An accessiBe Alternative Focused on Source-Level Accessibility Guidance

The FTC reached a settlement with accessiBe over allegations that the company misled businesses by claiming its automated product could make websites WCAG-compliant. The final order restricts accessiBe from making unsupported automated compliance claims.

If you're paying for an overlay because you expect it to settle your legal accessibility obligations, the FTC order is a warning: unsupported automated compliance claims deserve scrutiny.

The problem with overlay widgets

Overlay widgets like accessiBe, UserWay, and EqualWeb work by injecting a JavaScript layer on top of your website. They add a toolbar icon that lets users adjust font sizes, contrast, and other visual settings.

What they don't do is fix the underlying code. If your images are missing alt text, your forms lack labels, or your heading structure is broken, the overlay leaves all of that in place. Screen readers still may not get the structure or labels they need. Keyboard and focus problems can remain. The underlying barriers can persist.

The risk is simple: an overlay does not reliably repair the underlying HTML, content, documents, or third-party components that create many accessibility barriers.

What an actual alternative looks like

Instead of papering over problems, you need a tool that identifies the likely source-level issues in your code and tells you how to prioritise fixes. That's what ClearSite is designed to support:

• Scans your site using axe-core, a widely used accessibility testing engine referenced in UK public-sector accessibility guidance. Runs WCAG-based automated accessibility checks.
• AI explains prioritised findings in plain English, not "missing ARIA attribute", but "your contact form can't be used by screen readers because the email field has no label."
• Platform-specific fix instructions, on WordPress? We tell you which setting to change. Shopify? Which theme file to edit.
• Ongoing monitoring, paid plans re-scan weekly or daily and alert you when new issues appear.

How the coverage compares

ClearSite uses axe-core powered automated scanning, which can detect a meaningful but incomplete share of accessibility issues.

Overlays, by contrast, generally do not fix these issues at the source. They add a UI layer that attempts to compensate, but many underlying problems can remain, which is why the FTC challenged unsupported claims that an automated overlay could make websites WCAG-compliant.

We're upfront that no automated tool catches everything, the remaining issues require human judgment. For a broader assessment, pair ClearSite with a professional accessibility audit. But going from no visibility to a prioritised list of common code-level issues is a meaningful improvement.

The cost comparison

Overlay subscriptions are a recurring cost. ClearSite Starter is £19/month, or £182.40/year when billed annually, and focuses that spend on AI-powered explanations, platform-specific fix instructions, and source-level issue identification.

More importantly, ClearSite helps you make durable accessibility improvements by fixing source-level problems. An overlay is a recurring cost that does not reliably repair those source issues. With ClearSite, the guidance points toward code and content fixes that can remain part of your site.

Making the switch

If you're currently using an overlay widget, here's a practical way to reassess it:

1. Run a free ClearSite scan, see common detectable issues underneath your overlay. No signup required.
2. Start fixing the critical issues, our AI report prioritises by severity and gives you step-by-step instructions.
3. Remove the overlay, once you've addressed the source-level issues, reassess whether the overlay is still adding value.
4. Set up monitoring, our paid plans re-scan automatically so new issues don't slip through when your site changes.

Sources: FTC final accessiBe order and UK public-sector axe guidance.