Head to head
Fastweb vs Scholarships.com: which scholarship site fits you?
Short answer
Fastweb scores higher overall on our weights, 5.45 to 5.10. Fastweb scores higher on matching and transparency; Scholarships.com scores higher on privacy, ratings and database size; they tie on effort saved, cost and help. Both are free to use.
By The Deadline Desk · Best Scholarship Sites · Published
Desk research from each site's public pages, app store listings and review profiles. Editorial assessment; we did not create accounts or apply for scholarships.
How do they score, criterion by criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Fastweb | Scholarships.com | Higher score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application effort saved | 25% | 3 / 10 A search and recommendation tool; no auto-apply, one application for many or reapplication is stated. | 3 / 10 No auto-apply, one application for many or reapplication is stated on the homepage, About page or App Store listing. | Tie |
| Match quality | 20% | 7 / 10 A questionnaire plus optional profile details (activities, employment, parents' information) drive personalized recommendations. | 5 / 10 Free search for every student level, with about half the database location-based; how matches are made is not described. | Fastweb |
| Transparency and scam protection | 15% | 7 / 10 Says every listing is researched and vetted by real people to keep scams out; applicant counts are not stated. | 6 / 10 Describes a verified, continuously updated database and links a Trust Center; per-listing vetting details and applicant counts are not stated. | Fastweb |
| Cost to the student | 10% | 10 / 10 Free scholarship search; no paid plan seen. | 10 / 10 States "100% free". | Tie |
| Privacy and data sharing | 10% | 3 / 10 The policy ties free service to being contacted by colleges or marketing partners, says information may be sold to colleges, and lists sharing with data aggregators and marketers. | 4 / 10 The policy says it may sell or share personal information for marketing and advertising; sharing with colleges and education partners is with consent. | Scholarships.com |
| Help along the way | 10% | 4 / 10 The app manages your scholarship list; essay help and reminders are not stated on the pages we read. | 4 / 10 Sends scholarship alerts; essay help and application tracking are not stated. | Tie |
| Ratings from users | 5% | 2 / 10 Trustpilot 1.2 from 232 reviews (unclaimed) and App Store 2.7 from 85 ratings. | 3 / 10 App Store 5.0 from only 5 ratings and Trustpilot 2.9 from 2 reviews: too few to tell much. | Scholarships.com |
| Database size, as stated | 5% | 9 / 10 States 1.5 million scholarships worth over $3.4 billion. | 10 / 10 States over 3.7 million scholarships and grants worth about $19 billion, the largest figure in the set. | Scholarships.com |
| Total | 100% | 5.45 | 5.10 | Fastweb |
How do the facts compare?
| Fact | Fastweb | Scholarships.com |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Founded 1995; sold to Monster Worldwide in 2001 (per Fastweb). The privacy policy is issued by Iron Corp US Inc. | Scholarships.com, LLC (since 1998) |
| Cost | Free Free. No paid plan seen. | Free Free. The homepage says "100% free". |
| Database, as stated | 1.5 million scholarships worth over $3.4 billion | Over 3.7 million scholarships and grants totaling about $19 billion |
| Applying | Personalized recommendations from a profile; no auto-apply or one application for many stated. | Search and scholarship alerts; no auto-apply or one application for many stated. |
| Own no-essay award | None stated | None stated |
| Data sharing | Policy says information "may be sold to colleges" and may be shared with colleges, employers, recruiters, "data aggregators, marketers". | Policy says "We may sell or share personal information", including for marketing and advertising; sharing with colleges and education partners is with consent. |
| Ratings | Trustpilot: 1.2 from 232 reviews (unclaimed profile). App Store (US): 2.7 out of 5 from 85 ratings | App Store (US): 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings. Trustpilot: 2.9 from 2 reviews (claimed profile since March 2021) |
| Scored on this site | Yes, 5.45 / 10 | Yes, 5.10 / 10 |
Source: Fastweb homepage
Source: Fastweb about page
Source: Fastweb privacy policy
Source: Fastweb College Scholarships on the App Store
Source: Fastweb on Trustpilot
Source: Scholarships.com homepage
Source: Scholarships.com on the App Store
Source: Scholarships.com about page
Source: Scholarships.com privacy policy
Source: Scholarships.com on Trustpilot
Which one should you choose?
Choose Fastweb if
Students who want a large free database with listings checked by people.
It scores highest of the two on matching and transparency.
Choose Scholarships.com if
Students who want the biggest stated database, including local awards, at no cost.
It scores highest of the two on privacy and ratings.
What should you watch for?
- Fastweb: The weakest ratings in the scored set: 1.2 on Trustpilot and 2.7 on the App Store.
- Scholarships.com: Too few ratings to judge: 5 on the App Store and 2 on Trustpilot.
Frequently asked questions
Which saves more time on applications, Fastweb or Scholarships.com?
They tie on application effort saved (3 to 3). Fastweb: Personalized recommendations from a profile; no auto-apply or one application for many stated. Scholarships.com: Search and scholarship alerts; no auto-apply or one application for many stated.
Is Fastweb or Scholarships.com free?
Fastweb: Free. No paid plan seen. Scholarships.com: Free. The homepage says "100% free".
Do Fastweb and Scholarships.com sell student data?
Fastweb: Policy says information "may be sold to colleges" and may be shared with colleges, employers, recruiters, "data aggregators, marketers". Scholarships.com: Policy says "We may sell or share personal information", including for marketing and advertising; sharing with colleges and education partners is with consent. "Privacy terms not read" means we could not read the policy, not that the site does not share data.