What is Color Contrast Checker?
Color Contrast Checker measures the contrast ratio between a text color and a background color and tells you whether it passes WCAG 2.1 accessibility requirements at level AA and AAA, for both normal and large text.
Good contrast makes your content readable for people with low vision or color blindness, and for anyone reading on a phone in bright sunlight. Accessibility is increasingly a legal requirement and is a positive signal for user experience.
How to use Color Contrast Checker
Get it done in 4 simple steps — no installation or account needed.
- Pick a text color and a background color, or type their hex codes.
- Read the contrast ratio and the four WCAG pass/fail results.
- Look at the live preview to judge readability.
- Adjust the colors until the checks you need are passing.
Who needs Color Contrast Checker?
From students to professionals, here’s who gets the most out of Color Contrast Checker — and why.
Web designers
Make sure brand colors are readable and compliant.
Front-end developers
Verify UI states, buttons and links meet WCAG.
Accessibility auditors
Quickly check contrast issues found in reviews.
Content creators
Ensure text on slides, thumbnails and graphics is legible.
Is Color Contrast Checker safe to use?
Yes. Color Contrast Checker runs entirely in your web browser using JavaScript. Your files and data are processed on your own device and are never uploaded to AppsOcean or any third-party server. There’s nothing to install, no account to create, and it’s completely free.Read our privacy policy.
Color Contrast Checker — frequently asked questions
What does WCAG AA mean?
WCAG AA is the most widely required accessibility level. It needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Does color contrast affect SEO?
Not directly, but readable pages keep visitors engaged, and Google’s Lighthouse audits flag low-contrast text as an accessibility issue.
What ratio do I need?
WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1 and 4.5:1 respectively.
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