Competitive Analysis Template
A structured competitive analysis template covering competitor overview, feature comparison matrix, positioning, pricing, strengths and weaknesses, and strategic implications. Free to copy, download, and use. No signup required.
# Competitive Analysis
**Product:** [Your Product]
**Analyst:** [PM Name]
**Date:** [Date]
**Reviewed with:** [Stakeholders who reviewed this]
---
## Why We're Doing This Analysis
> [1–2 sentences: what decision or question this analysis is meant to inform]
---
## Competitors Included
| # | Competitor | Category | Why Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Name] | Direct / Indirect / Substitute | [Why they matter] |
| 2 | [Name] | Direct / Indirect / Substitute | [Why they matter] |
| 3 | [Name] | Direct / Indirect / Substitute | [Why they matter] |
| 4 | [Name] | Direct / Indirect / Substitute | [Why they matter] |
---
## Feature Comparison Matrix
| Feature | Us | [Competitor 1] | [Competitor 2] | [Competitor 3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Core feature] | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| [Core feature] | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| [Differentiating feature] | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| [Table-stakes feature] | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| [Requested feature] | 🔲 | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Legend: ✅ Full support · ⚡ Partial · ❌ Not available · 🔲 On our roadmap
---
## Competitor Deep Dives
### [Competitor 1]
**Positioning:** [How they describe themselves]
**Target customer:** [Who they go after]
**Pricing:** [Plans and pricing, if public]
**Key strengths:**
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]
**Key weaknesses:**
- [Weakness 1]
- [Weakness 2]
**What they're saying about us:** [If known — from G2, sales calls, etc.]
---
### [Competitor 2]
**Positioning:** [How they describe themselves]
**Target customer:** [Who they go after]
**Pricing:** [Plans and pricing]
**Key strengths:**
- [Strength 1]
**Key weaknesses:**
- [Weakness 1]
---
## Pricing Comparison
| | Us | [Comp 1] | [Comp 2] | [Comp 3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | [Details] | [Details] | [Details] | [Details] |
| Entry paid | [Price / features] | | | |
| Mid tier | [Price / features] | | | |
| Enterprise | [Contact us / price] | | | |
---
## Positioning Map
Plot competitors on two axes most relevant to your market (e.g. Price vs. Depth of AI, Ease of use vs. Power):
```
High [Axis Y]
|
[Comp B] | [Comp A]
|
────────────┼────────────
|
[Comp C] | [Us]
|
Low [Axis Y]
Low [Axis X] High [Axis X]
```
---
## Our Competitive Advantages
1. **[Advantage]** — [Why this is hard to copy and valuable to customers]
2. **[Advantage]** — [Why this is hard to copy and valuable to customers]
3. **[Advantage]** — [Why this is hard to copy and valuable to customers]
## Our Gaps (Honest Assessment)
1. **[Gap]** — [What we're missing vs. competitors and our plan to address it]
2. **[Gap]** — [What we're missing vs. competitors and our plan to address it]
---
## Strategic Implications
| Insight | Recommended Action | Owner | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| [What this tells us] | [What to do about it] | [Name] | [Quarter] |
| [What this tells us] | [What to do about it] | [Name] | [Quarter] |
---
## Sources
- [Source: G2 reviews, competitor website, sales call notes, etc.]
- [Source]
How to use this Competitive Analysis template
Define the decision first
A competitive analysis without a specific question is just a pile of information. Start with 'This analysis will help us decide...' — it keeps the scope tight and makes the strategic implications section useful.
Include indirect competitors
Your customers' alternative to your product is often a spreadsheet or doing nothing. Include these as 'substitute' competitors — they're often the hardest to displace.
Get data from customers, not just websites
Competitor websites show what they want you to see. Sales call notes, G2 reviews, and customer interviews reveal what customers actually experience. Weight these sources higher.
Update quarterly, not just at planning time
Competitors ship fast. A competitive analysis that's 6 months old can lead to bad positioning decisions. Set a calendar reminder to update the feature matrix every quarter.
Want a Competitive Analysis grounded in your actual customer data?
PMRead ingests your customer interviews, feedback, and Slack threads — and generates PRDs backed by real evidence, not guesses.
Frequently asked questions
How many competitors should I include?
3–5 direct competitors is the right scope for most analyses. Going broader than 7 produces noise rather than insight. Focus on companies your customers actively compare you to — not every player in the market.
Where do I get reliable competitor data?
In priority order: your own sales call recordings (where prospects mention alternatives), G2 and Capterra reviews, competitor changelog pages, their job listings (signals what they're building), and their marketing pages. Avoid relying on Gartner reports alone — they lag reality by 12–18 months.
Should I share the competitive analysis externally?
No. Competitive analyses contain sensitive strategic assessments about your own weaknesses. Share internally and mark as confidential. If a customer asks about competitors, use a sales battle card — a sanitized, public-safe version focused on differentiation.
What's the difference between a competitive analysis and a battle card?
A competitive analysis is an internal strategic document covering the full landscape. A battle card is a 1-page sales tool for handling objections about a specific competitor in real time. Build the analysis first, then distill it into battle cards per competitor.
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