Just two days ago, we received this email:
My employer, Big Company, just wrapped up a big accessibility audit, and while the product development team looks at remediation, I’m looking ahead to next year and how we start making audits and annual practice.
To that end, I’m reaching out to vendors to talk about scope, pricing, methodology, etc. to find someone we can partner with long-term, ideally.
If you’ve got time for a 30 minute introduction and chat, let me know!
This wasn’t the first email we’ve received like this.
Notice how the prospective client is looking for “someone we can partner with long-term.”
Also noticed how they had just wrapped up a “big accessibility audit.”
What this looks like to us is yet another client has seen what Big Accessibility Co. has to offer and has realized there is no magic behind the curtain. Just another fancy demo with a lot of promises and hype, but tepid value.
Who wants to buy into a $25,000 annual contract for one audit, a “suite of tools” (scan), a dedicated team of experts for “regression testing” and not much else?
As more and more clients become educated, enterprise accessibility accessibility companies are finding it difficult to keep them renewing pricey annual subscriptions. We know because this is now the third company that might potentially sign with Accessible.org in the month of September.
Even big companies have budgets and no one likes to spend $25,000 when they can get the same or better bundle with excellent quality audits and technical support for $11,000.
Enterprise Formula
What Enterprise Accessibility Companies Actually Deliver
Most enterprise accessibility companies follow a predictable model. They bundle one comprehensive audit with ongoing scan-based monitoring and call it a complete accessibility program. The typical $25,000 annual package includes:
A single WCAG audit that identifies accessibility issues across your digital assets. This audit represents the core value but often costs $8,000-12,000 when purchased separately.
Automated scanning tools marketed as “continuous monitoring” or “regression testing.” These scans flag roughly 13% of WCAG success criteria and require manual review for accuracy. They cannot detect 42% of WCAG issues and only partially flag another 45%.
Access to a “dedicated team of experts” for technical support. In practice, this often means scheduled calls with consultants who reference the same WCAG documentation available publicly.
Dashboard reporting that visualizes scan results and presents incomplete accessibility data as comprehensive project insights.
The disconnect becomes apparent when clients realize they’re paying enterprise prices for audit services that smaller firms deliver more efficiently, combined with scan-based tools that provide limited practical value for achieving WCAG conformance.
Specialization
Accessible.org specializes in WCAG audits and remediation workflow, which just so happens to be what almost all of our clients need.
Our auditors use screen reader testing, keyboard testing, and other manual evaluation methodologies to identify all accessibility issues. The resulting audit reports provide complete roadmaps for WCAG conformance.
The Accessibility Tracker Platform transforms your audit spreadsheet into a comprehensive project management system. Upload your accessibility audit report and immediately prioritize issues by legal risk or user impact, assign tasks to team members, and track progress through validation.
Built-in Tracker AI provides instant code examples and plain-English explanations for each issue, eliminating expensive technical support calls. While enterprise platforms track incomplete scan data, Tracker monitors real WCAG conformance progress.
Your Choice
When enterprise accessibility companies lose clients to Accessible.org, it directly reflects a market that’s becoming more educated on what products and services actually align with their primary objective: WCAG conformance. Organizations learn that expensive, scan-based platforms are completely unnecessary and a waste of time (because they don’t track WCAG conformance).
And audits are great, they’re necessary, but do you really need to pay $20,000+ for your standard accessibility audit packaged together with extras you weren’t interested in in the first place?
The choice becomes straightforward: pay premium prices for marketing promises and limited tools, or work with a specialist company that focuses on audit quality and remediation efficiency. Smart organizations choose better value and real results over expensive subscriptions that deliver marginal practical benefit.
If you’re evaluating alternative accessibility companies for next year, focus on audit quality and project management platforms that actually help your team reach WCAG conformance. Aligning with WCAG conformance should be the foundation for every contract. From there, you can build on the products and services that your organization wants.
Organizations switching to Accessible.org get comprehensive WCAG audits plus the Accessibility Tracker Platform for $11,000 — less than half what enterprise vendors charge for similar audit quality. The platform includes team collaboration tools, AI-powered remediation assistance, and accurate progress monitoring that actually tracks WCAG conformance rather than incomplete scan results. If your current accessibility engagement feels expensive for what you receive, schedule a 30-minute introduction to see how audit-based project management delivers better value.
