How to build a competitor comparison table where every value has a source
Updated
Most comparison tables mix facts, old prices and guesses in the same cells. A month later nobody knows which is which. Adding a source and a status to every value takes little extra time and makes the table usable for real decisions.
Set up the table
- Pick 5–8 criteria that matter for the decision: main use case, target audience, key features, pricing, strengths, limitations.
- Add the competitors or alternatives as columns, each with its official website.
- For every cell, record the value, where it came from and when you checked it.
- Mark each value as known, needs verification, unknown or not found, instead of leaving guesses unmarked.
Keep it honest
Pricing and features change often, so note the date you checked. Don't fill gaps with assumptions; an honest “unknown” is more useful than a confident guess. Avoid ranking competitors unless the criteria and weights are written down.
In a spreadsheet you can do this with an extra “source” and “status” column per criterion, though the table quickly gets wide.
The private way: in BenchCove
Free, no sign-up. Uses the Research & Evidence Workbench. Nothing is uploaded.
- Create a project in the Research & Evidence Workbench. Projects are saved in your browser.
- Add your sources with their links, dates and the excerpts you rely on, and mark a source as accessed only when you have opened it.
- In Comparison, use the suggested criteria or your own, add competitors, and for each cell record the value, its status and its sources. BenchCove never fills in values for you.
- Export the table as CSV, or include it in a report with your findings.
Questions
What counts as a good source?
The competitor's own pricing or documentation pages, recent independent reviews and your own tests. Note the date, because these change.
Should I rank the competitors?
Only with written criteria and weights. Otherwise let the reader compare the evidence; BenchCove's comparison deliberately doesn't rank.