VPAT pricing depends on four primary factors: the edition of the VPAT, the scope of the product being evaluated, the number of pages or screens included in the audit, and the complexity of the application. A completed Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) for the WCAG edition typically starts at around 300 dollars for the document itself, plus the cost of the underlying audit.
| Pricing Factor | How It Affects Cost |
|---|---|
| VPAT Edition | WCAG edition is the least expensive. Section 508, EN 301 549, and INT editions cost more due to additional evaluation criteria. |
| Product Scope | A single web app costs less to evaluate than a product with web, mobile, and desktop components. |
| Number of Screens | More unique pages or screens means a larger audit, which increases total cost. |
| Application Complexity | Custom widgets, dynamic content, and interactive workflows require more evaluation time than static pages. |
How the VPAT Edition Changes the Price
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) comes in four editions: WCAG, Section 508, EN 301 549, and INT (International). Each edition maps to a different standard, and the evaluation scope grows with each one.
The WCAG edition is the most common for SaaS companies and typically the least expensive. Section 508 edition ACRs start around 550 dollars for the document, EN 301 549 around 650 dollars, and the INT edition, which covers all three standards, starts around 950 dollars. These figures are for the ACR document itself and do not include the audit.
Why Audit Scope Is the Largest VPAT Pricing Factor
The ACR document summarizes the findings of an accessibility audit. The audit is where most of the cost sits. Audit pricing is typically calculated per page or screen, with rates ranging from 100 dollars to 250 dollars per page.
A product with 10 unique screens will cost significantly less to evaluate than one with 40. The total audit cost for most products falls between 1,000 dollars and 3,000 dollars, depending on scope.
How Product Complexity Affects the Audit
Two products can have the same number of screens but require very different levels of evaluation effort. A marketing site with mostly static content pages is less complex to evaluate than a SaaS dashboard with data tables, modal dialogs, drag-and-drop interfaces, and multi-step forms.
The more interactive a product is, the more time the evaluator spends on keyboard testing, screen reader testing, and code inspection. This additional effort increases the per-page cost or the total hours billed.
Does the ACR Need Updating?
An ACR does not have a formal expiration date. However, procurement teams expect the ACR to reflect the current state of the product. Significant feature releases, redesigns, or framework changes often prompt organizations to commission a new audit and updated ACR.
Budgeting for periodic updates is part of realistic VPAT pricing. Many organizations update their ACR annually or after major product releases.
Putting the Full Cost Together
The total cost of a completed ACR combines the audit cost and the document issuance cost. For a mid-sized SaaS product evaluated under the WCAG edition, total pricing commonly lands between 1,300 dollars and 4,000 dollars. Products requiring the INT edition or covering a larger number of screens will fall above that range.
Understanding which factors apply to a specific product makes it possible to estimate VPAT costs accurately before engaging a vendor.