Free tool · WCAG 2.1 · Success Criterion 1.4.3 & 1.4.11

WCAG Contrast Checker

Enter a text color and a background color to check the contrast ratio against the WCAG 2.1 thresholds for AA and AAA compliance.

Large text example (24px)

Normal text example (16px)

17.40 : 1

Use caseRequiredResult
Normal text (AA)4.5:1Pass
Normal text (AAA)7:1Pass
Large text (AA)3:1Pass
Large text (AAA)4.5:1Pass
UI components and graphics (AA)3:1Pass

Color contrast is one check out of 50+

The European Accessibility Act requires more than good contrast: keyboard access, screen-reader labels, form errors, and dozens of other WCAG 2.1 AA criteria. Complyable scans your whole site for free and turns the result into a compliant-ready accessibility statement.

What counts as "large text"?

WCAG defines large text as 18pt (24px) regular weight or larger, or 14pt (18.66px) bold or larger. Large text gets a lower contrast requirement because bigger, bolder strokes stay legible at a lower ratio.

AA vs AAA

AA is the level referenced by the European Accessibility Act and most legal accessibility requirements (via EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA). AAA is a stricter, optional level. Aim for AA as the minimum bar for any customer-facing site.