The most common question I get from Dutch business owners: "What does it cost to make my website accessible?" The honest answer is that it depends on what you need, but the fact that almost no provider in the Netherlands is transparent about pricing makes it unnecessarily difficult to answer.
That changes here.
I'm Joe Gullo, a digital accessibility expert with 6+ years of experience in accessibility audits and web compliance across the EU, the Netherlands, and the US, backed by 16+ years in digital media and web development. In this guide, I'll share exactly what an accessibility audit costs, what you get at each level, and how to determine which option is right for your business.
Why This Guide Exists
Since the European Accessibility Act (EAA) became enforceable on June 28, 2025, Dutch businesses with more than 10 employees or annual revenue above €2 million must comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) can impose fines up to €900,000 or 1-10% of annual turnover.
Yet most business owners have no idea what compliance actually costs. They see prices ranging from €49/month (for an overlay widget that doesn't work) to €50,000+ (for enterprise audits they don't need). The result is paralysis, inaction, and a growing risk.
The Four Levels of Accessibility Testing
Not every business needs the same thing. A webshop with 500 products and a checkout flow needs a different level of testing than a blog with 10 pages. The problem is that most providers present only one option; which means you either overpay or get too little. Below are four levels, from free to ongoing, so you can choose what fits your situation.
Level 1: Free Automated Scan (€0)
An automated scan checks your website for common accessibility issues: color contrast, missing alt text, heading structure errors, form labels, and ARIA attributes.
What you get: A score and a list of technical issues that a machine can detect.
What you don't get: Automated tools catch only 30-57% of all WCAG issues. They miss keyboard navigation in complex interactions, logical reading order, content comprehensibility, and whether a screen reader can actually complete your checkout flow. An automated scan is not an audit and cannot serve as evidence for an accessibility statement.
When this is enough: As a first step to get a general picture of your website's status. Never as a final solution.
You can run a free scan on your own website right now with my scanner, powered by axe-core; the same engine used by Microsoft, Google, and Deque.
Level 2: Accessibility Health Check (€500 – €750)
A health check combines an automated scan with a focused manual review of 3-5 key pages; typically your homepage, a product page, the checkout flow, the contact form, and search functionality.
What you get: A practical report with your score, the top 10 most urgent issues, prioritization based on impact, and 3-5 quick wins you can implement immediately. Plus a clear indication of whether you need a full audit.
What you don't get: This is not a full WCAG-EM audit and cannot be used as official evidence for your accessibility statement.
When this is the right choice: You want to know where you stand without investing thousands of euros upfront. You want to build internal support with a concrete report or you want to know whether that overlay you installed is actually doing anything.
Turnaround: 3-5 business days.
Level 3: Full WCAG-EM Audit (€1,500 – €5,000)
This is the standard the law intends. A full audit following the WCAG-EM methodology includes a representative sample of 12-20 pages, manual testing against all 50 WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria, keyboard navigation and screen reader testing, and a detailed report per criterion.
What you get: A technical report with findings per WCAG criterion, a management summary, prioritization advice, and all information needed for your accessibility statement. With my audits, you also receive paste-ready code fixes with annotated screenshots so your developer can start immediately.
What determines the price:
Number of pages and templates (a site with 5 unique templates costs less than one with 20)
Complexity of interactions (a blog is simpler than a webshop with filters, accounts, and checkout)
Presence of PDF documents (every PDF you publish also falls under the EAA)
CMS platform (some platforms have more default accessibility issues than others)
Whether remediation support is included or quoted separately
When this is the right choice: You need to comply with the EAA and want an official accessibility study that serves as evidence for your accessibility statement. This is what most SMBs need.
Turnaround: 2-4 weeks, depending on scope.
Level 4: Ongoing Monitoring (€200 – €500/month)
Accessibility is not a one-time project. Every new product page, every blog post, every seasonal promotion, every plugin update can introduce new barriers. Ongoing monitoring keeps continuous watch on your website.
What you get: Monthly automated scans with reporting, quarterly reviews of new content and functionality, alerts for critical new issues, and support in keeping your accessibility statement up to date.
When this is the right choice: After a full audit and remediation, when you want to maintain compliance rather than having to repair everything again.
What Not to Do: Install an Overlay
The temptation is real. €49-€99/month, one line of JavaScript, and the promise of full compliance. But:
The FTC (US regulator) fined accessiBe $1 million for misleading claims about their product.
22.6% of all ADA lawsuits in the first half of 2025 targeted websites with an overlay installed.
Over 800 accessibility professionals from Microsoft, Google, and Amazon signed an open letter rejecting overlay tools.
The European Commission has explicitly stated that full compliance without manual intervention is not realistic.
An overlay costs €588-€5,940/year and delivers no compliance. A real health check costs €500-€750 and tells you exactly where you stand. The price difference is negligible and the difference in value is enormous.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the most common questions regarding website accessibility audits.
Is a WCAG audit mandatory?
The audit itself is not mandatory, but the EAA requires you to demonstrate that you meet accessibility requirements. An audit is the most reliable way to do this, and its results are needed as evidence for your accessibility statement.
How long does an accessibility audit take?
A health check takes 3-5 business days. A full WCAG-EM audit takes 2-4 weeks. Turnaround depends on the size and complexity of your website.
What's the difference between a quick scan and a full audit?
A quick scan (or health check) provides a first indication based on a limited number of pages. A full WCAG-EM audit is a structured study with a representative sample and testing against all 50 success criteria. Only a full audit can serve as evidence for your accessibility statement.
Are remediation costs included?
With most providers, no. An audit tells you what's wrong; remediation is the actual repair work. Expect €350-€550 per page for remediation, depending on complexity. With my audits, you receive paste-ready code fixes, which significantly reduces remediation costs for your developer.
Can I do the audit myself?
Partially. You can run free automated scans and fix common issues like alt text, color contrast, and heading structure yourself. But manual testing with screen readers and keyboard navigation, and interpreting complex WCAG criteria, requires specialist expertise.
Next Step
Start with a free scan to see where your website stands right now. The scanner is powered by axe-core — the same engine used by the biggest names in accessibility — and gives you an immediate picture of your compliance status.
Want to know what an audit costs for your specific situation? Book a free 15-minute consultation.