Why You Should Test with NVDA First, Not JAWS

For years, we've been told to test with JAWS because it's the industry standard. But the data tells a different story: NVDA is now the most commonly used screen reader, and it's free. So why are we still prioritizing JAWS? In this article, I'll argue that we should be testing with NVDA first, and I'll back it up with hard numbers.

Which Screen Reader Should You Test With First?

When we sit down to test our web app or software, the first question is always "Which screen reader do we support?" And the default answer has been JAWS, because it's been around forever and has the biggest market share. But is that the right answer? The 2024 WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey, which polled 1,539 users, suggests we're wrong. JAWS is still the primary screen reader for 40.5% of respondents, but NVDA is right behind at 37.7%. And when you look at overall usage—not just primary—NVDA is used by 65.6% of respondents, while JAWS is used by 60.5%. That's a significant shift. So the question is: should we be testing with NVDA first?

The Numbers: NVDA Is the Real Workhorse

Let's look at the raw data. The WebAIM survey shows that NVDA is the most used screen reader overall, and it's free. NVDA was first developed in April 2006, and the non-profit NV Access was established in early 2007 to support it. It's been translated into more than 55 languages and used in over 175 countries (NV Access). That's a global reach that JAWS, which is commercial and costs money, doesn't have. For many users in developing countries, NVDA is the only affordable option. And it's not just about cost—NVDA is also popular because it's open source and constantly improved by a community of developers. So if we're designing for the real world, we need to make sure our software works well with NVDA.

Why We Still Default to JAWS (and Why That's a Problem)

There's a reason we've been so JAWS-centric: it's been the industry standard for decades, and many enterprise clients still use it. But that's changing. The WebAIM survey found that 71.6% of respondents use more than one screen reader, meaning they switch between NVDA and JAWS, and often VoiceOver and TalkBack. So if we only test with JAWS, we might miss issues that only appear in NVDA. And the cost of that is high: the WebAIM Million 2026 analysis found that 95.9% of home pages have detectable WCAG 2 failures, averaging 56.1 errors per page. That's a mess. We can't afford to ignore the most popular screen reader.

The Case for NVDA-First Testing

Testing with NVDA first makes practical sense. It's free, so any developer or tester can download it and start testing immediately. It's available on Windows, which is the most common platform for business software. And it's the screen reader that's most likely to be used by the millions of people who can't afford JAWS. Plus, NVDA has excellent support for web standards, and it's often the first to implement new features. By testing with NVDA first, we ensure that our software works for the largest number of users. Then we can test with JAWS as a secondary check, to make sure we haven't broken anything for the enterprise users.

Quick tip: When you're testing with NVDA, turn on the "Virtual Buffer" mode (insert + space) to navigate web pages more efficiently. It's a game-changer for testing.

What I'd Actually Do

Here's my concrete recommendation: make NVDA your primary test screen reader. Download it, install it, and use it for all your automated and manual testing. Then, if you have the budget, also test with JAWS for enterprise clients. But don't let JAWS be the only thing you test with. The numbers are clear: NVDA is the most used screen reader, and it's free. Ignoring it is a disservice to your users and a risk to your business. We've made this switch in our own workflow, and it's been a huge improvement. We catch more issues earlier, and we're confident that we're serving the widest possible audience.

Sources

• WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey - https://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey10/
• NV Access - https://www.nvaccess.org/about-nv-access/
• WebAIM Million - https://webaim.org/projects/million/
• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative - https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/