A competitive analysis template for startups and SaaS teams.
Before a pricing change, a launch or a fundraise, you need a clear picture of who you compete with and how you differ. This template walks you through it in two parts: a comparison grid you fill in as a spreadsheet, and a short write-up of what the grid means for your next decision.
What goes in each section.
- 01
Your competitive set
Include the competitors buyers compare you with, the alternatives they consider, and what they do if they buy nothing.
- Direct competitors
- Other tools buyers consider
- What buyers do instead of buying any tool
- 02
Positioning
How each competitor describes itself, in its own words.
- Who they target
- Their main promise, quoted from their homepage
- The category they place themselves in
- 03
Product
What each one does well, what they launched recently and where they fall short.
- Core capabilities
- Recent launches
- Known gaps or limits
- 04
Pricing
Public prices with the date you checked. If a competitor only offers quotes, say so.
- Plans and prices, with date checked
- Pricing model
- Free plan or trial
- 05
Go-to-market
How each competitor wins customers.
- How customers start: self-serve, demo or sales-led
- Channels they invest in: content, ads, partners
- Integrations they promote
- 06
Signals of direction
Clues about where each competitor is heading next.
- Recent funding or senior hires
- Job posts that hint at new products
- Messaging changes in the last quarter
- 07
What it means for us
The part that makes the analysis worth doing. Keep it to a few sentences each.
- Where we are clearly stronger
- Where we are behind, and whether our buyers care
- The one decision this analysis changes
Questions, answered.
What teams ask about the competitive analysis template.