🎨 WCAG 1.4.3 contrast · Free · No signup · Pair + Palette modes

Free WCAG color contrast checker with palette report

Test a foreground + background pair to see the live contrast ratio and AA / AAA verdict. Switch to palette mode and test up to 12 colors at once — every pair, every verdict, in a heatmap. Then download a branded PDF palette report for your dev team.

Accepts #rgb, #rrggbb, rgb(r,g,b), or a CSS color name. Updates live.
Accepts #rgb, #rrggbb, rgb(r,g,b), or a CSS color name. Updates live.
– : 1
Enter two colors above.
AA Normal text —
WCAG 1.4.3 · 4.5:1 minimum
AA Large text —
WCAG 1.4.3 · 3:1 minimum
AAA Normal text —
WCAG 1.4.6 · 7:1 minimum
AAA Large text —
WCAG 1.4.6 · 4.5:1 minimum
Live preview · 16px / 18.66px bold / 24px
AaBbCc 123 — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
AaBbCc 123 — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
AaBbCc 123 — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Suggested foreground: — · ratio —:1
Adjusted in HSL lightness to clear AA Normal (4.5:1) while preserving your hue.
From a palette to a whole-site audit
Your palette is one part of accessibility. Scan your full site for lawsuit risk — free.
ADAflags runs against your live URL in 60 seconds and surfaces the contrast, alt text, label, landmark, iframe, and keyboard failures that sit alongside low contrast in every ADA Title III suit report. Ranked by lawsuit risk. Exact fix code for each.
Scan your whole site free →
No signup · 60-second scan · 50+ WCAG checks · exact fix code
Single-pair Contrast Checker Alt-Text Checker (WCAG 1.1.1) Statement Generator VPAT 2.4 Generator →
FAQ

Palette contrast, in plain English

The five questions that decide whether your style guide passes WCAG 1.4.3 — and whether a designer swapped in a color that quietly breaks every text node.

What is AA Normal text contrast?
WCAG AA normal text requires at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio between the text color and its background. Body copy, form labels, small UI text — they all need to clear this bar to meet ADA Title III web accessibility compliance.
What is AAA Normal text?
AAA normal requires at least 7:1 — the strictest text threshold. AAA is not legally required, but it is the posture most defensible against an ADA demand letter and the posture most screen-reader-friendly for users with low vision.
Why is the large-text threshold different?
WCAG relaxes the threshold to 3:1 for large text (18px regular or 14px+ bold) and for non-text UI components like icons, form-field borders, and focus rings. Heavier letterforms read more easily at lower contrast, and icons convey single-bit state rather than meaningful content.
How does the suggest-fix algorithm work?
It walks the foreground in HSL lightness toward the AA Normal (4.5:1) target while preserving the original hue, then snaps to the nearest hex. If no hue-preserving candidate clears the threshold, it falls back to pure black or pure white — whichever gives the higher ratio against the chosen background.
What is in the palette report PDF?
A branded PDF listing every pair of palette colors with its contrast ratio, AA / AAA verdicts, the WCAG success-criterion reference, and a recommended fix for any failing pair. Sent to your email the moment you submit, plus a /scan upsell to run the full-site audit.