Competitor Research With Cited, Comparable Sources

Choose a customer and a decision

Specify the buyer, job to be done and realistic alternatives. Include an incumbent process or manual approach if customers consider it. Select a manageable number of criteria such as workflow, supported formats, onboarding or pricing structure. Explain the criteria before comparing vendors so the analysis does not favor one option by construction.

Collect first-party evidence and date it

Use official product pages, documentation, release notes and public pricing where available. Record the URL and review date. Marketing statements are company claims until independently checked; a demonstration or documented limitation can provide more specific evidence. Avoid inferring the absence of a feature merely because the homepage does not mention it.

Create a competitor research matrix

Keep each row focused on one criterion and each cell tied to a source. Label observed behavior, documented support and unverified claims differently. Humanizily Research Agent can research and draft a comparison from an approved outline; give it the criteria and ask it to preserve unknowns.

• Use the same criteria for every alternative.
• Specify the plan or version when relevant.
• Distinguish public pricing from a negotiated quote.
• Include source dates for facts likely to change.

Turn evidence into a bounded recommendation

Explain which customer would prefer each option and why. State important gaps in the evidence and the next check needed before a purchase or positioning decision. Reopen high-impact sources before sharing the report, particularly pricing and feature availability. A fair comparison is more useful than declaring a universal winner.

Common questions