Guide
Competitor analysis template: the columns, the scoring and a worked example
A competitor analysis is only useful when it ends in a decision. This guide gives you the template column by column, how to pick the competitor set, where the evidence comes from, how to score threat level — and a copy-paste AI prompt that produces a first draft you then verify.
The template: what goes in each column
One competitor per row. Anything you cannot link to a source and a date stays out.
| Column | What you write |
|---|---|
| Competitor and type | Name, plus direct / indirect / status quo |
| Positioning | How they describe themselves in one sentence, in their own words |
| Target customer | Segment, company size, role that buys |
| Pricing and packaging | List price, tiers, what is gated — with the date you checked |
| Strengths | Two or three things they genuinely do better than you |
| Weaknesses | Gaps you can prove, not gaps you hope for |
| Channels | Where they win attention: search, ads, partners, outbound, events |
| Proof points | Logos, case studies, reviews, integrations they lead with |
| Source and date | A link per claim; no source means the row stays empty |
| Threat score (1–5) | How often they beat you in a real deal |
| Our action | The decision it triggers — a verb, with an owner |
How to fill it in, step by step
Write down the decision the analysis has to serve: pricing, messaging, roadmap or channel choice. A template filled in without a decision behind it becomes a slide, not an input.
Example: Decision: should we keep our entry tier at $29 or bundle two modules at $49? Then only pricing, packaging and target customer columns really matter.
Three to five direct competitors, one or two indirect alternatives, and the status quo — spreadsheets, an agency, or doing nothing. Most lost deals go to the status quo, so give it a row.
Example: Direct: two analysis SaaS vendors. Indirect: a consultancy running the same analysis manually. Status quo: an Excel SWOT template the customer already has.
Pricing pages, changelogs, job ads, review sites, help centres and their own case studies. Every cell gets a link and a date, because pricing and messaging move quarterly.
Example: A job ad for an enterprise account executive is stronger evidence of a move upmarket than anything on their homepage.
Rank by how often each competitor actually shows up in your deals. Work the top three rows and leave the rest as a watch list with a review date.
Example: A well-funded rival you never meet in a deal is a watch-list row; a cheap local tool you lose to weekly is a priority row.
Every priority row ends in a decision: a page to rewrite, a feature to sequence, a price to change, an objection to answer in the sales script. No owner, no action.
Example: “They lead with 5-minute setup” becomes: add a 3-step onboarding proof block to the landing page — owner, review in two weeks.
Where the evidence comes from
- Their own site: pricing page, changelog, docs and case studies — the only place their positioning is stated in their own words.
- Hiring signals: job ads reveal the segment, region and motion they are investing in months before the marketing catches up.
- Review sites and app stores: recurring complaints are the most reliable source of provable weaknesses.
- Search data: which queries they rank for tells you which demand they already own and which is still unclaimed.
- Your own lost deals: the sales notes on why you lost outrank every external source in the sheet.
A copy-paste AI prompt
Use this for the first draft, then verify every source before the rows reach a decision meeting.
Act as a competitive analyst. Build a competitor analysis for [company] in [industry], [market]. Include 4 direct competitors, 1 indirect alternative and the status quo option. For each, return a table row with: positioning (their own words), target customer, pricing and packaging, 2 strengths, 2 provable weaknesses, main go-to-market channels, proof points, named source + date, threat score 1-5 and one recommended action for us. Skip any claim you cannot attribute to a named public source. Sort by threat score.
Common pitfalls
- Feature checklists only: a longer feature list has never won a deal on its own.
- No dates: an undated pricing column is wrong within a quarter.
- Wishful weaknesses: listing gaps you cannot prove makes the whole sheet untrustworthy.
- Ignoring the status quo: doing nothing is usually the competitor that wins most often.
- Too many competitors: fifteen rows guarantee nobody reads it twice.
- No action column: an analysis that ends in observations changes nothing.
Frequently asked questions
What should a competitor analysis template include?
One row per competitor: name and type, positioning, target customer, pricing and packaging, strengths, provable weaknesses, channels, proof points, a dated source, a threat score and the action it triggers for you.
How many competitors should you analyse?
Three to five direct competitors, one or two indirect alternatives and the status quo. Longer lists rarely survive contact with a real decision.
What is the difference between this and a SWOT?
The competitor analysis compares rivals field by field; the SWOT summarises your own position. Use the competitor rows as the evidence behind the opportunities and threats in the SWOT.
How often should it be updated?
Quarterly for pricing and messaging, and immediately after a launch, funding round or packaging change. Keep the old version — the delta is the insight.
Fill the template automatically
The company analysis in QuickAnalyzes builds these rows from one search: competitors, positioning, market context and a source per finding, with saved history so you can compare quarter over quarter.