Replay vs. Cursor for Accessibility: Which AI Creates More Compliant Code? (2026)

TL;DR: Replay, leveraging video analysis and behavior-driven reconstruction, generates more accessible and compliant code compared to Cursor's primarily text-based AI approach, especially for complex UI flows.

The Accessibility Gap in AI Code Generation: Replay vs. Cursor#

AI code generation is rapidly evolving, promising to accelerate development workflows. However, a crucial aspect often overlooked is accessibility. Are these AI tools creating code that adheres to WCAG guidelines and provides an inclusive experience for all users? This article dives into a comparison between Replay and Cursor, focusing on their ability to generate accessible code.

Cursor, a popular AI-powered code editor, excels at code completion and refactoring based on textual input. Replay, on the other hand, takes a novel approach by analyzing video recordings of user interfaces to reconstruct working code. This "behavior-driven reconstruction" offers a unique advantage in understanding user intent and, consequently, generating more contextually aware and potentially more accessible code.

Let's examine the key differences and how they impact accessibility.

Understanding the Core Differences: Video vs. Text#

The fundamental difference lies in the input method. Cursor primarily relies on text prompts and existing code context. Replay analyzes video recordings.

This difference in input significantly impacts the AI's ability to infer accessibility requirements. Cursor can generate accessible code if explicitly prompted, but it lacks the inherent understanding of user interaction patterns that Replay gains from video analysis.

Generating Accessible Components: A Practical Example#

Let's consider a scenario: A user recording a flow of submitting a form with error validation and an alert message after submission. We'll see how both Cursor and Replay handle generating the code.

Cursor: Text-Prompted Accessibility#

With Cursor, you would need to explicitly instruct the AI to generate accessible code. For instance:

text
Create a React form with accessible labels, error handling, and ARIA attributes.

Cursor might generate something like this:

typescript
import React, { useState } from 'react';

const AccessibleForm = () => {
  const [name, setName] = useState('');
  const [email, setEmail] = useState('');
  const [nameError, setNameError] = useState('');
  const [emailError, setEmailError] = useState('');

  const handleSubmit = (e: React.FormEvent) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    let isValid = true;

    if (!name) {
      setNameError('Name is required');
      isValid = false;
    } else {
      setNameError('');
    }

    if (!email) {
      setEmailError('Email is required');
      isValid = false;
    } else if (!/^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(email)) {
      setEmailError('Invalid email format');
      isValid = false;
    } else {
      setEmailError('');
    }

    if (isValid) {
      alert('Form submitted successfully!');
    }
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="name">Name:</label>
        <input
          type="text"
          id="name"
          value={name}
          onChange={(e) => setName(e.target.value)}
          aria-invalid={!!nameError}
          aria-describedby="name-error"
        />
        {nameError && (
          <div id="name-error" role="alert">
            {nameError}
          </div>
        )}
      </div>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="email">Email:</label>
        <input
          type="email"
          id="email"
          value={email}
          onChange={(e) => setEmail(e.target.value)}
          aria-invalid={!!emailError}
          aria-describedby="email-error"
        />
        {emailError && (
          <div id="email-error" role="alert">
            {emailError}
          </div>
        )}
      </div>
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  );
};

export default AccessibleForm;

This code includes basic accessibility features like labels,

, and . However, it relies heavily on the prompt's specificity. If the prompt is less detailed, the generated code might lack these crucial elements.

Replay: Behavior-Driven Accessibility#

Replay, analyzing the video of the form submission, observes the user interacting with the form, encountering errors, and receiving feedback. This allows Replay to infer the intent behind the UI elements. Replay's output would likely include:

• •Semantic HTML: Using
  text

  <label>
  elements correctly associated with form fields.
• •ARIA Attributes: Automatically adding
  text

  aria-live
  regions for dynamic content updates (e.g., error messages).
• •Focus Management: Ensuring focus is programmatically moved to error messages or relevant elements after submission.
• •Color Contrast: Recommending or enforcing sufficient color contrast based on the UI's visual appearance in the video.
• •Alert Messages: Generating accessible alert messages with appropriate ARIA roles.

Replay's advantage lies in its ability to understand the user experience from the video, rather than solely relying on explicit instructions. It can infer accessibility requirements based on the observed behavior. For example, if the video shows a user tabbing through the form fields, Replay automatically generates code that maintains proper focus order.

💡 Pro Tip: Provide Replay with videos showcasing users with assistive technologies (screen readers, keyboard navigation) to further enhance the generated code's accessibility.

Comparison Table: Accessibility Features#

Addressing Complex UI Flows#

Accessibility challenges become more pronounced in complex UI flows involving multiple pages, dynamic content, and intricate interactions. Replay's multi-page generation and product flow map features provide a significant advantage in these scenarios.

Consider a multi-step checkout process. Replay can analyze a video recording of the entire flow, capturing how users navigate between pages, interact with form elements, and handle payment information. This allows Replay to generate code that maintains accessibility across the entire flow, ensuring a consistent and inclusive experience.

Cursor, limited to text prompts and single-page context, would struggle to replicate this level of comprehensive accessibility without extensive manual intervention.

⚠️ Warning: While Replay excels at inferring accessibility requirements, it's crucial to always review the generated code and conduct thorough accessibility testing with assistive technologies. AI is a tool, not a replacement for human expertise.

Implementing Accessible Alerts with Replay#

Let's look at a code example of how Replay might generate an accessible alert message after form submission:

typescript
// Replay-generated code (example)
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

const MyComponent = () => {
  const [showAlert, setShowAlert] = useState(false);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (showAlert) {
      const timer = setTimeout(() => {
        setShowAlert(false);
      }, 5000); // Alert disappears after 5 seconds

      return () => clearTimeout(timer); // Cleanup on unmount or update
    }
  }, [showAlert]);

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={() => setShowAlert(true)}>Show Alert</button>

      {showAlert && (
        <div
          role="alert"
          aria-live="polite" // Announce updates without interrupting
          className="alert alert-success" // Example styling
        >
          Form submitted successfully!
        </div>
      )}
    </div>
  );
};

export default MyComponent;

In this example, Replay automatically includes:

• •
  text

  role="alert"
  : Identifies the element as an alert.
• •
  text

  aria-live="polite"
  : Instructs screen readers to announce the alert when it appears, without interrupting the user's current task.
• •A timeout to automatically dismiss the alert after a few seconds, preventing it from lingering indefinitely.

This level of detail is often missing in code generated solely from text prompts.

Step-by-Step: Ensuring Accessibility with Replay#

Here's a simple process to ensure maximum accessibility when using Replay:

Step 1: Record a Detailed Video#

Capture a comprehensive video of the UI flow, including all interactions, error states, and dynamic content updates. Consider recording with assistive technologies enabled.

Step 2: Generate Code with Replay#

Upload the video to Replay and let it reconstruct the UI.

Step 3: Review and Refine#

Carefully review the generated code, paying close attention to semantic HTML, ARIA attributes, and focus management.

Step 4: Test with Assistive Technologies#

Conduct thorough accessibility testing using screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies.

Step 5: Iterate and Improve#

Based on the testing results, make any necessary adjustments to the code and regenerate if needed.

📝 Note: Replay’s style injection feature allows you to easily apply accessible color palettes and typography to the generated code.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited features and paid plans for more advanced capabilities, such as multi-page generation and Supabase integration. Check the Replay pricing page for the latest details.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

v0.dev primarily uses text prompts to generate UI components. Replay analyzes video recordings, providing a deeper understanding of user behavior and intent, leading to more contextually aware and potentially more accessible code. Replay focuses on reconstructing complete user flows, while v0.dev is more geared towards generating individual components.

Can Replay guarantee 100% accessibility?#

No AI tool can guarantee 100% accessibility. While Replay excels at inferring accessibility requirements, it's crucial to always review the generated code and conduct thorough accessibility testing with assistive technologies. Replay is a powerful tool to assist in creating accessible code, but it's not a replacement for human expertise.

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