Westlaw vs Fastcase

Westlaw9.4Visit Fastcase7.8Visit

Higher score Westlaw #1 in Legal Research Software 9.4/10 Pricing on request · 7-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Westlaw

vs

Fastcase #10 in Legal Research Software 7.8/10 1-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Fastcase

• Westlaw fits best

  Full-service U.S. legal research

• Fastcase fits best

  Budget-conscious U.S. practitioners

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Side by side

Feature	Westlaw 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Fastcase 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	7.8
Ranking	#1 in Legal Research Software	#10 in Legal Research Software
Best for	Full-service U.S. legal research	Budget-conscious U.S. practitioners
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request · 7-day trial	$695/yr
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	7 days	1 days
Free trial length	7 days · no card needed	1 days
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Live chat, Phone, Docs · 24/7	Phone, Email, Live chat, Docs
Integrations	2 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Westlaw 6/6 · Fastcase 6/6
Case law search	✓	✓
Statute & regulation search	✓	✓
Docket search	✓	✓
Legal commentary	✓	✓
Citation tools	✓	✓
Research alerts	✓	✓
Specs
Jurisdiction coverage	United States: state and federal jurisdictions	United States: federal courts and all 50 states; additional specialty courts and jurisdictions listed in coverage
Our review
Pros	Broad federal and state primary-law and secondary-source coverage KeyCite, alerts, dockets, and litigation analytics in one platform AI-powered Deep Research and document analysis capabilities	Free plan plus $65 monthly Appellate pricing Federal and all 50-state case law, statutes, and regulations Authority Check, Forecite, alerts, mobile, desktop, and web access
Cons	Pricing requires contact with sales and varies by plan and configuration Access is delivered through the web platform Its scope is centered on U.S. federal and state jurisdictions	Less comprehensive than leading enterprise legal databases The free trial lasts one day Docket research is provided through the related Docket Alarm product
Our verdict	Westlaw is Thomson Reuters’ online legal research platform for attorneys, law firms, government agencies, courts, and other legal professionals. It combines searchable state and federal case law with statutes, regulations, court rules,… Read the review →	Fastcase is an online legal research platform for lawyers, law firms, educators, corporations, and bar associations. Its searchable collection covers federal and state case law, statutes, regulations, constitutions, court rules, secondary… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Westlaw — where it wins

  • Broad federal and state primary-law and secondary-source coverage
  • KeyCite, alerts, dockets, and litigation analytics in one platform
  • AI-powered Deep Research and document analysis capabilities

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contact with sales and varies by plan and configuration
  • Access is delivered through the web platform
  • Its scope is centered on U.S. federal and state jurisdictions

• Fastcase — where it wins

  • Free plan plus $65 monthly Appellate pricing
  • Federal and all 50-state case law, statutes, and regulations
  • Authority Check, Forecite, alerts, mobile, desktop, and web access

  Where it doesn't

  • Less comprehensive than leading enterprise legal databases
  • The free trial lasts one day
  • Docket research is provided through the related Docket Alarm product

• Westlaw9.4/10 · Pricing on request · 7-day trial

  A broad core research platform for legal professionals handling complex U.S. matters.

  Visit WestlawFull verdict →
• Fastcase7.8/10 · 1-day trial

  A broad U.S. legal research platform with strong value for budget-conscious practitioners.

  Visit FastcaseFull verdict →