What is competitor analysis?

Competitor analysis is the process of identifying your rivals and evaluating their products, pricing, positioning, distribution, and messaging to understand where you win and where you are exposed. A typical analysis covers who the competitors are, what they charge, how they describe themselves, and how customers rate them.

The output is usually a snapshot — a comparison table, a SWOT-style summary, or a set of battlecards. Its shelf life is short: competitors ship features and change prices constantly, which is why many teams pair a one-time analysis with continuous competitor monitoring.