Last reviewed on October 3, 2026.
Until 2023, "Casetext vs Westlaw" was a real choice: Casetext offered lower-cost, AI-assisted case law research (including its CARA brief analysis and, from 2023, the CoCounsel assistant), while Westlaw was the comprehensive, premium platform from Thomson Reuters. That comparison no longer applies.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Casetext founded in San Francisco. |
| March 2023 | Casetext launches CoCounsel, a GPT-4-based legal assistant. |
| August 2023 | Thomson Reuters completes its acquisition of Casetext for US$650 million. |
| April 2025 | Thomson Reuters retires the standalone Casetext product; CoCounsel continues as a Thomson Reuters product. |
Casetext vs Westlaw today
In practice, the question has become "Westlaw with CoCounsel vs. other research platforms". Thomson Reuters sells CoCounsel in tiers and bundles it with Westlaw and other products. Former Casetext subscribers have reported paying considerably more for the closest Thomson Reuters bundle, so get a quote for the exact features you used.
Alternatives for former Casetext users
- Lexis+ AI – LexisNexis's research platform with its own generative-AI assistant (Protégé).
- vLex with Vincent AI – now owned by Clio; includes Fastcase content, which many US bar associations have offered as a member benefit.
- Bloomberg Law – research combined with dockets, news and business data.
- General-purpose AI assistants are not a substitute for a citator. See ChatGPT vs Claude vs Copilot for lawyers.
What to compare when replacing Casetext
- Citator quality: KeyCite (Westlaw), Shepard's (Lexis) or the alternative's equivalent.
- Jurisdictional coverage for the courts you actually practise in.
- AI grounding: does the assistant cite sources you can open and verify?
- Contract terms: length, auto-renewal and price escalators.
Always verify AI-generated citations against the source. Courts have sanctioned lawyers for filing briefs containing fabricated case citations produced by AI tools.
Frequently asked questions
Does Casetext still exist?
Not as a standalone product. Thomson Reuters acquired Casetext in August 2023 and retired the Casetext product in April 2025. CoCounsel, which Casetext built, continues as a Thomson Reuters product.
Is CoCounsel part of Westlaw?
CoCounsel is a Thomson Reuters product that is sold in tiers and bundled with Westlaw and other Thomson Reuters platforms. Check which tier your subscription includes.
What is the best alternative to Casetext?
It depends on budget and jurisdiction. Common choices are Westlaw with CoCounsel, Lexis+ AI, vLex (Vincent AI, now part of Clio) and Bloomberg Law.