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Legal · head to head

Relativity vs Westlaw

Relativity logo

Relativity

Legal

Ediscovery and legal data platform for large matters

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Westlaw logo

Westlaw

Legal

Thomson Reuters legal research platform, priced per seat with tiers from Edge to Advantage and negotiated enterprise contracts above 10 attorneys

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Relativity quote-only and expensive, typically billed on data volume, so costs escalate with matter size; Westlaw firms of 11 or more attorneys, which is most firms actually spending serious money on Westlaw, get no published price at all and negotiate blind against a sales team that sees every prior deal.
  • They diverge on capability: Relativity covers Large-scale processing, Westlaw covers Case law and statute database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Relativity and Westlaw actually diverge.

Attributes where Relativity and Westlaw differ
AttributeRelativityWestlaw
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Legal).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Relativity

  • Large-scale processing
  • Review workflow
  • Analytics and active learning
  • Application ecosystem

Only in Westlaw

  • Case law and statute database
  • KeyCite
  • Practical Law
  • CoCounsel Legal
  • Litigation analytics
  • West Key Number System

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Relativity

  • Large litigation with very high document volumesnot Westlaw
  • Corporate investigations requiring defensible, auditable reviewnot Westlaw
  • Firms whose review process is already built around the platformnot Westlaw

Westlaw

  • A solo attorney or small firm wanting published, self-service pricing rather than a sales negotiationnot Relativity
  • A firm evaluating whether Practical Law and secondary sources justify moving from Edge to Advantagenot Relativity
  • A litigation team wanting KeyCite and litigation analytics in the same research platformnot Relativity
  • A firm that previously used Casetext and needs to understand that it must now buy CoCounsel Legal inside Westlaw insteadnot Relativity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Relativity

  • Quote-only and expensive, typically billed on data volume, so costs escalate with matter size
  • Complex enough that certified specialists are a job title, which is a real staffing cost
  • Considerable overkill for small matters, where lighter self-service tools are far cheaper

Westlaw

  • Firms of 11 or more attorneys, which is most firms actually spending serious money on Westlaw, get no published price at all and negotiate blind against a sales team that sees every prior deal.
  • Casetext no longer exists as an independent, cheaper self-serve product; anyone who liked its pricing and simplicity now has to buy into the Westlaw ecosystem, typically at a higher, seat-based cost.
  • Multi-year contracts are structurally rewarded with the biggest discounts, which pressures firms into 2 or 3 year commitments before they know if usage will justify the tier chosen.
  • Content and features vary meaningfully between Edge and Advantage, so an apparently small monthly price difference can hide the absence of Practical Law, which many firms end up needing anyway.
  • Switching away from Westlaw means retraining staff on Lexis search syntax and the Key Number System has no direct Lexis equivalent, which is a genuine cost that suppresses competitive shopping at renewal.

Pricing, plan by plan

Relativity

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Relativity review.

Westlaw

On request
  • Westlaw Edge (solo and small firm, up to 10 attorneys)$undefined/month
    • Single-circuit coverage from roughly $107 to $155 a month
    • All-states-plus-federal coverage roughly $266 a month
    • 2-year contracts around 12% off list, 3-year around 18% off
  • Westlaw Advantage (firms of 11+ attorneys)$undefined/year
    • Bundles Practical Law and secondary sources
    • No published price, quote via sales representative
    • CoCounsel Legal available as a seat add-on, reported around $639 per seat per month

Which should you pick?

Choose Relativity if

  • You need large-scale processing.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want review workflow.
Relativity review

Choose Westlaw if

  • You need case law and statute database.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want keycite.
Westlaw review

Questions people ask

Is Relativity or Westlaw better?
Neither clearly leads. Relativity starts at On request and Westlaw at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Relativity or Westlaw?
Relativity starts at On request and Westlaw at On request.
Does Relativity or Westlaw run on more platforms?
Relativity runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Westlaw runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Relativity best used for?
Relativity is most often used for large litigation with very high document volumes, corporate investigations requiring defensible, auditable review, firms whose review process is already built around the platform. Of those, large litigation with very high document volumes and corporate investigations requiring defensible, auditable review are not what Westlaw is typically brought in for.
What can Relativity do that Westlaw cannot?
Relativity covers Large-scale processing, Review workflow, Analytics and active learning, Application ecosystem. Westlaw covers Case law and statute database, KeyCite, Practical Law, CoCounsel Legal.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Relativity: What does Relativity cost?

It does not publish rates. Ediscovery is generally billed on data volume and users, quoted per matter or organisation.

Westlaw: Can I still buy Casetext?

No. Casetext was retired on 1 April 2025. Its AI functionality continues as CoCounsel Legal, sold only as part of the Westlaw ecosystem.

Relativity: Is Relativity only for law firms?

No. Corporate legal departments and government agencies use it for investigations as well as litigation.

Westlaw: Why does Westlaw publish some prices but not others?

Self-service online pricing exists only for solo practitioners and firms up to 10 attorneys; larger firms are routed to a sales representative with no public rate.

Relativity: Do I need trained staff?

In practice yes. Relativity certification is a recognised specialism, and that staffing cost is part of the total.

Westlaw: What does CoCounsel Legal cost on top of Westlaw?

Reported figures put it around $639 per seat per month as an add-on, though this is not an official published rate and varies by contract.

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