Honest comparison
reala11y vs Equalize Digital
Both reala11y and Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker are honest, WordPress-native accessibility tools — no overlays, no inflated compliance claims. The difference is philosophy: Equalize focuses on thorough detection and guided manual fixes; reala11y adds safe code-level auto-fixes and BYOK AI. Here is a fair comparison.
| Feature | reala11y Free (Pro from $10/mo for agencies) | Equalize Digital Free on WP.org; paid from ~$144/yr (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress-native plugin | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free version on WordPress.org | Yes | Yes |
| WCAG 2.2 scanner Equalize has a deep, mature scanner | 22 rules | Extensive |
| In-editor issue review workflow | Yes | Yes |
| Code-level auto-fixes Equalize emphasizes guided manual remediation | 10 | Detection-focused |
| BYOK AI authoring tools Verify current features on vendor site | ✓ | — |
| Open source / GPL | ✓ | ✓ |
| Entry price (1 site) reala11y Pro starts at $10/mo, for agency multisite networks | Free | ~$144/yr (approx.) |
Sources: Equalize Digital public product, documentation, and pricing pages; WordPress.org plugin directory. Pricing and features change — verify on the vendor's site. Checked May 2026.
Credit where it's due
Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker is one of the most respected accessibility plugins in the WordPress ecosystem. Its scanner is deep and mature, its in-editor review workflow is genuinely good, and the team behind it contributes meaningfully to WordPress accessibility. We are not here to talk them down — they set a high bar.
Where we differ: detection versus remediation
Equalize is detection-first: it surfaces issues thoroughly and guides you to fix them by hand, which is a sound philosophy — many problems should be fixed properly by a person. reala11y takes a complementary stance: alongside scanning, it ships a code-level auto-fix engine that safely remediates common, low-risk issues at render time, with one-click rollback and a Safe Mode. We also include bring-your-own-key AI authoring tools (alt text, link text, and more) that Equalize does not focus on.
Price
Both have a free version on WordPress.org — but reala11y's free version is the full product for a single site: the complete scanner, every safe auto-fix, and BYOK AI included. Equalize's paid plans start at approximately $144/year for one site (as of this writing — verify on their site). reala11y's only paid product is reala11y Pro (from $10/month), for agencies managing many sites in a WordPress multisite network. If budget matters and you want auto-fixes included, that difference is worth weighing.
An honest caveat
Equalize's scanner is more extensive than our launch rule set, and no automated tool — theirs or ours — makes a site "WCAG compliant." Automation detects roughly 30–40% of WCAG failures by criteria; full conformance still requires human review. Choose the tool whose approach fits your workflow, and pair it with manual testing.
FAQ
Is Equalize Digital a good tool?
Yes. Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker is a well-regarded, WordPress-native scanner with a mature rule set, a strong in-editor review workflow, and a team that contributes actively to the WordPress accessibility community. We respect their work. This page is about how our approaches differ, not about whether they are good — they are.
How is reala11y different?
Equalize Digital focuses on detection and guided manual remediation — it surfaces issues thoroughly so a human can fix them well. reala11y adds a code-level auto-fix engine that safely remediates common issues in your content and theme output (with one-click rollback), plus bring-your-own-key AI authoring tools — all in the free plugin. Different philosophies: thorough detection versus detection plus safe automated fixes.
Can I use both?
Yes — unlike overlay widgets, two honest WordPress-native tools can be complementary. Some teams use a detection-focused scanner for thorough auditing and an auto-fixer for the safe, repetitive issues. Run a staging test first to confirm they behave well together on your theme.
Which should I choose?
If you want the deepest detection and a guided manual-fix workflow, Equalize Digital is excellent. If you want safe code-level auto-fixes you control plus BYOK AI, free for a single site, choose reala11y. Either way, no automated tool replaces a human audit — automation detects roughly 30–40% of WCAG failures by criteria.