Curbcut and WAVE compared
Last updated
WAVE is a suite of web accessibility evaluation tools by WebAIM: an online checker, browser extensions and an API.
Curbcut is one rule set on four surfaces: a browser extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox, an extension for VS Code, a WordPress plugin and a web app that scans whole sites on a schedule. Its checks use the open-source axe-core engine with our own explanations and fix steps.
Side by side
| Feature | Curbcut | WAVE |
|---|---|---|
| Browser extension | Chrome, Edge and Firefox; free single-page checks, Pro $49 per year | Chrome, Firefox and Edge; runs in the browser and sends nothing to the WAVE server |
| Online checker by URL | no; the web app scans verified sites | yes, on wave.webaim.org |
| Editor extension | VS Code, free | not listed |
| WordPress plugin | yes, free; Pro $79 per year | not listed |
| Scheduled whole-site scans | web app, $29, $79 or $199 per month | not offered by WebAIM; its page refers to Pope Tech for site-wide monitoring |
| API | checks API for CI on web app Team and Agency | WAVE API: 100 free credits for new accounts, then from $0.04 down to $0.025 per credit; one credit per basic page analysis |
| Self-hosted engine | no | stand-alone WAVE API and testing engine, licensed separately |
| Rule engine | axe-core (open source) | the WAVE engine |
Differences to weigh
- WAVE's API is paid per page analysed; Curbcut's web app is a monthly plan with a page limit per scan.
- WAVE uses its own engine and shows issues inside the page; Curbcut uses axe-core and lists issues with fix steps. The two engines report some issues differently, so results do not match one to one.
- Curbcut has a VS Code extension and a WordPress plugin; WebAIM's pages do not list these.
Sources
- WAVE overview: wave.webaim.org, as of 6 November 2026: online tool, Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions, subscription API, stand-alone API and testing engine, and a pointer to Pope Tech for site-wide monitoring.
- WAVE extensions: wave.webaim.org/extension, as of 6 November 2026: the extension runs in the browser and no information is sent to the WAVE server.
- WAVE API prices: wave.webaim.org/api, as of 6 November 2026: 100 free credits for new accounts; $0.04 per credit for 250 to 999 credits ($10 minimum), $0.03 for 1,000 to 9,999, $0.025 for 10,000 or more; basic analysis of one page costs 1 credit, advanced features 2 or 3.
Curbcut's own facts come from the pricing page and the web app docs.
A note on automated checks
Automated tools, ours included, find only part of all WCAG failures. Whatever tool you use, test with a keyboard and a screen reader as well, and do not read a clean automated result as proof that a page is accessible.