FAW alternative · Chrome and Edge · eIDAS · Bitcoin anchor
A forensic browser to install, or the browser you already use.
FAW is a specialist acquisition suite: a separate forensic browser, installed on a workstation, licensed per seat, from 599 to 1,299 EUR plus VAT for the first year.
ProofSnap does the narrow part of that job, and does it inside the browser you already have open. One click turns the page in front of you into a self-verifying ZIP, with the SHA-256 manifest, the RSA-4096 signature and two verification scripts inside the package, anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain. From $8.99 a month, or $4.99 once.
The 7-day free trial requires a credit card at sign-up, cancel any time. One case only? SnapPack from $4.99, one-time, no auto-renewal (sign-up and card required).
This is not a claim that FAW is weak. It crawls whole sites, reaches the dark web over Tor and pulls video out of proprietary players. ProofSnap does none of that. The honest disclosure lists every case where FAW is the right purchase.
Chrome Web Store and Edge Add-ons · 29 interface languages · Verifiable forever, after you cancel
evidence_PS-7C31.zip
15 files · Enterprise package
screenshot.jpeg
page.html
chain_of_custody.json
manifest.json
manifest.sig
publickey.pem
manifest.json.ots
manifest.json.tsr
verification/verify.sh
verification/verify.ps1
SHA-256 of every file
Bitcoin anchor included
eIDAS qualified timestamp
verification/verify.sh
no licence$ ./verification/verify.sh
Parsing manifest.json ... 15 entries
Re-hashing files ... 15/15 match
RSA-4096 signature ... valid
Script self-check ... intact
OpenTimestamps ... Bitcoin block 912443
eIDAS RFC 3161 token ... valid
Software required: none
PACKAGE INTACT
Illustrative example. The opposing expert does not need your software, your licence or your dongle to check the package. That matters when the exhibit outlives the tool that made it.
Every package can be verified by anyone, for free, in the open Trust Verifier.
Quick answer
What is the best FAW alternative in 2026?
ProofSnap is the practical FAW alternative when your work is single exhibits rather than bulk acquisition. FAW (Forensics Acquisition of Websites, from Envolve Forensics LTD, London) is an installed forensic browser licensed per workstation: 599 EUR plus VAT for Lite in the first year, 1,299 EUR plus VAT for Professional, 249 EUR plus VAT for a 24-hour on-demand licence, and 499 EUR plus VAT for the USB dongle that frees the licence from one machine. ProofSnap is a Chrome and Edge extension that captures from the browser you already work in and produces a self-verifying ZIP with a SHA-256 manifest, an RSA-4096 signature, ready-to-run verification scripts, a Bitcoin OpenTimestamps anchor and, on Enterprise, an eIDAS qualified timestamp. From $8.99 a month or $4.99 once.
Rough shape of the difference: FAW is an acquisition suite for people who acquire a lot and do it as a profession. ProofSnap is an exhibit tool for people who need one page to hold up. Plenty of practitioners will want both.
What FAW is, and who it was built for
FAW stands for Forensics Acquisition of Websites. It was created in 2013 by Davide Bassani and Matteo Zavattari and is published by Envolve Forensics LTD, registered in London. It is a forensic browser: a separate application in which you browse, so that the acquisition happens under controlled conditions and produces a technical report.
Its natural audience is the professional acquirer: court-appointed experts, digital forensics practitioners, law enforcement. That shows in the feature list, which is genuinely deep:
- Bulk and automated acquisition. A crawler that walks linked pages and captures them in an indexed run, scheduled captures at set times, and, in the vendor's words, hundreds of acquisitions with one click.
- Reach. Tor and dark web content, social profiles, marketplaces, Google Maps, email, torrents, network traffic with certificates, and video pulled from YouTube, Vimeo and proprietary players.
- Selective capture. A Gold Box that limits acquisition to a chosen region of the page, dynamic scrolling to the end of long pages, and a video screencast of the whole session.
- Reporting. Automated Word and PDF reports written for a technical expert report, with ISO/IEC 27037:2012 compliance claimed for FAW Sign.
None of that is marketing fluff, and ProofSnap does not compete with most of it. The comparison below is narrow on purpose: it is about the single most common task, turning one web page into one exhibit that a court will accept, and about what that task costs and how the result gets checked.
Two structural differences that decide most purchases
1. A separate browser, or the one you are already logged into
A forensic browser is a clean room. That is the point of it, and for public pages it is a strength: nothing from your everyday profile contaminates the acquisition. The cost appears the moment the evidence sits behind a login. In a separate browser you have to authenticate again inside the tool, which means moving credentials, passing multi-factor prompts and, on some platforms, triggering a security review of the new session.
ProofSnap captures from the session you are already in. A WhatsApp Web conversation, a LinkedIn thread, an internal dashboard, a bank statement view: you are already authenticated, so the capture reflects exactly what you were looking at. The chain of custody records the environment rather than pretending it was sterile, and the capture log discloses every layout change made to get a clean full-page render.
2. Who needs to own software for the exhibit to be checked
FAW produces a report and an acquisition directory, and states that acquisition hashes can optionally be stored on FAW servers. Verification, in practice, runs through the vendor's tooling and its report format.
ProofSnap ships the verifier inside the evidence. verification/verify.sh and verify.ps1 parse the manifest at run time, re-hash every file, check their own integrity and print a verdict, offline, on a machine with nothing installed. On Professional and higher the manifest hash is also anchored in the Bitcoin blockchain through OpenTimestamps, which no licence, dongle or company needs to stay alive for. The Trust Verifier is MIT licensed.
This is the question worth asking a vendor before signing: in five years, when the case is on appeal and the licence has lapsed, what does the other side have to install to check your exhibit?
What each side costs
Both vendors publish their prices, which makes this comparison unusually clean. Figures as published on 16 August 2026.
FAW
- FAW Lite. 599 EUR plus VAT, first installation, one year. Renewal 399 EUR plus VAT. Default scan settings, aimed at non-technical users.
- FAW Professional. 1,299 EUR plus VAT, first installation, one year. Renewal 599 EUR plus VAT. Tor access and the automation features.
- FAW Professional ON-DEMAND. 249 EUR plus VAT for a 24-hour licence, all Professional features.
- FAW Law Enforcement. 1,299 EUR plus VAT, one year, single workstation. Renewal 599 EUR plus VAT.
- FAW Dongle USB. 499 EUR plus VAT, allows use on any number of PCs with a Professional or Law Enforcement licence.
Source: en.fawproject.com/products, accessed 16 August 2026. Prices are stated exclusive of VAT. Educational pricing is on request.
ProofSnap
- Essential, $8.99 a month. 100 captures, full-page capture, metadata, SHA-256 and RSA-4096 signature, 11-file ZIP with the verification scripts.
- Professional, $16.99 a month. Adds the Bitcoin OpenTimestamps anchor, C2PA Content Credentials, team accounts, 12-file ZIP.
- Enterprise, $28.99 a month. Unlimited captures, eIDAS qualified timestamp from Disig a.s., 15-file package, whitelabel PDF branding.
- No subscription. SnapPack from $4.99 for 5 captures, eIDAS SnapPack from $6.99, Video SnapPack from $24.99. One-time, no auto-renewal.
- Per seat. Nothing is tied to a workstation. The same account works on your laptop, your desktop and a borrowed machine.
Annual plans save about 20 percent. Billed in USD.
Twelve months, one practitioner
| First year, one seat | FAW Lite | FAW Professional | ProofSnap Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published price, first year | 599 EUR + VAT | 1,299 EUR + VAT | $347.88, about $280 on annual |
| Renewal | 399 EUR + VAT | 599 EUR + VAT | Same monthly price |
| Use on a second machine | Dongle 499 EUR + VAT | Dongle 499 EUR + VAT | Included, sign in anywhere |
| Single-case option | On-demand 249 EUR + VAT, 24 hours | SnapPack $4.99, no expiry pressure | |
| Qualified eIDAS timestamp | Namirial integration, sold separately | Included on Enterprise | |
| Open-source verifier | No | Yes, MIT | |
FAW prices are exclusive of VAT; ProofSnap bills in USD and the plans include tax handling at checkout. This table compares list prices for one practitioner and does not attempt to price FAW's crawler, Tor access or bulk acquisition, which ProofSnap does not offer at any price.
What a court actually asks of a web capture
Two questions decide admissibility almost everywhere: is the content unaltered, and is the date trustworthy. Both products are built around those questions; they answer them with different artifacts.
In United States federal court, a capture is authenticated under FRE 901 and can be self-authenticating under FRE 902(13), a record produced by an accurate electronic process, and FRE 902(14), a copy authenticated by a hash value. ProofSnap packages include a rule_902_certification.pdf template that fills in every technical fact and leaves the declarant identity, qualifications and signature blank, because that declaration has to be subscribed by a human under penalty of perjury under 28 U.S.C. 1746.
In the European Union, Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 carries the weight. Article 41 gives a qualified electronic timestamp a presumption of accuracy of date and time and of integrity of the linked data across all 27 member states. That presumption is the reason the type of timestamp matters: a timestamp from NTP and local time servers records a time, while a qualified token from a provider on the EU Trusted List shifts the burden of proof. FAW offers qualified timestamping through its Namirial integration; ProofSnap issues an RFC 3161 qualified timestamp from Disig a.s., a Qualified Trust Service Provider on the EU Trusted List, on Enterprise plans and through eIDAS SnapPack credits.
The same package is built to travel: art. 2712 of the Italian Codice civile, section 371a ZPO in Germany, art. 1366 of the French Code civil, and arts. 299.2, 326 and 384 of the Spanish Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil. See our eIDAS qualified timestamps page for the mechanics.
This is general information, not legal advice. Consult your counsel on matter-specific admissibility strategy.
ProofSnap vs. FAW
Based on FAW's published product, pricing and feature pages, accessed 16 August 2026. Where FAW does not publish a fact, this table says so rather than guessing.
| Feature | ProofSnap $8.99 to $28.99 per month |
FAW 599 to 1,299 EUR + VAT per year |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Extension in your existing browser | Installed forensic browser |
| Runs on macOS and Linux | Yes, anywhere Chrome or Edge runs | System requirements not published |
| Licence model | Account, sign in on any machine | Per workstation, USB dongle 499 EUR + VAT to unbind |
| Captures from your authenticated session | Yes, the session you are already in | Log in again inside the forensic browser |
| Messaging apps optimised (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Messenger) | Yes, per-platform capture paths | WhatsApp chats listed |
| Site crawler and bulk acquisition | No | Yes, indexed crawl and scheduling |
| Tor and dark web acquisition | No | Yes, Professional and above |
| Video download from platforms and proprietary players | No, records the capture instead | Yes |
| Network traffic capture with certificates | Headers, DNS, TLS and WHOIS only | Yes |
| Video of the capture session | Yes, signed, up to 30 min | Yes, screencast of the session |
| Qualified eIDAS timestamp | Included on Enterprise, Disig a.s. | Via Namirial integration, sold separately |
| Bitcoin blockchain anchor (OpenTimestamps) | Yes, from Professional | Not documented |
| Verification scripts inside the package | Yes, verify.sh and verify.ps1 | Not documented |
| Open-source verifier | Yes, MIT licence | No |
| Where hashes are stored | In the package, plus the public Bitcoin chain | In the report, optionally on FAW servers |
| C2PA Content Credentials | Yes, from Professional | Not documented |
| ISO/IEC 27037 alignment | Yes, chain_of_custody.json | Yes, claimed for FAW Sign |
| Output | 11 to 15 files in a ZIP, PDF plus raw artifacts | Word and PDF report plus capture directory |
| Interface languages | 29 | Not published |
| Track record with court-appointed experts | Newer entrant | Since 2013, established reference |
Sources: en.fawproject.com product, pricing and feature pages, accessed 16 August 2026. "Not documented" means we could not find the claim in public documentation, not that the capability is absent. Trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Want to test the claim rather than read it? Download a real package and run the script inside it.
Download the sample evidence ZIPThe actual interface
No second browser to learn. A side panel next to the page.
You stay in the browser you already use, with the sessions you are already signed into. The panel opens beside the page, you press capture, and the evidence ZIP lands in your downloads.
- Capture a single page, a multi-tab session or a file
- Record a signed video of the capture while you work
- Switch the interface and the evidence PDF between 29 languages
Shown in English. The same panel is available in 29 languages, and the evidence PDF can be exported in a different language than the interface.
ProofSnap side panel, English interface
ProofSnap pricing
Per account, not per workstation. The most expensive plan costs less per year than a single FAW Lite renewal.
Annual plans save about 20 percent. All plans include a 7-day free trial. A credit card is required at sign-up, cancel anytime.
Essential
100 captures per month
- Full-page capture and metadata
- SHA-256 and RSA-4096 signature
- 11-file ZIP with verification scripts
- No blockchain anchor
Professional
Blockchain and C2PA200 captures per month
- Everything in Essential
- Bitcoin blockchain anchor
- C2PA Content Credentials
- Team accounts and member management
Credit card required · Cancel anytime
Enterprise
Unlimited captures
- Everything in Professional
- eIDAS qualified timestamp
- 15-file package and whitelabel branding
- Email support
One case only? Compare against the on-demand licence
FAW's answer to a one-off job is a 24-hour Professional licence at 249 EUR plus VAT, which is excellent value if you need a crawler or Tor for a day. If you just need one page sealed properly, a SnapPack from $4.99 covers 5 captures with no clock running, no auto-renewal and no licence to expire before you finish. Creating an account and a card at checkout are required.
Frequently asked questions
Licence model, capture from an authenticated session and legal framing are covered in the sections above.
How much does FAW cost?
FAW publishes its prices. Lite is 599 EUR plus VAT for the first year and 399 EUR plus VAT to renew. Professional and Law Enforcement are 1,299 EUR plus VAT for the first year and 599 EUR plus VAT to renew. Professional ON-DEMAND is 249 EUR plus VAT for a 24-hour licence, and the USB dongle that frees a licence from one workstation is 499 EUR plus VAT. Educational pricing is on request. Figures as published on 16 August 2026; check their site for current terms.
Can I run FAW on a Mac?
FAW is an installed desktop application licensed per workstation, and its product pages do not publish system requirements, so ask the vendor before buying if you work on macOS or Linux. ProofSnap runs wherever Chrome or Microsoft Edge runs, which covers Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS, because it is an extension rather than an installed program.
Does the exhibit stay verifiable without the software that made it?
With ProofSnap, yes. The package carries its own SHA-256 manifest, an RSA-4096 signature, the public key and two verification scripts that run offline on a machine with nothing installed. From Professional up it also carries a Bitcoin blockchain proof through OpenTimestamps that anyone can check against the public chain. Nobody needs a licence, a dongle or a subscription to verify your exhibit.
Is a qualified timestamp included?
In ProofSnap it is included on Enterprise plans and available as eIDAS SnapPack credits, issued under RFC 3161 by Disig a.s., a Qualified Trust Service Provider on the EU Trusted List, and stored with the data needed for offline long-term validation. FAW states that each capture includes a timestamp from NTP and local time servers, with Namirial integration available for timestamp and electronic storage services, which is a separate commercial arrangement.
Can I use both?
Many practitioners will. FAW for the acquisition phase when a case needs a crawl, Tor access or bulk collection, ProofSnap for the exhibit phase when a specific page has to be sealed, handed over and independently checked. They are not the same job, and the second one costs about the price of a coffee per capture.
When FAW is the right purchase, plainly
FAW is a deeper acquisition tool than ProofSnap, and in these situations the licence is worth the money:
- Whole-site acquisition. A crawler that follows links and captures hundreds of pages in an indexed run, with scheduling for repeat captures. ProofSnap captures one page, one session or one file at a time.
- Tor and dark web work. ProofSnap has no Tor support at all.
- Pulling media out of players. Downloading video from YouTube, Vimeo or proprietary players as files, rather than recording the screen.
- Network-level capture. Traffic with certificates, which sits below what a browser extension can see.
- A tool the court already knows. FAW has been in use since 2013 and is familiar to many court-appointed experts. Familiarity is worth something in a hearing, and it is not something a newer product can claim.
If your work is single exhibits, cross-platform teams, or handing something to an opposing expert who should be able to check it without installing anything, ProofSnap is the better fit. Not sure which side your matter falls on? Write to support@getproofsnap.com and you will get an answer in writing.
Author: Radim Motycka, founder of ProofSnap. Works on digital evidence preservation, eIDAS qualified trust services and forensic browser tooling. Based in Dubai (UTC+4).
Published: 16 August 2026 · Last reviewed: 16 August 2026
Method: every FAW fact on this page was taken from its own public pages (products and pricing, features, home) accessed 16 August 2026. Legal references: Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 Articles 41 and 42, FRE 902 and FRE 901, ISO/IEC 27037:2012, RFC 3161. Where a capability could not be confirmed in public documentation, the comparison says "not documented" instead of asserting absence.
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