# Fastcase vs Westlaw

The clearest difference is monetization model: Fastcase at free against Westlaw's free with in-app purchases. Fastcase also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 21%) and iOS requirement (7.1 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 2.4 for Fastcase against 2.3 for Westlaw. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 72 and 121 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 38% of Fastcase's written reviews are positive against 21% of Westlaw's.

Fastcase ships an update every 4 months, Westlaw every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fastcase | Westlaw |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.4 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fastcase/id352470511/reviews)** | [2.3 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/westlaw/id380675076/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 72 | **121** |
| Positive reviews | **37.5% of reviews** | 20.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 7 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Fastcase](https://appshunter.io/developer/352470514) | [Thomson Reuters](https://appshunter.io/developer/314213170) |

## What reviewers say

### Fastcase

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fastcase/id352470511)

Access a comprehensive, free mobile law library containing cases and statutes from all 50 states and the federal government. Search by citation, keyword, or browse statute collections with smart search technology for relevant results. Save favorites and research history for on-the-go legal research.

**Highlights:** Free searchable library of US cases and statutes, Keyword, natural language, and citation search, Browse or search statutes, Smart search technology for relevant results, Save favorite documents, Integrated research history, Updated daily

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use (when it works)
- 💡 Useful research tool
- 🆓 Free access (often through bar association)
- 🚀 Fast and efficient (historically)
- ✅ Good for on-the-go research

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes constantly
- 🐛 App won't load search results
- 🐛 XML parsing errors
- 🐛 Randomly crashes after a few minutes
- 🐛 Frustrating user experience

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes without warning
- App won't load search results (pinwheel)
- XML parsing errors
- App crashes randomly after a few minutes
- Frequent logouts requiring re-login

**Requested features**

- Fix the app to stop crashing
- Update the app regularly
- Fix XML parsing errors
- Improve user-friendliness
- Allow saving preferences


### Westlaw

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/westlaw/id380675076)

Access a comprehensive legal research service on your mobile device. Continue research started elsewhere, anytime, anywhere, with features like WestSearch and KeyCite. Save documents for offline access and share them via email, print, or download.

**Highlights:** WestSearch, KeyCite, Search Filters, Folders, Notes and Highlighting, Save documents offline, Email, print, or download documents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fastcase free?

Fastcase is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Westlaw free?

Westlaw is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Fastcase or Westlaw?

Fastcase is rated higher. Fastcase averages 2.4 out of 5 from 72 ratings, while Westlaw averages 2.3 from 121 ratings.

### Do Fastcase or Westlaw have ads?

Neither Fastcase nor Westlaw shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fastcase or Westlaw?

Fastcase ships an update every 4 months, and Westlaw every 3 months. Most recently, Fastcase was updated on October 14, 2026 and Westlaw on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*