JR Trove
Free · Browser-only · No signup

WCAG Contrast Checker

Check the contrast ratio between foreground and background colors against WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards. Pass / fail for AA normal, AA large, AA UI, AAA normal, AAA large. Live preview at 4 text sizes.

Leaderboard 728×90 • Ad slot
Contrast ratio
17.85:1
WCAG verdict
AAA
WCAG 2.1 compliance breakdown
AA — normal text
Requires 4.5:1
Pass
AA — large text (18pt+ / 14pt bold+)
Requires 3:1
Pass
AA — UI components / graphics
Requires 3:1
Pass
AAA — normal text (strict)
Requires 7:1
Pass
AAA — large text (strict)
Requires 4.5:1
Pass
Live preview

Large headline text (36px)

Medium body text (18px) — Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Small text (14px) — most common body size on the web. Quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Fine print (12px) — used for legal copy, captions, footnotes.

Medium Rectangle 336×280 • Ad slot
Inside the tool

What powers the WCAG Contrast Checker

WCAG 2.1 contrast ratio calculation (using relative luminance)

5 thresholds checked: AA normal (4.5:1), AA large (3:1), AA UI (3:1), AAA normal (7:1), AAA large (4.5:1)

Color-coded verdict (AAA / AA / AA Large / Fail)

Live preview at 4 text sizes (36 / 18 / 14 / 12 pt)

Swap foreground and background

Instant

Built differently

Why the WCAG Contrast Checker is different

Browser-native

The WCAG Contrast Checker runs entirely in your browser. Input is processed locally — never uploaded, never logged, never cached anywhere outside your device.

No artificial limits

No daily quotas, no character ceilings, no "upgrade for more" walls. Every feature is the complete feature — the same on the first use as the thousandth.

Production-grade quality

Built to the same engineering bar as paid SaaS tools — accurate algorithms, audited logic, responsive design and accessibility-tested interactions.

Use Contexts

Common use contexts

  • Validating button / link colors meet WCAG before shipping a design
  • Auditing client deliverables for accessibility
  • Picking accessible color combinations for dashboards / forms
  • Pre-launch checklist for compliance-sensitive sites (gov, edu, finance)
Privacy by design

Private and secure

Zero upload

All processing happens in your browser. Input is never transmitted, logged or cached.

Works offline

Once the page loads, the tool runs without an internet connection. No network calls happen during use.

No tracking

No accounts, no cookies for tool state. Only aggregate analytics count visits at the page level.

Leaderboard 728×90 • Ad slot
FAQ

WCAG Contrast Checker questions

WCAG AA is the de-facto standard for commercial sites and required by ADA / EU directives. AAA is stricter (7:1 for normal text) — recommended for sites serving users with low vision (health, government, accessibility-first products).