YuJa vs Blackboard Ally vs Aelira
Side-by-side comparison of the top 3 accessibility tools for higher education.
Which one is right for your university?
The Quick Answer
Choose YuJa if:
- You want faculty awareness (visual scores)
- You're okay with manual fixes
- You have a large IT team
- You have enterprise budget
Choose Ally if:
- You already use Blackboard Learn
- You want alternative formats (ePub, audio)
- You're willing to fix source content separately
- You have Anthology suite
Choose Aelira if:
- You need actual remediation (not just scanning)
- You have STEM courses (LaTeX)
- You have 10+ courses to fix
- April 2026 deadline is approaching
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | YuJa Panorama | Blackboard Ally | Aelira |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY FUNCTION | |||
| What it actually does | Scans & reports issues | Converts to alt formats | Remediates source content |
| Generates working fixes | |||
| CONTENT TYPE SUPPORT | |||
| PDFs | Scan only | Convert only | Remediate |
| PowerPoints | Scan only | Convert only | Remediate |
| LaTeX/MathML (STEM) | |||
| Videos (caption cleanup) | |||
| HTML/Web pages | |||
| INTEGRATION & WORKFLOW | |||
| LMS integration | Multiple LMS | Blackboard only | Q1 2026 (Canvas) |
| Bulk processing (1,000+ files) | Limited | LMS-based | CLI + Web |
| API access | |||
| PRIVACY & SECURITY | |||
| Self-hosted AI (no OpenAI) | |||
| FERPA compliant | |||
| SOC 2 certified | In progress | ||
| PRICING | |||
| Pricing transparency | Enterprise only | Bundled | $999/mo |
| Typical annual cost | $10K-$50K | Part of suite | $11,988 |
| Free trial | Demo only | Demo only | 30 days |
| SUPPORT & TRAINING | |||
| Implementation time | 2-4 weeks | 4-8 weeks | Same day |
| Faculty training required | Moderate | Moderate | Minimal |
| Support channels | Email, phone | Email, phone | Email, Slack |
Detailed Pros & Cons
YuJa Panorama
Pros
- High faculty awareness: Visual accessibility scores (red/yellow/green) are easy to understand
- Multi-LMS support: Works with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, D2L
- Comprehensive scanning: Catches 70-80% of WCAG issues
- Enterprise support: Dedicated account managers, SLAs
- Established vendor: Used by hundreds of universities
Cons
- No remediation: You still have to fix everything manually
- No LaTeX support: STEM courses are left behind
- Enterprise pricing: $10K-$50K/year (no transparent pricing)
- Limited bulk processing: LMS-based scanning only
- Faculty burnout: Creates awareness but doesn't reduce workload
Blackboard Ally
Pros
- Alternative formats: Automatic PDF HTML, ePub, audio, BeeLine Reader
- Deep Blackboard integration: Part of Anthology suite
- Student choice: Multiple ways to access content
- Faculty awareness: Similar visual scoring to YuJa
- Market leader: Used by 60%+ of Blackboard institutions
Cons
- No source remediation: Alt formats inherit source problems
- No LaTeX support: Math equations aren't accessible
- Blackboard-only: Doesn't work if you switch LMS
- Bundled pricing: Must buy entire Anthology suite
- Long implementation: 4-8 weeks to fully deploy
Aelira
Pros
- AI-powered remediation: Generates working code fixes, not just reports
- LaTeX/MathML support: Only solution for STEM courses
- Bulk processing: Process 1,000+ files in minutes (CLI + web)
- Privacy-first: Self-hosted AI, no data to OpenAI
- Transparent pricing: $999/mo unlimited users
- Fast deployment: Same-day access, no lengthy implementation
Cons
- LMS integration: Canvas LTI coming Q1 2026 (not available yet)
- Newer vendor: Less brand recognition than YuJa/Ally
- SOC 2: Certification in progress (FERPA compliant now)
- Manual review: AI fixes should be reviewed (10-20% approval work)
Which Tool for Which Use Case?
Large University with Enterprise Budget
Scenario: 50,000+ students, $50M+ IT budget, dedicated accessibility team
Recommendation: YuJa + Aelira
Use YuJa for awareness/reporting, Aelira for bulk remediation (especially STEM). Your IT team can afford both, and the combination gives you complete coverage.
Medium University Already Using Blackboard
Scenario: 10,000-30,000 students, already have Anthology suite
Recommendation: Ally + Aelira
Use Ally for alternative formats (it's already included), add Aelira for source content remediation. This gives you both alt formats AND compliant source files.
Small College with Limited Budget
Scenario: 2,000-5,000 students, tight budget, small IT team
Recommendation: Aelira only
At $999/mo, Aelira is the most cost-effective solution for actual remediation. Skip YuJa/Ally and focus on fixing content, not just identifying problems.
STEM-Focused Institution (Engineering, Math, Physics)
Scenario: 50%+ STEM courses, heavy LaTeX usage
Recommendation: Aelira (required)
Aelira is the ONLY tool with LaTeX/MathML support. YuJa and Ally cannot process math equations. Without Aelira, you'll have to manually convert thousands of equations—which is impossible at scale.
⏰ April 2026 Deadline Approaching (5 Months Away)
Scenario: 50+ courses to remediate, limited time
Recommendation: Aelira (required)
Manual remediation would take 2,150-3,100 hours (impossible in 5 months). YuJa and Ally don't reduce remediation time—they just identify problems. Aelira's bulk processing is the only way to meet the deadline.
Download the Full Comparison Spreadsheet
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Join 500+ universities preparing for the April 2026 WCAG 2.2 deadline.