AudioEye (Nasdaq: AEYE) markets itself as a "hybrid" combining automation with human experts. But the foundation is still a JavaScript overlay — and their own data shows automation only catches about half the issues. Here's what that leaves exposed.
AudioEye's 2025 Digital Accessibility Index found an average of 297 accessibility issues per page across 15,000 websites scanned. Their own marketing materials state that automation corrects "up to 50%" of issues. Their CEO has acknowledged that businesses relying solely on automation face significant compliance gaps.
— AudioEye 2025 Digital Accessibility Index, published March 2025AudioEye's automation handles about half of detectable WCAG issues. What happens to the other half depends entirely on which tier you're paying for.
AudioEye's entry-level plan relies entirely on automated JavaScript fixes — the same overlay approach used by accessiBe and UserWay. This means roughly half of WCAG violations on your site remain unaddressed at the basic tier.
Human expert fixes are only available on AudioEye's higher-priced "Managed" and "Enterprise" tiers, which start at $499/month. Even then, those experts are writing custom JavaScript overrides — not fixing your actual source code. If you cancel, those expert-written overrides disappear along with the automated ones.
Compliapoint fixes every identified violation directly in your HTML, CSS, and template source files. There is no automation layer, no JavaScript injection, and no subscription required to keep your fixes in place. The repairs exist in your codebase permanently.
Not all AudioEye plans are equal. The "hybrid" human expertise they market is only available at premium pricing — and even then, it's still overlay-based.
How AudioEye's hybrid overlay approach compares to Compliapoint's source-code remediation across compliance, legal defense, cost, and permanence.
| Feature | AudioEye (AEYE) | Compliapoint |
|---|---|---|
| Core Approach | ◐ JavaScript overlay + optional human-written overrides | ✓ Direct fixes in HTML, CSS, and template source code |
| Source Code Modified | ✗ No — all changes are runtime JavaScript injection | ✓ Yes — violations fixed permanently in your source files |
| Automation Coverage | ⚠ Claims up to 50% of issues via automation | ✓ 100% of identified violations remediated by humans |
| Human Expert Fixes | ⚠ Only on Managed ($499+/mo) and Enterprise tiers | ✓ Included in every engagement |
| Pricing Model | ⚠ Subscription: $49–$499+/month based on pageviews and tier | ✓ One-time project cost. No recurring subscription required |
| What Happens If You Cancel | ✗ All automated and expert-written overrides disappear | ✓ Fixes are permanent in your source code |
| Visible Widget on Site | ⚠ Accessibility toolbar displayed on every page | ✓ No widget. Accessibility is built into the code |
| Compliance Certificate | ◐ "AudioEye Trusted" badge — Managed tier only, requires active subscription | ✓ Dated, signed compliance certificate — yours permanently |
| Legal Defense Documentation | ◐ Legal response templates — varies by tier | ✓ Full audit report, compliance certificate, and defense documentation |
| VPAT / ACR Available | ✗ Not available as a standard deliverable | ✓ Full VPAT for government and enterprise procurement |
| PDF Remediation | ◐ Document remediation listed but not core to the platform | ✓ Full PDF tagging and remediation for screen readers |
| Video Captioning | ◐ Closed captioning mentioned as available | ✓ Full video captioning services in standard formats |
| Delivery Timeline | ⚠ Overlay deploys quickly; expert fixes require ongoing subscription | ✓ 7–10 business days standard. Rush in 1–3 days |
| Screen Reader Compatibility | ⚠ JavaScript modifies DOM at runtime — timing conflicts with assistive tech | ✓ Source-level fixes work natively with all assistive technology |
AudioEye's marketing implies a best-of-both-worlds approach. Here's what the two models look like in practice.
AudioEye's pageview-based subscription model compounds over time — and removing the subscription removes every fix, automated and expert-written alike.
| Cost Factor | AudioEye | Compliapoint |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (Automated tier) | $588+ ($49/mo) | One-time project fee (varies by site scope) |
| Year 1 (Managed tier) | $5,988+ ($499/mo) | |
| 5-Year Total (Automated) | $2,940+ with ~50% of issues addressed | One-time fee. 100% of identified violations fixed permanently |
| 5-Year Total (Managed) | $29,940+ with subscription-dependent fixes | |
| If You Stop Paying | ✗ All modifications — automated and expert — disappear | ✓ Nothing changes. The code is yours |
| Tax Credit Eligible | ⚠ May qualify — check with your CPA | ✓ IRS Form 8826 — up to $5,000 annually for eligible small businesses |
AudioEye positions itself as a hybrid — automation plus human expertise — which distinguishes its marketing from pure-overlay products like accessiBe and UserWay. However, the underlying technology is the same: a JavaScript file is injected into your site, and modifications happen at runtime in the browser. The human expertise at higher tiers produces better-quality JavaScript overrides, but those overrides still depend on the script running. They do not modify your source code. If you cancel, every fix disappears — automated and expert-written alike.
The AudioEye Trusted certification is a badge indicating that your site is actively receiving AudioEye's monitoring and remediation services. It is only available on the Managed and Enterprise tiers and requires an active paid subscription. If you stop paying for the Managed tier, the certification is no longer valid. This is fundamentally different from a compliance certificate documenting completed remediation work — which remains valid regardless of any ongoing business relationship.
AudioEye trades on Nasdaq under the ticker AEYE. As a publicly traded company, AudioEye has a fiduciary obligation to maximize shareholder value, which in a subscription SaaS business means maximizing recurring revenue. This creates a structural incentive to keep customers paying monthly rather than delivering a permanent fix. Compliapoint's model is the opposite: a one-time project engagement that delivers permanent results. There is no financial incentive to leave problems unfixed.
AudioEye provides legal response templates and a "Legal Action Response Plan" as part of their managed services. These documents help respond to demand letters while you're an active subscriber. Compliapoint delivers a compliance certificate, a complete audit report, and legal defense documentation as permanent deliverables. You own these documents. They don't expire if you stop paying, and they document actual source-code remediation — not overlay-based modifications.
AudioEye claims their automated testing covers 32 WCAG criteria — roughly double the industry average for automated scanners. Their marketing states automation can fix "up to 50%" of detected issues. The key phrase is "up to." Complex violations involving content structure, keyboard navigation flow, form logic, meaningful alt text for complex images, and document reading order require human judgment and cannot be resolved by JavaScript injection. These are also the violations most likely to cause real barriers for users with disabilities.
Start with our free Site Accessibility Assessment. We evaluate your site's actual source-code compliance beneath the AudioEye overlay layer. Many businesses discover that the violations causing the greatest legal risk — broken navigation, missing form labels, inaccessible document downloads — are in the category that automation cannot address. We audit, remediate the source code, deliver your compliance documentation, and you can remove the AudioEye script. Your site becomes natively accessible without any overlay dependency.
Yes. We offer optional monthly monitoring to catch new violations introduced by content updates or site changes. The critical difference: monitoring is optional, not required to maintain compliance. Your source-code fixes are permanent regardless of whether you continue monitoring. With AudioEye, stopping your subscription removes both monitoring and every fix they've ever applied.
Our Site Accessibility Assessment takes about 3 minutes. We review your answers and respond with a clear written proposal — no obligation, no automatic charges, no pressure.
Eligible small businesses can recover up to $5,000 of accessibility costs annually via IRS Form 8826.