The most accurate competitive intelligence doesn't come from analysts — it comes from your own customers. This competitor research survey captures which rivals your customers have tried, how you compare on features and pricing, and what would cause them to switch. Use it to prioritize your product roadmap and sharpen your positioning.
Free for non-commercial projects, with unlimited forms and responses.
Last updated
A competitor research survey gives businesses structured, first-party data about how their product or service is perceived relative to alternatives in the market. Unlike third-party market research reports, a survey sent to your own customers captures opinions from people who have direct experience with both your offering and the competition — making the insights far more actionable. Rather than speculating about why customers might leave or what rivals are doing right, you can ask directly.
The most valuable competitive intelligence surfaces in three areas: feature gaps (what competitors have that you don't), pricing perception (whether customers believe your value proposition is compelling at your price), and switching barriers (what would need to change for a customer to leave). A well-designed competitor research survey surfaces all three in a single pass, giving product, marketing, and sales teams concrete data to act on. Over time, running this survey quarterly lets you track whether competitive positioning is improving or eroding.
formformform makes it easy to run this kind of research at any scale. You can share the survey via a direct link, embed it in a post-purchase email sequence, or route it to a specific customer segment. Because the form is anonymous by default and includes an optional contact field, respondents who want to stay anonymous can do so — which typically increases candor. Every submission is stored in your dashboard and can be exported for deeper analysis in a spreadsheet or BI tool.
Use your own copy to change labels, remove questions and add the details you need. Try the preview alongside this guide to see what respondents will be asked.
Review the starting questions and choices. You can change them in your own copy.
e.g. Acme Pro, Rival Software, Your Company
Optional
e.g. Better mobile app, more integrations, offline mode...
e.g. Easier to use, better support, faster...
Any additional thoughts are welcome...
First and last name
you@example.com
Suggested uses, and why this starting point can help. Adapt the questions to your own process.
Collect answers in a consistent structure, so you can compare responses while keeping each person’s explanation in context. Review “Which products or services do you currently use (including ours)?” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Collect answers in a consistent structure, so you can compare responses while keeping each person’s explanation in context. Review “Which of our competitors have you tried or evaluated? (Select all that apply)” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Turn initial interest into information you can review. Use the answers to prepare a relevant follow-up and decide whether the opportunity fits your work. Review “Other competitor(s) not listed above” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Turn initial interest into information you can review. Use the answers to prepare a relevant follow-up and decide whether the opportunity fits your work. Review “How would you rate our product compared to the alternatives you have tried?” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Get a useful brief before the first conversation. Written context helps you assess fit, prepare questions and decide what to discuss next. Review “What features or capabilities do our competitors offer that you wish we had?” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Turn initial interest into information you can review. Use the answers to prepare a relevant follow-up and decide whether the opportunity fits your work. Review “What do we do better than the competition?” in particular and adapt it to the detail you need.
Click 'Use this template' to open the Competitor Research Survey in your formformform account and review all pre-built sections.
Replace the placeholder competitor names in the awareness checkbox with the actual names of your key competitors.
Customize the feature comparison and switching trigger questions to reflect your specific product category and market dynamics.
Decide whether to make the survey anonymous or require contact info — for most competitive research, anonymous responses yield more honest answers.
Set your email notification and export schedule so results reach the right team members as responses come in.
Distribute the survey via email to existing customers, include it in your NPS follow-up flow, or embed it on a post-login feedback page.
replace generic placeholders with your actual top 3–5 competitors so respondents can accurately self-identify which products they've used.
competitive research surveys have lower completion rates than typical feedback forms because they feel more formal. The shorter you keep it, the more responses you'll collect.
respondents who know their identity is protected are more likely to share negative opinions about your product and more candid praise of competitors.
knowing someone is satisfied is less useful than knowing what would cause them to leave. Include at least one switching-trigger question.
competitive landscapes shift. A one-time snapshot quickly becomes outdated; scheduled surveys reveal whether your relative position is improving or weakening.
high-value customers who mention competitor features should be prioritized in your product roadmap review. Export and segment your data accordingly.
customers who leave their email and indicate they're likely to switch are at-risk accounts. Use those responses to trigger a personal outreach from your account management team.
Collects which competing tools users have tried, feature gaps, pricing tiers compared, and switching friction points.
Gathers where else customers shop, price comparison behavior, brand loyalty drivers, and promotional effectiveness.
Collects dining frequency at competitors, menu item comparisons, ambiance preferences, and value perception across venues.
Gathers patient experience at other clinics, wait times, insurance acceptance, and care quality vs. competitor comparison.
Collects properties viewed, agent responsiveness comparisons, neighborhood preference, and listing service usage.
Gathers booking site used, competitor property stays, amenity comparisons, loyalty program value, and price sensitivity.
Collects current banking relationships, fee structures compared, digital banking feature gaps, and switching hesitation reasons.
Gathers test drives conducted, dealership experience comparisons, financing options, and make/model consideration set.
Collects marketplace shopping (Amazon vs. direct), shipping speed expectations, return policy comparison, and price match awareness.
Gathers other gyms visited, class schedule comparisons, equipment availability, and membership cost vs. value perception.
Your existing customers are the most valuable audience because they have direct experience comparing you to alternatives. You can also target churned customers or prospects who evaluated your product but chose a competitor.
The name and email fields in this template are optional, so respondents can submit without identifying themselves. You can also remove those fields entirely if you want to guarantee anonymity.
Yes. The competitor awareness checkbox is fully customizable. Replace the placeholder options with the names of your actual competitors, and add an 'Other' option with a write-in field for any you may have missed.
Quarterly is a common cadence for most businesses. Running it more frequently than that tends to fatigue respondents; less frequently means the data may not reflect current market conditions.
Export the responses and look for patterns: which competitors are mentioned most, which features are cited as gaps, and what percentage of respondents indicate switching likelihood. Share findings with product, marketing, and sales teams to inform roadmap and positioning decisions.
Similar, but not identical. A win/loss survey is typically sent after a specific deal is won or lost and focuses on that decision. A competitor research survey is broader — it captures ongoing perception and is sent to your full customer base, not just post-sales situations.
Understand your target market before you build or launch.
Measure loyalty with a simple NPS and satisfaction survey.
Understand what customers love — and what needs fixing.
Capture product ideas with problem context, importance, and who benefits.
Capture everything your designer needs to nail your brand identity.
Build accurate buyer personas with real customer research data.
Let potential SEO clients describe their website challenges and goals upfront.
Onboard a signed SEO client: domains in scope, analytics and Search Console access, conversions, penalty and migration history, and who can deploy.
Explore how formformform fits the forms you need to build.
Opens with product context and a link to this page.
Free for non-commercial projects, with unlimited forms and responses.
Use this template