Site review
Fastweb review 2026: a big free database, weak ratings
Short answer
Fastweb ranks 3 of 4 on our weights at 5.45 out of 10. It is free, states 1.5 million scholarships and says people vet every listing. It offers no application shortcuts on the pages we read, its ratings are the weakest in the scored set, and its privacy policy says information may be sold to colleges.
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 does Fastweb score?
Rank 3 of 4 on our default weights
- EF
- Application effort saved: 3 / 10
- MQ
- Match quality: 7 / 10
- TR
- Transparency and scam protection: 7 / 10
- CO
- Cost to the student: 10 / 10
- PR
- Privacy and data sharing: 3 / 10
- HE
- Help along the way: 4 / 10
- RA
- Ratings from users: 2 / 10
- DB
- Database size, as stated: 9 / 10
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application effort savedTied lowest | 25% | 3 / 10 | A search and recommendation tool; no auto-apply, one application for many or reapplication is stated. Source: Fastweb about page |
| Match quality | 20% | 7 / 10 | A questionnaire plus optional profile details (activities, employment, parents' information) drive personalized recommendations. Source: Fastweb about page |
| 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. Source: Fastweb about page |
| Cost to the studentTied highest | 10% | 10 / 10 | Free scholarship search; no paid plan seen. Source: Fastweb homepage |
| 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. Source: Fastweb privacy policy |
| Help along the wayTied lowest | 10% | 4 / 10 | The app manages your scholarship list; essay help and reminders are not stated on the pages we read. |
| Ratings from usersLowest in set | 5% | 2 / 10 | Trustpilot 1.2 from 232 reviews (unclaimed) and App Store 2.7 from 85 ratings. Source: Fastweb on Trustpilot |
| Database size, as stated | 5% | 9 / 10 | States 1.5 million scholarships worth over $3.4 billion. Source: Fastweb about page |
At a glance
- Owner
- Founded 1995; sold to Monster Worldwide in 2001 (per Fastweb). The privacy policy is issued by Iron Corp US Inc.
- Cost
- Free
Free. No paid plan seen.
- Database, as stated
- 1.5 million scholarships worth over $3.4 billion
- Applying
- Personalized recommendations from a profile; no auto-apply or one application for many stated.
- Own no-essay award
- None stated
- Data sharing
- Policy says it may sell data
Policy says information "may be sold to colleges" and may be shared with colleges, employers, recruiters, "data aggregators, marketers".
- Ratings
- Trustpilot: 1.2 from 232 reviews (unclaimed profile)
Source: Fastweb on Trustpilot
App Store (US): 2.7 out of 5 from 85 ratings
What does Fastweb do, according to its own pages?
What it says it is
"Fastweb is a free scholarship search platform" and "The leading scholarship database".
Source: Fastweb homepage
Database
"1.5 million college scholarships worth over $3.4 billion", seen by creating a free profile; new scholarships added daily.
Source: Fastweb about page
Matching
A "quick questionnaire" (contact information, schools of interest, potential majors); you can add activities, employment and parents' information to the profile.
Source: Fastweb about page
Vetting
"Every scholarship in our database has been researched and vetted by a team of real people"; Fastweb says it works to keep the database "free of scholarship scams".
Source: Fastweb about page
History
Founded May 22, 1995 by Larry Organ; "In 2001, Fastweb was sold to Monster Worldwide"; "more than 9 million active members".
Source: Fastweb about page
Privacy
Free services are offered based on users' willingness "to be contacted by colleges or our marketing partners"; information "may be sold to colleges". Policy last updated December 17, 2025.
Source: Fastweb privacy policy
App
The App Store app lets you manage your scholarship list from your phone.
Not stated
Auto-apply, essay help, applicant counts and an own no-essay award are not stated on the homepage or About page.
Source: Fastweb about page
Where is Fastweb strong?
- Free, with one of the largest stated databases (1.5 million scholarships).
- Says every listing is researched and vetted by real people.
What are Fastweb's limits?
- The weakest ratings in the scored set: 1.2 on Trustpilot and 2.7 on the App Store.
- Its privacy policy says information may be sold to colleges and shared with data aggregators and marketers, and free service is tied to agreeing to be contacted.
- No application shortcuts are stated: you apply to each scholarship yourself.
How does Fastweb compare?
Frequently asked questions
Is Fastweb free?
Yes. It calls itself a free scholarship search platform, and we saw no paid plan.
Who owns Fastweb?
Fastweb says it was founded in 1995 and sold to Monster Worldwide in 2001. Its current privacy policy is issued by Iron Corp US Inc.
What do Fastweb's ratings say?
It had 1.2 from 232 reviews on an unclaimed Trustpilot profile and 2.7 from 85 App Store ratings. Ratings describe users' experience, not how many scholarships they won.