EAA compliance costs range from $2,500 to $5,500 per digital asset for Accessible.org clients. This cost includes:
- WCAG audit
- Technical support hours (for validation of fixes)
- VPAT service
Becoming compliant with the European Accessibility Act is more efficient when you itemize digital assets, keep track of accessibility after services, and maintain accurate records.
| Key Point | What It Means for You |
|---|---|
| Accessibility Audit | Accessibility audits cost $1,250 to $2,750 per digital asset for most Accessible.org clients. Pricing is per page or screen: $100 to $250 for primary pages, $25 to $100 for light pages. |
| Remediation | The biggest variable. Internal teams fix many issues with audit guidance. Outside technical support runs $195 per hour. Document remediation starts at $7 per page. |
| ACR / VPAT | $350 to $950 per report depending on the edition, in addition to the audit. |
| EAA Documentation | Products need technical documentation, an EU Declaration of Conformity, and CE marking. Services need Annex V information. Budget internal working time. |
| Tracking and Record Keeping | Accessibility Tracker plans start at $19 per month per project, with a system of record for accessibility compliance. |
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.
Accessibility audits cost $1,250 to $2,750 per digital asset for most Accessible.org clients. Pricing is per page or screen: $100 to $250 for primary pages (pages with forms, dynamic content, or heavy interaction) and $25 to $100 for light pages (simpler, mostly static pages). An asset with more screens or more interaction lands at the higher end of the range.
Each digital asset covered under the EAA needs thorough accessibility evaluation, so organizations with multiple covered products / services should plan for an audit on each one.
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) completed against the EN 301 549 edition of the VPAT is the standard way to provide this evidence.
Accessible.org ACRs cost $350 to $950 per report depending on the edition, in addition to the audit. The EN 301 549 edition maps directly to EU requirements under the EAA. Because an ACR is based on audit findings, pairing both services with the same provider keeps the report accurate and the combined cost lower than sourcing each separately.
ACRs do not have a formal expiration date, but updating them after several or significant product changes keeps them fresh and credible.
Are There Ongoing Costs After Initial Compliance?
Yes, but the cost of compliance can decrease over time with training and by implementing accessibility into your work flow. Ongoing costs can include:
- new, independent audits
- accounting for new assets / changes
- new ACRs
If your organization is diligent, the peak of spending on EAA compliance will be at the very start of your efforts.
How Does Company Size Affect Cost?
Company size does not affect the price of accessibility services. Accessible.org pricing is based on the digital asset itself, not the organization behind it. If the asset remains the same, an enterprise pays the same as a small business. A 20-page website costs the same to audit whether it belongs to a startup or a Fortune 500 company.
What changes with company size is the number of digital assets. Larger organizations tend to own more websites, web apps, and mobile apps, and each asset needs its own audit, remediation cycle, and documentation. Total spend scales with asset count and complexity, not headcount or revenue.
The EAA applies to companies selling products and services in the EU regardless of where the company is based. 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.
AI will also play a huge role in the coming years in bringing compliance costs down.
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.
