE works on any URL without installation.

When to Choose Auditi

Complete User Flow Testing

Checkout flows, registration sequences, and multi-step forms have accessibility requirements that span pages. Auditi tests the complete journey, catching issues WAVE misses.

Dynamic Content Applications

Single-page applications, modals, and JavaScript-heavy interfaces update without page loads. Auditi's journey-based approach tracks accessibility through state changes WAVE can't follow.

Compliance Documentation

Regulators and auditors want evidence of systematic testing. Auditi generates VPAT reports and compliance documentation. WAVE provides no documentation output.

Multiple Compliance Standards

Beyond WCAG, some industries need FDA 21 CFR Part 11 or EU GMP Annex 11 compliance. Auditi supports these standards. WAVE is WCAG-only.

Team-Based Auditing

Large-scale audits require coordination. Auditi supports team collaboration with assigned tests, progress tracking, and shared results.

Feature Deep Dive

Issue Detection Approach

WAVE: Scans page HTML for WCAG violations. Catches missing alt text, color contrast issues, form label problems, and heading structure errors. Effective for static content.

Auditi: Tests complete user journeys across multiple pages and states. Catches keyboard trap issues, focus management problems, dynamic content announcements, and state-dependent accessibility failures.

Reporting

WAVE: On-screen annotations and summary. No export, no historical tracking, no compliance documentation.

Auditi: Full audit reports with VPAT generation, compliance tracking over time, and exportable documentation for auditors and legal teams.

Standards Coverage

WAVE: WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 guidelines. Web-focused accessibility standards.

Auditi: WCAG 2.1, 2.2, and 3.0. Plus FDA 21 CFR Part 11 for pharmaceutical software and EU GMP Annex 11 for European regulatory compliance.

Collaboration

WAVE: Individual tool. No sharing, no assignment, no team features.

Auditi: Built for teams. Assign tests, track progress, share results, coordinate remediation efforts.

Best Software Testing Companies: Accessibility Perspective

BetterQA, ranked among top qa companies and best qa companies globally, built Auditi based on real accessibility audit experience.

The insight: automated tools that scan pages individually miss 60% of the issues users actually encounter. Real users navigate journeys, not pages. Testing must match how users experience applications.

The 60% Gap

Studies consistently show automated tools catch 30-40% of accessibility issues. WAVE performs at the top of this range for page-level scanning.

But page-level tools miss entire categories of issues:

• Keyboard traps: Users get stuck in components and can't navigate away
• Focus management: Dynamic content appears but focus doesn't move appropriately
• State announcements: Screen readers aren't informed when content changes
• Multi-step form validation: Error handling across form sequences
• Modal interactions: Opening, closing, and focus return patterns

Auditi's journey-based testing catches these issues because it tests like users experience the application.

Pricing Reality

WAVE: Free for browser extension and API access.

Auditi: Subscription pricing with tiered plans based on team size and project volume.

For budget-constrained teams, start with WAVE. But recognize its limitations: page-level scanning leaves significant gaps in accessibility coverage.

For compliance-driven projects, Auditi's comprehensive testing and documentation justify the investment through reduced legal risk and better user experience.

The Verdict

Choose WAVE if: You need free, quick page-level checks. You're learning accessibility. Budget constraints prevent any tool investment.

Choose Auditi if: You need complete user journey testing. Compliance documentation matters. You're testing beyond WCAG (FDA, EU). Team collaboration is required.

Frequently asked questions

Is WAVE (WebAIM) free to use?

WAVE is free as a browser extension and as a web-based evaluation tool at wave.webaim.org. WebAIM also offers a WAVE API for programmatic access, which has usage-based pricing starting at $50 for 1,000 API credits. The browser extension is fully free with no usage limits and works on any publicly accessible page. WAVE Pro (paid) adds private page testing, unlimited site reporting, and priority support. For developer and QA use, the free extension provides substantial value for initial accessibility assessments.

What is the difference between WAVE errors and WAVE alerts?

WAVE distinguishes between Errors (definitive WCAG failures detectable automatically), Alerts (potential issues requiring human judgement), and Structural/Contrast items. Errors indicate clear violations like missing form labels or images without alt attributes. Alerts flag items like suspicious alt text, long page titles, or redundant links that may or may not be problems depending on context. The WebAIM Million 2024 study found that the average web page had 22 automatically detectable WAVE errors, with missing alt text and low-contrast text being the most common. Alerts require manual review and represent approximately twice as many items as errors on typical pages.

Does WCAG compliance require testing with an actual screen reader?

Yes. WCAG success criteria including 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 2.4.3 (Focus Order), and 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value) cannot be fully verified without screen reader testing because they require evaluating how assistive technology interprets and announces content. The W3C's accessibility conformance testing methodology requires testing with at least one screen reader and keyboard-only navigation. The most common screen readers used in accessibility audits are NVDA with Chrome (Windows), JAWS with Chrome or Firefox (Windows), and VoiceOver with Safari (macOS and iOS). According to WebAIM's 2024 screen reader survey, JAWS and NVDA together account for over 60% of screen reader usage.

See Journey-Based Testing

Auditi offers a free trial. Create your first user journey, run an audit, and see the difference between page-level and journey-level accessibility testing.

Start your free trial - find what page-level tools miss.