Accessibility Compliance
How Much Does a WCAG Audit Cost? The Real Factors
Search for 'WCAG audit cost' and you'll find vendors quoting wildly different figures for what sounds like the same service. The honest answer is that there isn't a single number - the real cost drivers are scope factors that vary enormously between organizations, and a vendor who quotes a fixed figure before understanding your scope is guessing, not scoping.
What actually drives cost up or down
- Number of unique page templates and user flows, not raw page count - a 500-page site built from 8 templates costs far less to audit than a 50-page site with 40 unique layouts.
- Whether mobile apps (iOS/Android) are in scope alongside web, since native apps need separate testing with VoiceOver and TalkBack.
- Document volume - PDFs, forms and downloadable statements each need individual remediation, not a bulk fix.
- Whether a VPAT/ACR deliverable is needed on top of the audit itself.
- Whether remediation is bundled in, or the audit is a standalone diagnostic.
- The conformance level targeted - AA is standard; AAA adds significant additional criteria.
Why flat "per page" pricing is usually a red flag
Template-based scoping is the industry-correct approach, because a site's real complexity lives in its unique components and flows, not its page count. Flat per-page pricing either overcharges for a large but simple site, or - more dangerously - undercharges and under-tests a smaller but genuinely complex one.
What a properly scoped quote looks like
A vendor should ask about your templates, flows, platforms and VPAT needs before quoting a figure, not after. If a quote arrives before that conversation happens, it isn't really a quote for your product - it's a generic number.
Need help with this in practice?
A5 Cyber Nexus audits, remediates and certifies against these frameworks.
Frequently asked questions
Can you give me a ballpark figure right now?
Not honestly, no - and we're wary of any vendor who will. We scope precisely (templates, flows, platforms, VPAT needs) and provide a fixed quote before work starts, once we actually know what we're quoting.
Is a cheaper automated-scan-only audit a reasonable way to save money?
No - automated scanning catches roughly a third of WCAG issues and misses the failures that matter most to real users. A cheap "audit" that's really just a scan report isn't a lower-cost version of the same service; it's a different, far less useful deliverable.
Make it accessible.
Make it attack-ready.
Prove both before launch.
Bring us your app, audit deadline, or security concern. We'll map the fastest path to WCAG conformance, VAPT coverage, and regulator-ready evidence.
