Color Contrast Checker
Check text and background color contrast, WCAG AA and AAA accessibility results, and live readability preview.
Choose colors
Live Preview
Readable text matters.
This preview shows how your selected text and background colors look together.
Contrast Result
Passes AAA for normal text and AA/AAA for large text.
WCAG Accessibility Checks
Required: 4.5:1
Recommended minimum for regular body text.
Required: 7:1
Enhanced contrast for regular body text.
Required: 3:1
Minimum for large or bold large text.
Required: 4.5:1
Enhanced contrast for large text.
Color Details
Copyable Summary
About this tool
Color Contrast Checker calculates the contrast ratio between a text color and a background color. It helps designers, developers, and content creators evaluate whether text is readable and accessible by checking WCAG AA and AAA requirements for normal and large text. Every calculation happens locally in your browser, so your color choices are never sent to a server. It is designed for quick development tasks such as debugging, formatting, validating, encoding, decoding, and inspecting data.
How to use Color Contrast Checker
- Choose a text color with the color picker or enter a HEX value manually.
- Choose or enter the background color you want to test.
- Review the calculated contrast ratio and WCAG AA and AAA pass or fail results.
- Check the live preview to see how headings, body text, and a button look together.
- Copy the result summary when you need to document or share the accessibility review.
Why use Color Contrast Checker?
Good color contrast makes interfaces easier to read for everyone, including people with low vision or color-vision differences. This checker is useful for web and UI design, landing pages, forms, buttons, dashboards, design systems, and accessibility reviews. It helps you identify low-contrast text before it reaches users. This makes it useful when working with APIs, configuration files, logs, databases, web pages, or structured data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a color contrast ratio?
A color contrast ratio compares the relative luminance of two colors. WCAG expresses it on a scale from 1:1 for identical colors to 21:1 for black and white.
What contrast ratio is recommended for normal text?
WCAG AA requires at least 4.5:1 for normal text, while the enhanced AAA level requires at least 7:1.
What is the difference between AA and AAA?
AA is the commonly targeted accessibility conformance level. AAA uses stricter contrast thresholds and provides an enhanced level of readability.
Can I enter HEX colors manually?
Yes. You can enter 3-digit or 6-digit HEX colors, with or without the leading # character.
Is Color Contrast Checker free to use?
Yes. The checker is free, requires no upload or account, and performs all calculations locally in your browser.
Do I need to install anything to use this tool?
No. You can use this tool directly in your browser without installing extra software.
Can I use this tool on mobile?
Yes. This tool can be used on desktop, tablet, and mobile browsers.