UX Academy Free Tools is a set of six browser-based UX utilities: contrast and accessibility checkers, a readability checker, and persona, journey and empathy map builders. They run without signup, trial or payment.
What is UX Academy Free Tools?
UX Academy Free Tools is a collection of six free, browser-based utilities for UX and accessibility work, published by the UK UX training provider UX Academy at myuxacademy.com. Each tool takes a small input, such as a foreground and background colour pair, a public URL, interface copy or research notes, and returns a useful result on the page.
There is no signup, trial, credit card or locked result. Every tool works when the page loads.
What makes UX Academy Free Tools stand out?
- Colour Contrast Checker: Tests foreground and background colour combinations against WCAG 2.2 AA and AAA, provides a live preview at real text sizes and calculates the nearest passing colour when a pair fails.
- Accessibility Checker: Scans a public URL for HTML-level problems such as missing alt text, unlabelled form fields, broken heading order and zoom-locking viewports. Findings include the relevant WCAG criterion, who it affects and how to fix it.
- Readability Checker: Reviews interface copy such as error messages, empty states and onboarding text. It identifies long sentences, passive voice and jargon.
- Persona Builder: Helps users create structured personas and export them as Markdown, with optional AI-assisted drafting.
- Journey Map Builder: Helps users document stages, actions, thoughts and emotions across a user journey. Its emotion curve highlights the lowest point as an opportunity for improvement.
- Empathy Map Builder: Organises research into Says, Thinks, Does and Feels quadrants, with editable pains and gains.
Who should use UX Academy Free Tools?
- Engineers and product managers who own an interface: Check colour combinations or scan a public page for common accessibility issues.
- UX researchers and designers working to a deadline: Create structured personas, journey maps and empathy maps directly in the browser.
- Career changers learning UX: Practise common UX methods using guided tools and exportable outputs.
- Content and UX writers: Review error messages, empty states and onboarding copy for readability problems.
What can you do with UX Academy Free Tools?
- Accessibility triage: Enter a public URL and receive a list of common HTML-level accessibility findings.
- Contrast decisions while designing: Check whether foreground and background colours pass WCAG 2.2 AA or AAA.
- Interface-copy review: Identify difficult sentences, passive voice and jargon.
- Research documentation: Create personas, journey maps and empathy maps using guided structures.
- Export structured work: Export supported outputs for use in documents, workshops or portfolio write-ups.
How does UX Academy Free Tools work?
- Open the tools index and select one of the six tools. No account or installation is required.
- Enter the information requested by the tool, such as a colour pair, public URL, interface copy or research notes.
- Review the result directly on the page.
- Edit or export the output where supported.
Pricing
All six tools are free, with no signup, trial, credit card or locked results. Paid services on the same website include in-house UX training for teams and live-online UX courses.
Alternatives
- WebAIM Contrast Checker: A web tool for checking WCAG contrast ratios.
- UXPressia: A commercial platform for creating personas, empathy maps and customer journey maps.
FAQ
Are these UX tools really free?
Yes. No signup, trial or credit card is required to use the tools. The paid products on the website are UX training services and courses, not the six tools.
What standard does the Colour Contrast Checker test against?
It checks foreground and background colour combinations against WCAG 2.2 AA and AAA. When a combination fails, it suggests the nearest passing colour.
What does the Accessibility Checker scan?
It scans a public URL for HTML-level accessibility problems such as missing alt text, unlabelled fields, broken heading order and zoom-locking viewports.
Which research tools are included?
The collection includes a Persona Builder, Journey Map Builder and Empathy Map Builder.
Who builds these tools?
The tools are created by UX Academy, a UK live-online UX training provider supporting career changers, practising designers and teams.
