By Quick answer: How do you do a competitor analysis for an app?
- Who — direct, indirect and substitutes (including 'do nothing').
- Compare — users, jobs, features, pricing, UX, ratings, channels.
- Score — on factors your users value.
- Mine reviews — pains competitors leave unsolved.
- Output — gaps to exploit, battles to avoid.
Key takeaways
- Your biggest competitor is often a spreadsheet, WhatsApp or doing nothing.
- Reviews reveal what users actually value and hate.
- Feature parity is a trap; find the job done badly.
- Pricing pages reveal strategy and target customers.
- Repeat the analysis quarterly; markets move.
Founders often say they have no competitors. Users disagree: they're already solving the problem somehow — with another app, a spreadsheet, a WhatsApp group or by putting up with it. A good competitor analysis maps those alternatives honestly and finds the job they do badly.
Who to include
Direct competitors
Same problem, same users, similar solution.
Indirect competitors
Same problem, different approach or audience.
Substitutes
Spreadsheets, notebooks, WhatsApp, agencies — or doing nothing.
The comparison grid
| Factor | You | Competitor A | Competitor B | Substitute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target users | ||||
| Core job done | ||||
| Key features | ||||
| Pricing and model | ||||
| Onboarding (steps to value) | ||||
| UX quality (1–5) | ||||
| Store rating and volume | ||||
| Top review complaints | ||||
| Acquisition channels | ||||
| Positioning line |
A worked example: personal finance app
| Factor | Competitor A | Competitor B | Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Users | Salaried, metro | Students | Detail-oriented planners |
| Core job | Track spending automatically | Split bills with friends | Full control |
| Onboarding | SMS permission, 6 steps | Phone + contacts, 3 steps | Template download |
| UX (1–5) | 3 — cluttered dashboard | 4 — simple | 2 — manual |
| Review complaints | Wrong categories, ads | Sync errors | Time-consuming |
| Gap | Accurate, ad-free insights for tier-2 users in Hindi |
Teardown prompts
- Complete a real task in each app — record time and steps to first value.
- Note friction — permissions, forms, unclear copy, dark patterns.
- Read 50–100 recent reviews — Apple and Google expose ratings and reviews publicly23.
- Compare pricing pages — who they target, what's gated.
- Run a competitive usability test with a few users1.
- Summarise — gaps to exploit and battles to avoid.
Mistakes to avoid
- Listing features instead of the jobs users hire products for
- Ignoring substitutes and "do nothing"
- A comparison grid where you win every row
- Copying competitors instead of finding unmet needs
- Doing it once and never updating
See the SWOT of Zomato, Swiggy and Zepto for a worked analysis, or benchmark your experience with a mobile app UX audit.
Key terms, defined
Direct competitor — same problem, same users, similar solution. Substitute — any alternative way users solve the problem. Teardown — a step-by-step analysis of a product. Positioning — how a product describes its place in the market. Time to value — how long until users get a first benefit.
Frequently asked questions
How many competitors should I analyse?
Five to eight: two or three direct competitors, two or three indirect ones, and the main substitutes users rely on today.
What is an indirect competitor?
A product solving the same problem differently, or for a different audience — for example, a spreadsheet versus a budgeting app.
How do I analyse competitors' UX?
Use their apps for a real task, record each step, note friction and delight, and compare onboarding, core flows and paywalls.
Where can I find competitor data?
App store listings and reviews, pricing pages, websites, social media, job postings, press releases, public filings and your own user interviews.
What's the difference between competitor analysis and SWOT?
Competitor analysis compares rivals on specific factors; SWOT summarises strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for one company.
How do I present competitor analysis to investors?
Show alternatives users choose today, the key factors that matter, and why you'll win — honestly, without a grid where you tick every box.
Sources
- Nielsen Norman Group — Competitive usability evaluations
- Google Play — Ratings and reviews
- Apple — Ratings, reviews and responses
- Checked October 23, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
- SWOT of Zomato, Swiggy and Zepto — a worked analysis
- Mobile app UX audit — benchmark your UX
- Templates & toolsRICE prioritization: the formula, a worked calculator table and how to score features honestlyRICE prioritization explained: the Reach × Impact × Confidence ÷ Effort formula, scoring scales, a worked calculator table for five features and common traps.
- Templates & toolsUser persona template: what to include, two filled examples, and how to build personas from researchA user persona template with the fields that matter, two filled Indian app examples, and a step-by-step method to build personas from real research.
- Product managementPrioritization frameworks explained: RICE, MoSCoW, Kano, ICE and more — and when to use eachPrioritization frameworks explained with worked examples: RICE, ICE, MoSCoW, Kano and value vs effort — what each is good for and its blind spots.
- Templates & toolsFree product roadmap template: the Now–Next–Later format, with examples and how to run itA free product roadmap template in the Now–Next–Later format, with a filled example for an app, how to tie items to outcomes, and mistakes to avoid.
- ComparisonsBest Canva alternatives: eight design tools for graphics, social posts and presentationsThe best Canva alternatives — Adobe Express, Affinity, Figma, Microsoft Designer, Kittl, VistaCreate, Visme and Pixlr — compared by use case and cost.
- ComparisonsSlack vs Teams: which team chat tool fits your company — features, free plans and ecosystems comparedSlack vs Microsoft Teams compared: messaging, meetings, integrations, free plans, AI and external collaboration — with a verdict for each kind of team.
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A behavioral UX audit of your app or SaaS product: why users hesitate, stall and leave, and a prioritized fix list. Fixed price, 2–4 weeks.