Competitor Analysis Template: How to Build and Fill It

Have you ever tried to compare three competitors in a single, disorganized spreadsheet? By the time you get to row twenty, no one knows what any of the columns stand for. A clear competitor analysis template solves this issue by giving all competitors the same set of fields, so you can compare them side by side.

We’ll first show how to build such a template, then fill it with real data, and finally turn the results into slides.

Without a fixed structure, research can become a mess of notes, with one competitor getting five pages and another only one line. A competitor analysis template ensures that the work is both fair and quick.

It also enables you to identify gaps. For instance, if three of your rivals provide live chat but you don’t, the blank cell immediately tells that story. Moreover, a shared file means that the entire team records the data in the same way.

The greatest advantage is time. You set up the structure once, and then all you have to do is update the figures.

Start with the fundamentals, then add the fields that match your objectives. Here is a simple collection of columns, complete with sample entries:

Note: Add a field only if it could affect the decision. If it doesn’t, don’t add it.

You can place several simple methods in one document:

• SWOT analysis: list the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with each competitor and provide a quick summary.
• Feature comparison matrix: list the features in the rows and the companies in the columns, then place a check or a cross in each cell.
• Benchmarking: compare your figures with theirs on key metrics such as traffic share, conversion rate, customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), and pricing tiers.

You don’t need all three at once, but a SWOT analysis combined with a feature comparison matrix covers most situations in a competitor analysis template.

Follow these steps:

1. Select three to five rivals, both direct competitors and one indirect one.
2. Start by gathering the facts: prices, features, and dates.
3. Add subjective notes later, such as tone of voice or design quality.
4. Prepare a brief SWOT analysis for each rival.
5. Indicate the areas where you are strong or weak.
6. End with one line for each rival: “What do they do best?”

If you can, complete the competitor analysis template in a single session. Your notes will then be consistent.

A useful file depends on having good data. So, where should one look?

• Pricing and plans: pricing pages, checkout screens, and promotional emails for your pricing comparison.
• Specifications: product pages, help documents, and changelogs, which fill in the feature rows.
• Customer reviews: G2, Trustpilot, app stores, and Reddit threads, looking specifically for recurring complaints rather than just one angry comment.
• Marketing: social accounts, blogs, and ad libraries.

Doing this by hand would take hours, which is why many teams have resorted to automation. As part of their normal workflow, data-collection scripts and tools connect through SOCKS5 proxies. This lets them load pages the same way a user from a different country would. This matters because prices and offers often vary by region.

Remember to review each website’s terms of use and robots.txt first, and only gather public data while keeping your request rate reasonable.

Since no single approach works for all teams, make sure you have a few available:

• Marketing: channels, content topics, ad messages, and audience.
• Product: features, roadmap hints, and user complaints.
• Sales coverage: pricing, discounts, and the typical objections.
• Investors: growth, funding, and market share. These details also belong in a business plan, where readers expect to see who you’re up against.

Half of the job involves doing the research. Afterward, you have to present it clearly. Using a ready-made competitor analysis PPT template cuts down on the time needed since the template already includes spaces for criteria like revenue and price. All you have to do is fill in your figures.

Structure is also important. For instance, a competitor analysis presentation could look at the industry snapshot, the competitor profiles, the value comparison, and the key takeaways. If you select a competitor analysis template with charts and tables, then the amount of time you’ll need to spend editing will decrease.

Here are a few tips for clean presentation slides:

1. Let each slide have a single message and place the key point in the title.
2. Show market positioning on a 2×2 matrix, with price on one axis and quality on the other.
3. Put prices in a table rather than in a paragraph.
4. Use a bar chart for competitor benchmarking, for example when comparing CAC and LTV among competitors.
5. End with three action items for your team.

A competitor analysis template is not a one-off exercise, since markets change and your data becomes outdated quickly. To help with this:

Also, include the date in each row so that people won’t accidentally rely on outdated figures.

• Create a single competitor analysis template containing 8 to 10 fields.
• Include a SWOT, a matrix, and a benchmark when these are of use.
• Start by gathering facts and then give your opinions.
• Take the prices, specifications, and reviews from public sources, and automate this process when the amount of data increases.
• Make the results into slides, with each slide containing one message.

The first version won’t be perfect, and that’s alright. Every revision improves it, and each iteration provides you with a better understanding of your current position.