EAA compliance costs range from roughly $3,000 to over $100,000 depending on the size of your digital presence, how far your current state is from WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, and which services you need. Most organizations spend between $5,000 and $30,000 to get their primary web properties and apps into conformance and produce the documentation required under the European Accessibility Act.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) went into effect on June 28, 2025. It requires covered products and services sold in the EU to meet the EN 301 549 standard, which maps to WCAG 2.1 AA for web and mobile content. The cost of compliance depends on what you already have in place and what work remains.
| Cost Factor | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Accessibility Audit (per digital asset) | $3,000 to $12,000+ depending on page/screen count and complexity |
| Remediation | $2,000 to $50,000+ depending on issue volume and severity |
| ACR / EN 301 549 Documentation | $1,500 to $5,000 per product |
| Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance | $1,000 to $5,000 per year |
| Training | $500 to $3,000 per team |
What Drives EAA Compliance Pricing?
Three variables control most of the cost: the number of digital assets you own, the complexity of each asset, and your current level of WCAG 2.1 AA conformance.
A company with a single informational website and a dozen pages will spend far less than an ecommerce company running a web app, mobile app, and customer portal. Each digital asset needs its own evaluation, its own remediation cycle, and its own documentation.
Complexity matters too. A page with interactive forms, embedded media, and dynamic content costs more to evaluate and fix than a static text page. The auditor spends more time on it, and the developer spends more time remediating it.
How Much Does an Accessibility Audit Cost for EAA?
A (manual) accessibility audit is the only way to determine WCAG conformance. Scans only flag approximately 25% of issues, so they cannot replace a thorough human evaluation. For EAA compliance, you need a full audit against WCAG 2.1 AA at minimum.
Audit pricing at Accessible.org typically starts around $3,000 for a smaller website and increases based on page count and interaction complexity. A web app or SaaS product with 30 to 50 screens may run $6,000 to $12,000 or more. Mobile apps carry similar pricing. Each digital asset covered under the EAA needs its own thorough accessibility evaluation.
Organizations with multiple products should plan for an audit on each one. Bundling audits with the same provider can sometimes reduce the per-asset cost.
What Does Remediation Cost?
Remediation is where costs vary the most. An audit identifies the issues. Fixing them is a separate effort that depends on your development team’s capacity and the volume of issues found.
If your product was built with accessibility in mind, remediation might take a few days of developer time. If it was not, you could be looking at weeks of focused accessibility remediation work. Common issues like missing alt text or improperly labeled form fields are quick to fix. Structural issues with navigation, focus management, or custom components take longer.
Some organizations complete remediation internally. Others hire an accessibility consulting firm or contract developers who specialize in WCAG conformance. External remediation services typically charge by the hour or by the project.
Do You Need an ACR for EAA Compliance?
The EAA does not explicitly require a VPAT or ACR. But in practice, procurement teams and regulators expect documentation that demonstrates conformance. An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) filled out against the EN 301 549 edition is the standard way to provide this evidence.
Accessible.org produces ACRs as part of the VPAT and ACR services offered alongside audits. The EN 301 549 edition maps directly to EU requirements under the EAA. Pricing for an ACR typically runs $1,500 to $5,000 depending on the product scope. When paired with an audit, the combined cost is lower than purchasing each separately from different vendors.
ACRs do not have a formal expiration date, but updating them after significant product changes keeps them credible.
Are There Ongoing Costs After Initial Compliance?
Yes. Accessibility is not a one-time expense. Websites change. Products get updated. New content gets published. Each change can introduce new issues.
Ongoing costs typically include periodic re-evaluation (annually or after major releases), scan monitoring between audits, training for new team members, and maintaining documentation.
Annual maintenance budgets of $1,000 to $5,000 are common for organizations that want to stay in conformance rather than scramble before each review cycle.
How Does Company Size Affect Cost?
A small business with a single website might spend $5,000 to $10,000 total for an audit, remediation, and an ACR. A mid-size SaaS company with a web app and mobile app could spend $15,000 to $40,000. Enterprise organizations with dozens of digital assets, multiple development teams, and complex workflows can spend well into six figures.
The EAA applies to companies selling products and services in the EU regardless of where the company is based. This means a U.S.-based software company selling to EU customers carries the same compliance obligation as a company headquartered in Berlin.
Can You Reduce EAA Compliance Costs?
The most effective way to lower costs is to build accessibility into your development process from the start. Retrofitting an inaccessible product is always more expensive than building it correctly the first time.
Other ways to control spending: scope your audit to the most critical user flows first, then expand. Train your development team on WCAG 2.1 AA so fewer issues appear in new code. Use automated scans between audits to catch regressions early (scans only flag approximately 25% of issues, so they supplement but do not replace audits). Bundle audit and ACR services with one provider like Accessible.org for better pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the EAA the same as WCAG 2.1 AA?
Not exactly. The EAA is a European Union law that requires accessible products and services. The technical standard it references is EN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA for web and mobile content. Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA conformance is the core technical requirement for digital assets under the European Accessibility Act.
Does EAA compliance cost more than ADA compliance?
The technical work is similar since both reference WCAG standards. The added cost for EAA compliance comes from needing an EN 301 549 edition ACR and potentially evaluating products against additional non-web criteria in EN 301 549. For most digital-only products, the cost difference is modest.
How often do I need to pay for EAA compliance?
The initial investment covers auditing, remediating, and documenting your digital assets. After that, plan for annual or semi-annual re-evaluation costs, ongoing training, and monitoring. Most organizations budget $1,000 to $5,000 per year for maintenance after the initial project is complete.
Can automated scans replace a full audit to save money?
No. Scans only flag approximately 25% of issues. A (manual) accessibility audit conducted by a qualified auditor is the only way to determine WCAG conformance. Scans are useful for catching regressions between audits, but they cannot substitute for a complete evaluation.
EAA compliance is an investment that scales with what you have and where you are. The cost is predictable when you scope it properly and work with a provider who prices transparently.
Contact Accessible.org for a quote on EAA compliance services including audits, remediation, and EN 301 549 ACRs.
