TestParty vs Deque vs Level Access: Complete Comparison

Choosing between TestParty, Deque, and Level Access means choosing between fundamentally different approaches to web accessibility. TestParty combines AI detection with expert source code remediation—<1% of customers sued. Deque provides industry-standard detection tools that your team implements. Level Access offers consulting-led audits with implementation guidance. Each serves different organizational needs. This comparison helps you choose.

Three approaches. Different trade-offs. Real outcomes.

Quick Comparison

Overview of how each platform approaches accessibility.

+------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
|         Factor         |          TestParty          |          Deque           |       Level Access       |
+------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
|     Primary Model      |   Detection + Remediation   |     Detection Tools      |    Consulting + Audit    |
+------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
|    Who Fixes Issues    |      TestParty experts      |        Your team         |        Your team         |
+------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
|    Detection Method    |      AI + Human experts     |     Automated (axe)      |    Manual + Automated    |
+------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
|    Delivery Format     |       Source code PRs       |    Reports + Guidance    |   Reports + Consulting   |
+------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
|   Time to Compliance   |          14-30 days         |   Depends on your team   |     Months typically     |
+------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
|     Customers Sued     |             Few             |       Not tracked        |       Not tracked        |
+------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+
|      Price Range       |        $12K-$60K/year       |      $0-$50K+/year       |       $50K-$200K+        |
+------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------------+--------------------------+

Business Model Comparison

How each company approaches the accessibility problem.

TestParty: Detection + Remediation

TestParty provides both detection and fixes. Their experts write source code changes delivered as GitHub pull requests.

How it works:

1. Spotlight AI scans for WCAG 2.2 AA violations
2. Expert accessibility team creates source code fixes
3. Fixes delivered as PRs to your repository
4. You review and merge
5. Continuous monitoring prevents regression

What you get: Actual compliance without implementation burden.

Customer example: TUSHY deploys ~5 updates daily. TestParty achieved full compliance in 30 days with zero internal engineering hours required.

Deque: Detection Tools

Deque provides the industry-standard axe detection engine. Free browser extension for developers. Enterprise platform for organizations. Implementation is your responsibility.

How it works:

1. axe DevTools scans pages for violations
2. Reports identify issues with remediation guidance
3. Your developers implement fixes
4. Re-scan to verify
5. Repeat for new issues

What you get: Reliable issue detection requiring internal implementation.

Best for: Organizations with accessibility expertise and developer bandwidth.

Level Access: Consulting + Audit

Level Access provides human expert audits and consulting services. Manual testing supplements automated detection. Implementation guidance, not implementation.

How it works:

1. Accessibility experts manually audit your site
2. Comprehensive report documents findings
3. Consulting helps prioritize and plan
4. Your team implements fixes
5. Re-audit to verify (additional cost)

What you get: Expert assessment and guidance requiring internal implementation.

Best for: Organizations needing comprehensive documentation and training.

Detection Capabilities

How each platform finds accessibility issues.

TestParty Detection

TestParty's Spotlight combines AI detection with human expert review.

Detection approach:

• AI-powered WCAG 2.2 AA scanning
• Template-level pattern recognition (50× duplicate reduction)
• Human expert validation for edge cases
• Continuous monitoring with daily scans
• 99% accuracy validated at Zedge (25M MAU)

Unique capability: Template-level grouping means one finding covers thousands of related page instances. Cozy Earth's 600+ code files became manageable remediation scope.

Deque Detection

Deque's axe engine is the industry standard for automated accessibility testing.

Detection approach:

• Rule-based automated scanning
• Minimal false positives (conservative ruleset)
• Browser extension and API options
• Integration with development tools
• Established industry credibility

Limitation: Automated detection catches estimated 25-40% of accessibility issues. Complex interactions, context-dependent content, and nuanced requirements need human judgment.

Level Access Detection

Level Access combines automated scanning with extensive manual testing.

Detection approach:

• Manual testing by certified accessibility experts
• Automated scanning supplements manual work
• Comprehensive WCAG criterion coverage
• Assistive technology testing included
• Detailed documentation of findings

Strength: Human experts catch issues automation misses.

Limitation: Point-in-time assessment. New issues between audits go undetected.

Detection Comparison

+---------------------------+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------+
|         Capability        |      TestParty      |           Deque           |     Level Access    |
+---------------------------+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------+
|     Automated scanning    |     ✅ AI-powered    |        ✅ Rule-based       |   ✅ Supplementary   |
+---------------------------+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------+
|       Manual testing      |   ✅ Expert review   |   ❌ Your responsibility   |   ✅ Comprehensive   |
+---------------------------+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------+
|   Continuous monitoring   |       ✅ Daily       |     ⚠️ When you run it    |   ❌ Point-in-time   |
+---------------------------+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------+
|     Template grouping     |   ✅ 50× reduction   |            ❌ No           |         ❌ No        |
+---------------------------+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------+
|     Detection accuracy    |   99% (validated)   |     ~25-40% automated     |    High (manual)    |
+---------------------------+---------------------+---------------------------+---------------------+

Remediation Approaches

How each platform addresses detected issues.

TestParty Remediation

TestParty's expert team writes actual source code fixes.

Remediation model:

• Accessibility experts create fixes
• Source code changes (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Delivered as GitHub pull requests
• You review and merge
• Fixes become part of your codebase

Customer example: Jordan Craig has one developer managing 500,000+ monthly visitors. TestParty's remediation handled the technical implementation, achieving compliance in 2 weeks.

What this means: You don't need accessibility expertise. Fixes arrive ready to merge.

Deque Remediation

Deque provides guidance; you implement fixes.

Remediation model:

• Reports explain each violation
• Guidance suggests how to fix
• Code examples for common issues
• Your developers implement
• Re-scan to verify

What this means: You need developers with time and accessibility knowledge to implement fixes. Detection is the easy part; implementation is where efforts stall.

Level Access Remediation

Level Access provides consulting support; you implement fixes.

Remediation model:

• Detailed findings with recommendations
• Consulting available for questions
• Training for your team
• Your developers implement
• Re-audit to verify (additional engagement)

What this means: Expert guidance available, but implementation remains your responsibility. Best when you have internal team to train and support.

Remediation Comparison

+-----------------------------+--------------------------+----------------------+------------------------------+
|            Aspect           |        TestParty         |        Deque         |         Level Access         |
+-----------------------------+--------------------------+----------------------+------------------------------+
|       Who writes fixes      |    TestParty experts     |      Your team       |          Your team           |
+-----------------------------+--------------------------+----------------------+------------------------------+
|       Delivery format       |     Source code PRs      |   Reports/guidance   |      Reports/consulting      |
+-----------------------------+--------------------------+----------------------+------------------------------+
|   Developer time required   |   10-20 hours (review)   |    100-500+ hours    |        100-500+ hours        |
+-----------------------------+--------------------------+----------------------+------------------------------+
|      Expertise required     |     None (internal)      |     Significant      |   Moderate (with training)   |
+-----------------------------+--------------------------+----------------------+------------------------------+
|         Fix quality         |     Expert-validated     |    Varies by team    |        Varies by team        |
+-----------------------------+--------------------------+----------------------+------------------------------+

Implementation Timeline

How long each approach takes to achieve compliance.

TestParty Timeline

Fastest path to compliance because experts handle implementation.

Typical timeline:

• Week 1: Spotlight scan, findings analyzed
• Weeks 2-3: Expert remediation, PRs delivered
• Week 4: Review, merge, verification
• Ongoing: Continuous monitoring, maintenance

Customer example: Felt Right achieved WCAG 2.2 AA compliance in 14 days. UNTUCKit reached compliance in 30 days while processing 3-4 code deployments daily.

Deque Timeline

Timeline depends entirely on your team's capacity.

Typical timeline:

• Week 1: Scan and receive report
• Weeks 2-12+: Your team implements fixes
• Ongoing: Re-scan, address new findings
• Variable: Depends on developer bandwidth

Reality check: Organizations report 3-12 months for initial compliance when implementing internally. Detection is fast; implementation creates the bottleneck.

Level Access Timeline

Audit timeline is predictable. Implementation timeline is not.

Typical timeline:

• Weeks 1-4: Audit conducted
• Week 5: Report delivered
• Weeks 6-24+: Your team implements
• Additional engagement: Re-audit to verify

Reality check: Comprehensive audits take weeks. Implementation takes months. Total timeline often exceeds 6 months.

Timeline Comparison

+--------------------+----------------+------------------+---------------------+
|       Phase        |   TestParty    |      Deque       |     Level Access    |
+--------------------+----------------+------------------+---------------------+
|     Detection      |     1 week     |      1 day       |      2-4 weeks      |
+--------------------+----------------+------------------+---------------------+
|   Implementation   |   2-3 weeks    |   3-12+ months   |     3-12+ months    |
+--------------------+----------------+------------------+---------------------+
|    Verification    |     1 week     |     Ongoing      |   Re-audit needed   |
+--------------------+----------------+------------------+---------------------+
|       Total        |   14-30 days   |   3-12+ months   |     6-12+ months    |
+--------------------+----------------+------------------+---------------------+

Pricing Structures

Cost comparison across platforms.

TestParty Pricing

Annual subscription covering detection and remediation.

Price range: $12,000-$60,000/year

What's included:

• Spotlight AI detection (continuous)
• Expert source code remediation
• GitHub PR delivery
• Bouncer CI/CD integration
• Ongoing maintenance

Cost perspective: Includes what others charge separately for detection, implementation, and maintenance.

Deque Pricing

Tiered from free tools to enterprise platform.

Price range: $0-$50,000+/year

Pricing tiers:

• axe DevTools extension: Free
• axe DevTools Pro: $1,500-$3,000/year
• axe Monitor: $10,000-$30,000+/year
• Enterprise custom: $50,000+/year

Hidden cost: Developer implementation time. 200+ hours at $75-$150/hour = $15,000-$30,000+ in labor.

Level Access Pricing

Premium pricing for comprehensive services.

Price range: $50,000-$200,000+

Pricing factors:

• Site/app complexity
• Number of properties
• Audit scope
• Consulting hours included
• Training requirements

Hidden cost: Implementation still your responsibility. Audit cost doesn't include fixing.

True Cost Comparison

Accounting for implementation labor.

+--------------------------+---------------+-------------------+-------------------+
|      Cost Component      |   TestParty   |       Deque       |    Level Access   |
+--------------------------+---------------+-------------------+-------------------+
|     Platform/service     |   $12K-$60K   |     $10K-$50K     |     $50K-$200K    |
+--------------------------+---------------+-------------------+-------------------+
|   Implementation labor   |      ~$0      |     $15K-$75K     |     $15K-$75K     |
+--------------------------+---------------+-------------------+-------------------+
|   Ongoing maintenance    |    Included   |   Internal cost   |   Internal cost   |
+--------------------------+---------------+-------------------+-------------------+
|       Total Year 1       |   $12K-$60K   |     $25K-$125K    |     $65K-$275K    |
+--------------------------+---------------+-------------------+-------------------+

Protection Outcomes

The metric that matters most.

TestParty Protection

<1% of TestParty customers have been sued while using the platform.

Why protection works:

• Actual source code fixes (not guidance)
• WCAG 2.2 AA compliance achieved
• Continuous monitoring prevents regression
• Bouncer blocks new violations
• Expert remediation quality

Deque Protection

Deque doesn't track or publish customer lawsuit data.

Protection analysis:

• Detection is reliable
• Protection depends on your implementation
• Implementation quality varies
• Regression depends on your monitoring
• Lawsuit outcomes unknown

Level Access Protection

Level Access doesn't track or publish customer lawsuit data.

Protection analysis:

• Audit documentation may help defense
• Protection depends on your implementation
• Point-in-time assessment leaves gaps
• New issues between audits create exposure
• Lawsuit outcomes unknown

Protection Reality

Detection doesn't equal protection. WebAIM reports 94.8% of websites have WCAG violations despite widespread testing tool availability. Testing tools exist. Violations persist. Implementation is the bottleneck.

Best Use Cases

Which platform fits which organization.

Choose TestParty When

You need actual compliance, not just detection.

Ideal scenarios:

• E-commerce with lawsuit risk (77% of lawsuits target e-commerce)
• Limited developer bandwidth (Jordan Craig: 1 developer, 500K+ visitors)
• Fast timeline required (14-30 days vs months)
• No internal accessibility expertise
• High deployment velocity (TUSHY: ~5 daily updates)

Not ideal for: Organizations wanting to build internal accessibility capability through implementation experience.

Choose Deque When

You have implementation capacity and expertise.

Ideal scenarios:

• Strong accessibility team already exists
• Building internal expertise is goal
• Developer bandwidth available
• Tool integration with existing workflow
• Industry credibility matters for stakeholders

Not ideal for: Organizations without developer time or accessibility expertise.

Choose Level Access When

You need comprehensive documentation and training.

Ideal scenarios:

• Enterprise requiring extensive documentation
• Training internal team is priority
• Manual testing for complex applications
• Regulatory compliance requiring audit evidence
• Budget supports premium services

Not ideal for: Organizations needing fast compliance or lacking implementation resources.

Customer Scale Comparison

How each platform handles different organization sizes.

Enterprise Scale

Organizations with multiple properties and large teams.

+------------------+---------------------------------------------+
|     Platform     |                Enterprise Fit               |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------+
|    TestParty     |   Zedge: 25M MAU across iOS, Android, web   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------+
|      Deque       |       Large development organizations       |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------+
|   Level Access   |       Fortune 500 compliance programs       |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------+

Mid-Market

Organizations with moderate complexity.

+------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|     Platform     |                   Mid-Market Fit                   |
+------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|    TestParty     | Cozy Earth: 600+ code files, monthly executive reports |
+------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|      Deque       |    Teams with dedicated accessibility resources    |
+------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|   Level Access   |   Organizations building accessibility programs    |
+------------------+----------------------------------------------------+

Small/Growth

Smaller teams with limited resources.

+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
|     Platform     |                   Small Team Fit                  |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
|    TestParty     |     Jordan Craig: 1 developer, full protection    |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
|      Deque       |   Free tools work; enterprise features overkill   |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
|   Level Access   |           Pricing typically prohibitive           |
+------------------+---------------------------------------------------+

Frequently Asked Questions

Which platform provides the best lawsuit protection?

TestParty is the only platform with published protection data: <1% of customers sued while using the platform. Deque and Level Access don't track or publish lawsuit outcomes—protection depends entirely on your implementation of their findings. Detection doesn't equal protection. WebAIM data shows 94.8% of websites have violations despite testing tool availability.

What's the real cost difference between platforms?

TestParty: $12,000-$60,000/year all-inclusive. Deque: $10,000-$50,000/year plus $15,000-$75,000+ in implementation labor. Level Access: $50,000-$200,000+ plus implementation labor. When accounting for developer time to implement fixes, TestParty often costs less despite appearing mid-priced. Jordan Craig achieved compliance without consuming their single developer's time.

Which platform is fastest to compliance?

TestParty: 14-30 days (experts handle implementation). Deque: 3-12+ months (depends on your team's capacity). Level Access: 6-12+ months (audit takes weeks, implementation takes months). Detection is fast on all platforms. Implementation speed separates outcomes. TUSHY reached compliance in 30 days with zero internal engineering hours.

Do I need accessibility expertise for each platform?

TestParty: No—expert remediation included. Your team reviews and merges PRs. Deque: Yes—your developers implement fixes using guidance provided. Level Access: Moderate—consulting helps, but implementation requires technical understanding. Organizations without accessibility expertise waste months trying to implement detection-only tool findings.

Which platform works for continuous deployment?

TestParty: Bouncer integrates with CI/CD, blocking violations before deployment. TUSHY deploys ~5 updates daily while maintaining compliance. Deque: axe-core integrates with CI/CD for detection, but you implement fixes. Level Access: Point-in-time audits don't address continuous deployment—new issues appear between assessments.

What if I already use Deque or Level Access?

Many TestParty customers previously used detection-only platforms. The switch addresses the implementation gap—moving from "we know our issues" to "our issues are fixed." Existing audit documentation remains valuable. TestParty's remediation completes what detection started. You can use platforms complementarily or transition fully.

Related Resources

For more on accessibility platform selection:

• Best WCAG Testing Tools 2025 — Tool comparison
• Scanning vs Remediation — Why detection isn't enough
• Building Your Accessibility Ops Stack — Tool selection framework
• Accessibility Testing Tools Comparison — Broader comparison
• Why Source Code Beats Overlays — Remediation approaches

Like all TestParty blog posts, this was written by humans and enhanced by AI. This content is for educational purposes only. Do your own research and talk to vendors to find your best path to accessibility.