Free tool
WCAG contrast checker
Check AA/AAA contrast between two colors. Instant verdict.
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Big heading text
Body text at normal weight and size. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt.
Small caption / footnote text.
17.85: 1
Contrast ratio
Normal text
AA 4.5:1AAA 7:1
Large text
AA 3:1AAA 4.5:1
What WCAG levels mean
- AA (4.5:1) for normal text, 3:1 for large text (18px+ bold or 24px+ regular). The minimum for most sites.
- AAA (7:1) for normal text, 4.5:1 for large text. Stricter — recommended for content-heavy sites and accessibility-first brands.
When to use AA vs AAA
AA is the legal minimum in most jurisdictions (EU Web Accessibility Directive, ADA in the US for federal contractors). AAA is harder to hit visually, especially for colored accents — you'll lose some brand expression at AAA. Most consumer sites target AA for body text, AAA where they can, and accept lower on decorative elements that don't carry meaning.