Lex Machina vs Westlaw:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Westlaw had more branded searches than Lex Machina among court records platforms in the United States. Westlaw had about 201,000 branded searches, while Lex Machina had 3,600. Westlaw made up 83.6% of all court records platform searches we track, and Lex Machina accounted for 1.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about court records platforms, Westlaw appeared in four of the five answers and Lex Machina in none.
Who do people search for more?
Westlaw, about 56 searches for every 1 for Lex Machina
Who does AI mention more?
Westlaw, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Lex Machina in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Westlaw, the only one of the two named
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Top court records platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Westlaw was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Lex Machina did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
PACER1st
CourtListener2nd- Westlaw3rd
UniCourt4th
Trellis5th
Lex Machina–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- PACER5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Westlaw4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- CourtListener4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- UniCourt2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Trellis1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Lex Machina0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about court records platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which court records platform should I use in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best court records platforms in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best court records platform in the US for legal research?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“search court records”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“legal research platform”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Lex Machina or Westlaw more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Lex Machina and Westlaw by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six court records platforms we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Westlaw, Lex Machina. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Westlaw | CourtListener | PACER | Trellis | UniCourt | Lex Machina |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 82% | 4.9% | 5.7% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 65.4% | 5.9% | 20.4% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 1.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 65.5% | 7.2% | 17.1% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 2.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 71% | 6.4% | 14.9% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 75.3% | 8.3% | 9% | 3% | 2.5% | 2% |
| Mar 2026 | 68.3% | 9.2% | 12% | 5% | 3.3% | 2.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 68.7% | 7.5% | 14.6% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| May 2026 | 69.4% | 11.4% | 8.4% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 2.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 76.5% | 10.3% | 4% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 75.3% | 10.1% | 3.4% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3% |
| Aug 2026 | 79% | 8.7% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 83.6% | 7.5% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.5% |
How has the Lex Machina and Westlaw comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Westlaw was ahead of Lex Machina in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lex Machina’s share of searches among court records platforms in the United States moved from 1.8% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 3.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Westlaw’s share of searches among court records platforms in the United States moved from 82% to 83.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 201K.
How did search popularity change for United States court records platforms in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Westlaw gained share of searches among court records platforms in the United States, from 79% to 83.6%.
In September 2026, Lex Machina lost share of searches among court records platforms in the United States, from 2.1% to 1.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Lex Machina’s and Westlaw’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Lex Machina
1 branded search term
- lex machina
Westlaw
1 branded search term
- westlaw
Other head-to-heads among court records platforms
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