PAC vs axesCheck
The same PDF accessibility checker, twice, from the same company.
The short answer
The two share a checking engine, which is the vendor's own statement about the documented versions of each rather than something we tested. The practical difference is where the document goes: axesCheck uploads it, so it runs in any browser, while PAC is a Windows application that the vendor says needs no network.
The difference that decides it
So this is a constraint rather than a capability, and neither result is a certificate: the checks are mechanical and the question a reader has is not. WCAG can also apply to a PDF published on the web, so a clean report does not settle every criterion that may apply to the file.
These are the same company.
Both are operated by axes4 GmbH, so choosing between them is not choosing between two independent suppliers. That does not make either one bad - it changes what the choice means.
Side by side
4 of 10 rows differ
| Compared | PAC | axesCheck |
|---|---|---|
| Files stay on your device | No server involved | Files leave your device |
| Redaction | No redaction feature | No redaction feature |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Platforms | Windows | Web |
| Open source | Not verified | Not verified |
| Self-hostable | Not verified | Not verified |
| Data residency | Self-hosted | Not verified |
| Programmatic access | None | None |
| Owner | axes4 GmbH | axes4 GmbH |
| Website responded | Responded in 1251 ms | Responded in 1317 ms |
Rows that differ are shown in full contrast; rows where the two agree are dimmed. Every value here comes from the individual records, where each one names the page it came from - and says plainly when something has not been verified rather than filling the gap.
PAC
Free Windows accessibility checker for PDF/UA and WCAG, with local AI-assisted semantic checks.
Visit PAC Opens the vendor's own site.
axesCheck
Free browser-based PDF/UA and WCAG accessibility checker that needs no installation.
Read the full axesCheck record
Visit axesCheck Opens the vendor's own site.
Other comparisons
- veraPDF vs PAC Two ways to check a PDF against PDF/UA.