Freedom251 › Website Accessibility Tools
Open Scans
What Open Scans is
Open Scans is a free, open-source tool for checking websites for accessibility issues using multiple WCAG 2.2 scanning engines. Users submit public URLs through a web form, which creates a GitHub issue; GitHub Actions then runs the scans and publishes reports to GitHub Pages. Supported engines include axe-core, Siteimprove ALFA, IBM Equal Access, AccessLint, and QualWeb. Reports show scan timestamps, URL counts, and pass, fail, and can’t-tell statistics, with links to Markdown, CSV, and JSON reports. Scans can be scheduled weekly, monthly, or quarterly by changing the issue title prefix, and the project supports CI/CD integration. The form says it accepts up to 500 URLs, while its URL field states a 100-URL maximum; the project recommends batches of 100–150 for reliable completion within Actions time limits. It can be used on the web or self-hosted, requires no sign-up, and is licensed under GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0.
Who it suits
It suits accessibility practitioners, developers, content and design teams, and DevOps teams working with public websites. The project also describes using Top Task Finder to select pages for scanning.
What it does well
- Checks sites with five listed WCAG 2.2 engines.
- Reports include Markdown, CSV, and JSON links.
- Supports recurring scans and CI/CD integration.
- No sign-up is required.
What to know first
- Only public URLs can be scanned.
- Results are published publicly.
- Pages behind login walls cannot be scanned.
- URL limits differ between the form and field.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Open Scans | Open-source tool · no sign-up required · scans public URLs | Free |
As mgifford.github.io lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Open Scans connects URL submissions to GitHub Actions scans and public reports, with several engines and scheduling options. It is not suitable for private pages or authenticated areas, and users should note the differing URL limits.
Facts from Open Scans's own pages
- Accepted URLs
- Only public HTTP or HTTPS URLs are accepted; local, private, and internal URLs are rejected. · mgifford.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Authentication limit
- Open Scans does not support authentication, so it cannot scan URLs behind login walls. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Batch limits
- The form accepts up to 500 URLs, while the project recommends batches of 100–150 URLs for reliable results within Actions time limits. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- CI/CD integration
- Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- The project describes using Top Task Finder to identify important pages and then submitting their URLs to Open Scans. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- License
- The project is licensed under GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- Scan results are published publicly to GitHub Pages, and the documentation says not to submit URLs that should remain private. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Open Scans checks websites for accessibility issues using multiple WCAG 2.2 scanning engines. · mgifford.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Recurring scans
- Open scan issues can be scheduled weekly, monthly, or quarterly by changing the issue title prefix. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Reports
- The reports page shows scan timestamps, URL counts, pass/fail/can’t-tell statistics, and links to Markdown, CSV, and JSON reports. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Scanning engines
- GitHub Actions runs axe, ALFA, Equal Access, QualWeb, and AccessLint on submitted URLs. · mgifford.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Scan scope
- site · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Scan workflow
- Submitting URLs creates a GitHub issue, which triggers scans in GitHub Actions and publishes reports to GitHub Pages. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Scheduled scans
- Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Security and privacy
- Only public URLs are scanned; the form blocks localhost and private or link-local addresses, and results are published publicly. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Submission
- Users submit URLs through a web form, which creates a GitHub issue to start a scan. · mgifford.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs users who need help to workflow run logs and troubleshooting guidance in its repository documentation. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- URL limit
- The submission page says it accepts up to 500 URLs, while its URL field says the maximum is 100 URLs. · mgifford.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- WCAG version
- wcag 2.2 · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- What it does
- Open Scans is a free, open-source tool for scanning websites for accessibility issues with multiple WCAG 2.2 engines. · mgifford.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Who it is for
- The project lists content and design teams, accessibility practitioners, developers, and DevOps teams among its intended users. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Where Open Scans stands on Freedom251
- Website Accessibility Tools#32 of 133