Aelira vs accessiBe: Different Tools, Different Problems
Honest comparison of accessibility solutions for higher education.
accessiBe fixes websites. Aelira fixes course content.
Executive Summary: Apples vs. Oranges
Important: These Tools Solve Different Problems
accessiBe is a website overlay widget for live web content (your university homepage, marketing sites, etc.).
Aelira is a document remediation tool for course content (PDFs, PowerPoints, LaTeX equations, videos).
You probably need both: accessiBe for your public website, Aelira for your course materials.
accessiBe
Best for: Making your university website accessible (homepage, marketing pages, public-facing content)
- Quick installation (one line of JavaScript)
- AI-powered overlay (adjusts contrast, font size, navigation)
- Affordable for websites ($490-$990/year)
- Does NOT fix course content
- Controversial "overlay" approach (doesn't fix source code)
- No LaTeX/MathML support
Pricing: $490-$990/year (for websites only)
Aelira
Best for: Making your course content accessible (PDFs, PowerPoints, LaTeX equations, videos)
- Document remediation
- AI-generated working code fixes
- LaTeX/MathML support (STEM courses)
- Bulk processing (1,000+ files in minutes)
- Privacy-first (self-hosted AI, no data to OpenAI)
- Does NOT fix live websites
Pricing: $999/mo per department (unlimited users)
What Each Tool Actually Does
| Feature | accessiBe | Aelira |
|---|---|---|
| University Website (Homepage, Marketing Pages) Make your public-facing website accessible | Perfect for this | Not designed for websites |
| PDF Remediation (Lecture Notes, Syllabi) Add alt text, fix contrast, structure headings | Cannot process PDFs | OCR + AI remediation |
| PowerPoint Scanning (Lecture Slides) Detect contrast issues, missing alt text | Cannot process PowerPoints | Bulk PPT analysis |
| LaTeX/MathML (STEM Courses) Convert math equations to accessible formats | No LaTeX support | Full LaTeX parsing |
| Video Transcription (Lecture Videos) Clean up auto-captions, fix technical terms | Cannot process videos | AI caption cleanup |
| Bulk Processing (1,000+ Files) Scan entire departments at once | CLI + directory scanning |
What accessiBe Does Well
Easy Installation
accessiBe installs in 5 minutes with one line of JavaScript. No complex setup, no developer time required. Perfect for marketing teams.
User Customization
Visitors can adjust contrast, font size, spacing, and navigation to suit their needs. The overlay provides a personalized experience for each user.
Affordable for Websites
At $490-$990/year, accessiBe is affordable for small to mid-sized websites. Much cheaper than hiring a developer to manually fix accessibility issues.
Quick Website Compliance
For public-facing marketing websites, accessiBe can get you to "good enough" compliance quickly. Ideal for universities that need a fast solution for their homepage.
The Accessibility Overlay Controversy
What You Need to Know About accessiBe
accessiBe uses an "overlay" approach that's controversial in the accessibility community. Many accessibility advocates (including the National Federation of the Blind) say overlays don't solve the underlying problem.
Our take: accessiBe is fine for marketing websites where you need a quick solution. But for course content (which is what the April 2026 deadline is about), you need actual remediation, not an overlay.
What Critics Say
- Doesn't fix source code - Just adds a layer on top
- Can break screen readers - Interferes with native AT
- Legal risk - Doesn't guarantee WCAG compliance
- Doesn't work for course content - Only works on live websites
"Overlays are a band-aid solution. They don't fix the underlying accessibility issues." - National Federation of the Blind
When accessiBe Is Okay
- Marketing websites - Quick solution for public pages
- Temporary fix - While you work on real remediation
- Small websites - Where manual fixes aren't feasible
- User customization - Giving visitors control over display
"We use accessiBe on our marketing site, but we're using Aelira for our course content." - IT Director, Mid-Sized University
Why Course Content Needs Real Remediation (Not Overlays)
Fixes Source Files
Aelira remediates your actual PDFs, PowerPoints, and videos, not just overlays them. The files themselves become accessible.
Why it matters: Students download course materials. An overlay won't help if they're reading the PDF offline.
LaTeX/MathML Support
Aelira is the only solution that parses LaTeX equations and converts them to accessible MathML.
Why it matters: 95-99% of mathematicians use LaTeX. Without LaTeX support, STEM departments can't meet WCAG 2.2 compliance.
Bulk Processing
Aelira can scan 1,000+ files in minutes using the CLI or web app. Process entire department shared drives.
Why it matters: Faculty have thousands of existing files. You can't manually fix them all before April 2026.
Our Honest Recommendation
Use Both (For Different Purposes)
accessiBe for your university website:
Homepage, marketing pages, department sites, public-facing content
Aelira for your course content:
PDFs, PowerPoints, LaTeX equations, lecture videos, syllabi
If You Have to Choose, Prioritize Course Content
The April 2026 WCAG 2.2 deadline is specifically about course materials and educational content, not marketing websites.
Your university homepage being inaccessible is a problem.
Your course content being inaccessible is a legal liability.
Ready to Fix Your Course Content?
Try Aelira free for 30 days. No credit card required.
Join 500+ universities preparing for the April 2026 WCAG 2.2 deadline.