RECAP
RECAP: Affordable federal docket research with alerts, OCR, APIs, and searchable PACER records. Ranked #24 of 32 in Legal Research Software by our editors (6.7/10); pricing: Free plan; best for affordable federal docket research.
At a glance
- Editor score6.7 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forAffordable federal docket research
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Facts checked24 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Searches millions of federal filings, dockets, and scanned PDF pages
- Free tier plus monthly plans starting at $10 per user
- Includes alerts, OCR, citation extraction, APIs, and webhooks
Where it doesn't
- Focuses on U.S. federal courts rather than broader jurisdictions
- Does not provide statute, regulation, or legal commentary search
- Higher tiers are needed for more daily and real-time RECAP alerts
Our verdict on RECAP
RECAP is a suite for accessing, searching, collecting, and monitoring PACER data from U.S. federal courts. It is aimed at attorneys, researchers, journalists, developers, court watchers, and other PACER users who need searchable filings, dockets, scanned pages, and case updates. The service also includes browser extensions, an ECF notification handler, APIs, bulk data, and utilities for working with legal documents.
Pricing is structured around alert and search limits. The Free Tier includes five docket alerts, unlimited daily opinion search alerts, five daily RECAP search alerts, and free access to public legal materials. Tier 1 costs $10 per user per month and adds unlimited docket alerts, unlimited real-time opinion search alerts, 10 daily RECAP search alerts, and five real-time RECAP search alerts. Tier 2 costs $25 per user per month, while Tier 3 costs $50 and Tier 4 costs $100; each increases the daily and real-time RECAP alert allowances to 25 and 10, 50 and 25, or 100 and 50, respectively. This makes the lower tiers suitable for lighter monitoring and the higher tiers more relevant to intensive search workflows.
RECAP’s clearest distinction is its connection to the RECAP Archive and PACER. Browser extensions can upload PACER purchases to the public archive and expose available records, while the web interface supports searching filings, dockets, and scanned PDF pages. Integrations include PACER, CourtListener, recap.email, and Internet Archive, with API access, webhooks, citation extraction, OCR, and bad-redaction detection utilities for technical workflows. Choose RECAP when federal docket research and monitoring are the priority. Choose another legal research product if statute, regulation, or legal commentary search is central to the work.
Your product? Our editors can test RECAP in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
RECAP pricing
RECAP fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Case law search | Not verified |
| Statute & regulation search | Not verified |
| Docket search | Yes |
| Legal commentary | Not verified |
| Citation tools | Not verified |
| Jurisdiction coverage | U.S. federal courts |
| Research alerts | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud, Browser extension |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome extension |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 2 integrations: PACER, CourtListener |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | free.law |
| Facts checked | 24 Sep 2026 |
RECAP integrations
RECAP lists 2 integrations on its own site.
- PACER
- CourtListener
Alternatives to RECAP
- WestlawA broad core research platform for legal professionals handling complex U.S. matters.9.4
- Lexis+A broad U.S. legal research workspace combining authorities, guidance, citation analysis and alerts.9.2
- CanLIIA free web-based research library focused on Canadian legal materials.9.1
Used RECAP? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used RECAP for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
RECAP is listed in our Legal Research Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/recap/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/recap.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update