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AllyCat

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What AllyCat is

AllyCat is a free, MIT-licensed command-line scanner that checks source code for WCAG accessibility violations before deployment. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and is intended for editors, file saves, pre-commit hooks, local development, and pull-request pipelines. Supported source includes HTML, JSX or TSX, Vue single-file components, and Angular templates. Quick scans use JSDOM without a browser; full scans use Playwright for contrast checks and require Chromium. Findings show exact source lines and clickable VS Code links. Watch mode rescans saved files and labels issues new, fixed, or unchanged. CI features include severity exit gates, saved baselines, Git-changed-file scoping, and JSON export. Reports can appear in the terminal, JSON, or self-contained HTML. Standards include WCAG 2.1 AA, WCAG 2.2 AA, and automated AAA, though full AAA requires manual auditing. Experimental RTL support is available. Node.js 20 or later is required.

Who it suits

AllyCat suits developers and teams checking accessibility during coding, commits, and pull requests. It is useful for projects using the listed source formats and CI workflows.

What it does well

Free MIT-licensed CLI
Works across Linux, macOS, and Windows
Source-line findings with VS Code links
CI gates and saved baselines
JSON and self-contained HTML reports

What to know first

Requires Node.js 20 or later
Full scans require Chromium
Runtime CSS-in-JS contrast cannot be statically analysed
Full WCAG AAA needs manual auditing

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
AllyCat	MIT-licensed CLI package; Node.js ≥ 20; full scans require Chromium	Free

As github.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

AllyCat brings accessibility checks into source editing and CI before deployment. Its quick scans have fewer requirements, while full contrast scans need Chromium and some runtime CSS remains outside static analysis.

Facts from AllyCat's own pages

AI assistance: AllyCat can produce AI-ready fix prompts for copying into an AI agent, and the README says this requires no API key and sends no data. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Audience: The README recommends AllyCat for pre-commit hooks, local development, and pull request pipelines. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
CI/CD integration: Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
CI integration: CI features include severity-based exit gates, saved baselines, git-changed-file scoping, and JSON report export. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Known limitation: Runtime CSS-in-JS styles from styled-components, Emotion, and styled-jsx cannot be statically analyzed for contrast, and the scanner warns per file. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
License and maker: The repository identifies the project as MIT-licensed, copyright 2026 Dotan Siman Tov. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Output formats: Reports can be printed in the terminal or JSON, or generated as a self-contained HTML report. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Purpose: AllyCat scans source code for WCAG accessibility violations in editors, on file saves, and in CI without requiring a deployed app. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Requirements: AllyCat requires Node.js 20 or later; full scans additionally require Chromium installed through Playwright. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
RTL: Opt-in RTL support for Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, and other RTL interfaces is labeled experimental. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Scan modes: Quick scans use JSDOM without a browser, while full scans use Playwright for contrast checking and require Chromium. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Source locations: Findings include exact source line numbers and clickable VS Code links. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Standards: The setup supports WCAG 2.1 AA, WCAG 2.2 AA, and automated WCAG AAA; the README notes full AAA requires a manual audit. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Supported source: It supports HTML, JSX/TSX, Vue single-file components, and Angular templates. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Watch mode: Watch mode rescans files after saves and marks violations as new, fixed, or unchanged. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
WCAG version: wcag 2.2 · github.com, 22 Sept 2026

Where AllyCat stands on Freedom251

Website Accessibility Tools#33 of 133