Free tool
Competitor Finder
Ten competitors, sorted by how directly they compete, with what each one is genuinely better at and the gap you could take.
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Competitor Finder: what it does
Your real competitors are whatever your customer would do instead, which usually includes a spreadsheet, an agency, and doing nothing. Direct product competitors are only one of the four, and often not the one costing you deals.
Last updated 3 August 2026
Worked example
Here's one we ran earlier.
A £29/month booking app for independent UK hair salons
Established salon software (direct)
Direct competitorBetter at: everything a chain needs — stock, payroll, multi-site reporting. Their weakness is onboarding: a one-chair salon has to configure a system built for twenty. Your gap is being usable on day one.
General booking tools (adjacent)
AdjacentBetter at: price and familiarity. Weaker on anything salon-specific — colour processing gaps, stylist-level availability, deposit rules. Your gap is the vocabulary and the timing model.
The paper diary and a phone (status quo)
The one that beats you mostBetter at: costing nothing and never going down. This is what most of your lost deals actually go to. Your gap isn't features, it's proving the switch takes an afternoon rather than a week.
How it works
Three steps, no account.
Include the non-obvious ones
The list covers direct products, adjacent tools people stretch to fit, manual alternatives like spreadsheets, and the status quo. Most lost deals go to the last two.
Note what each is genuinely better at
You need this to position honestly. A comparison page that pretends the market leader has no strengths reads as marketing and converts like it.
Pick the gap you can hold
One gap, defensible for at least a year. Price is the easiest gap to find and the hardest to hold.
Questions
Common questions.
How do I find my competitors?
Search the phrases a customer would use, not your product category. Then check what alternatives get named in the review sites, subreddits and Facebook groups your customers use — that surfaces the manual and adjacent competitors search never shows you.
What's the difference between direct and indirect competitors?
A direct competitor solves the same problem the same way. An indirect one solves the same problem differently — a spreadsheet, an agency, or a member of staff doing it by hand. Indirect competitors usually win more deals than direct ones for small products.
Should I mention competitors on my website?
Yes, when people are already comparing. Comparison pages capture people at the point of decision and convert far better than generic pages. Be accurate about what the competitor does well or the page loses its credibility.
How many competitors should I actively track?
Three. One direct, one adjacent, and the status quo. Watching ten produces anxiety and no decisions.
How often should I check on them?
Once a quarter for positioning and pricing. Weekly monitoring makes small companies reactive and copies competitors' mistakes faster than their good ideas.
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