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A competitive analysis template is a fixed set of fields you fill in for every competitor, so each one is judged on the same things. Copy the table and form below, then fill them from public pages. FounderPal includes a free Competitor Finder to find the names.
Competitive analysis template (copy and fill in)
Put your own business in the You column and one competitor in each of the others. Add a column for every extra rival.
| Factor | You | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basics: Website | ||||
| Basics: Type (direct or indirect) | ||||
| Basics: Target customer | ||||
| Positioning: Main promise (homepage headline) | ||||
| Positioning: What makes it different | ||||
| Positioning: Proof used (reviews, case studies, guarantees) | ||||
| Features: Top 3 to 5 features buyers compare | ||||
| Features: Missing or weak features | ||||
| Pricing: Price model (free, subscription, one-time, quote) | ||||
| Pricing: Entry price and what it includes | ||||
| Pricing: Free plan or trial | ||||
| Channels: Where it gets attention | ||||
| Channels: Content and messaging themes | ||||
| Strengths | ||||
| Weaknesses (repeated customer complaints) | ||||
| Gap for you |
Find the competitors to put in the columns
Direct competitors sell a similar solution to the same customer. Indirect competitors solve the same problem another way: a spreadsheet, an agency or doing nothing.
In the Competitor Finder, enter a business description, your target audience, your target market and the report language. It returns 10 competitors, each with a name, a website URL, a type and a short description. Put the three to five closest in the column headers. The competitor research examples show what the output looks like.
For a fast first pass on positioning and messaging, paste a competitor URL into AI Competitor Analysis. It takes about 20 seconds and returns up to 15 insights. Check each one against the competitor's own pages before it goes in a cell.
Competitor analysis form (one per competitor)
Use this when you want one page per competitor instead of a grid. Replace each bracket.
- Competitor name and website: [name, URL]
- Type and target customer: [direct or indirect, who it sells to]
- Main promise: [the homepage headline, word for word]
- Features: [top features buyers compare, and what is missing]
- Pricing: [model, entry price, what the entry plan excludes]
- Channels: [where they are visible and what they post]
- Strengths: [what customers praise, and where you saw it]
- Weaknesses: [what customers complain about repeatedly]
- What I will do differently: [one action]
What to write in each section
Features
Pick the 3 to 5 features buyers compare before choosing, and use the same list for every competitor. A feature list that changes per column cannot be compared.
Pricing
Record the price model and what the entry plan leaves out, not only the number. Take it from the vendor's own pricing page.
Positioning
Copy the homepage headline word for word, then write who it is for. Paraphrasing hides the exact claim you need to differ from.
Channels
Search for the brand name and the category terms your customers use, check the social profiles and ad libraries, and note where the competitor appears and how often.
Strengths and weaknesses
Write only what customer reviews or the competitor's own pages support. Mark guesses as guesses. Leave a cell empty rather than fill it with a guess.
Read across a row, not down one competitor. The pattern in a row is what shows you where the market is crowded.
Turn the filled template into decisions
A gap is a row where customers want something that no competitor does well. Write one decision per gap, with an owner and a review date. For example: rewrite the homepage promise, test a different price model, or start publishing in a channel your rivals ignore.
Fill your own You column with the SWOT Analysis Generator. For the full process, read how to do a competitor analysis, and for other layouts see competitor analysis frameworks. FounderPal keeps the competitor list and the rest of your marketing work in one place.
FAQ
What should a competitive analysis template include?
Group the rows into basics, positioning, features, pricing, channels, strengths and weaknesses, and a final gap row. Every row must be answerable from public information, such as a homepage, a pricing page, reviews or social profiles.
What is the difference between competitive analysis and competitor analysis?
Competitor analysis profiles individual rivals. Competitive analysis is the wider view: it also covers your market position, substitutes and your own strengths. That is why the template has a You column next to the competitors.
Can I use this template in Google Sheets or Excel?
Yes. Make one row per factor and one column per business, then type or paste each answer into its cell. Adding a new rival means adding one column.
How often should I update it?
Re-check the pricing and homepage headline rows when a competitor changes them. Review the whole sheet when you change your own positioning or when a new competitor appears.