How to Create a Pitch Deck Competition Slide (Guide + Examples)

Investors ask one question again and again: “Who else is doing this?”

That’s where your competition slide comes in. It tells them what they need to know—fast. Who you’re up against, how you’re different, and why your startup stands a chance.

This single slide can help you win investor trust—or lose it.

Over 60% of investors say poor market understanding is a dealbreaker. And a pitch that skips real competitor analysis often feels rushed or unprepared.

So how do you build a pitch deck competition slide that actually works?

You show clear value. You use real data. You make it visual and honest. No fluff. No fake top-right corner magic quadrants unless you can back it up.

In this guide, we’ll break it down step by step. You'll learn what to include, what to skip, how to format it, and what investors actually want to see. We’ll also show real startup examples and give you free templates to make it easier.

Let’s build a slide that gets attention—for the right reasons.

A pitch deck competition slide is a slide in your investor presentation that shows who your competitors are and how your product is different or better.

Investors want to know if you understand your market. This slide proves it. It also shows how your product compares to others. Think of it as a snapshot of your space—what’s already out there, who’s doing what, and where you fit in.

This isn’t about bashing other companies. It’s about showing where you stand.

Here is an example of pitch deck competition slide:

Let’s say you’re building a food delivery app. You’re not just competing with DoorDash and Uber Eats. You’re also up against phone calls to local restaurants or people cooking at home. That’s why your competition slide should include direct and indirect competitors.

Done well, this slide answers two big questions:

If it looks like you’ve ignored competition—or don’t take it seriously—investors will notice. In fact, CB Insights found that 20% of startups fail because they get outcompeted.

This slide helps stop that from happening to you.

Investors look at hundreds of pitch decks. Many blur together. But one slide often grabs their attention fast—the competition slide in pitch deck.

Why? Because it tells them how well you understand your space.

They don’t expect you to crush every competitor. They just want to see you’ve done your homework. If you ignore key players or say you have no competition, it throws up a red flag.

Most investors know your market better than you think. If they don’t see familiar names—or see your startup placed too perfectly—they get skeptical.

According to CB Insights, one in five startups fail because they get outcompeted. That stat alone should tell you why this slide matters.

The competitors analysis slide also helps investors figure out your strategy. They want to know:

Think about this: A product without competition usually means there's no real demand. That’s why “we don’t have competitors” is the fastest way to lose credibility in a pitch.

On the flip side, showing a clear and honest view of your market builds trust. It shows you’re serious, prepared, and aware of what you’re up against.

Your competition slide shouldn't just look good. It should say something meaningful. Every part needs to help investors see where you stand, how you're different, and why you're worth betting on.

Let’s go through each part that makes a winning competition slide.

Start by showing that you understand the real competition. This includes both direct competitors and indirect ones. Direct competitors offer a similar product or service to the same target customers. Indirect competitors solve the same customer problem in a different way. Both types matter to investors.

For example, if you're building a budgeting app, Mint or YNAB may be your direct competition. But Excel spreadsheets or pen-and-paper tracking are indirect. Investors want to know that you’ve looked beyond tech startups and considered all alternatives people currently use.

If you ignore indirect competitors, it looks like you haven’t done full market research. The more complete your view, the more credible you appear. A strong slide will include 4–6 competitors at most, to keep it clear.

Your unique selling proposition explains why someone should choose your product over the others. This isn’t about listing every feature. It’s about showing the one or two things that make you clearly better or more valuable for your customer.

Let’s say your startup offers instant home repairs, and you guarantee service in under 30 minutes. That speed might be your USP. Or maybe you charge a flat rate with no surprise fees—simple pricing can also be a strong USP.

Avoid vague words like “better user experience.” Be specific. Say what you offer that others don’t and why that matters to your target users.

Investors look for startups that solve a real problem in a clear way. A sharp, well-defined USP tells them you’ve figured that out.

This is where you can show you’ve studied your competitors and listened to real users.

Every product has weak spots. Your job is to find them and explain how your startup fills the gap. These gaps might include slow delivery, confusing interfaces, high costs, poor support, or limited features.

Let’s say a competitor offers great features but takes too long to onboard new users. If your product helps users get started in minutes, that’s a gap you’re solving—and one investors will notice.

This section proves you’ve done your research and talked to your target market. You can include review site quotes, support forum complaints, or even survey results.

Don’t bash your competitors. Stay focused on facts. Make it clear how your product fixes a real problem that others haven’t solved well.

Market positioning shows where your product sits in relation to others. This isn’t just about saying you're better. It’s about explaining what kind of product you are, and who you're built for.

For example, maybe your competitor has more features, but you’re simpler and easier to use. Or maybe they focus on large companies, and you’re built for small teams. Price, speed, ease of use, and depth of features are all valid angles.

Many startups use a simple 2x2 chart to explain this. Pick two traits that matter to your customer—like “cost” and “speed”—and plot your competitors alongside your product.

This helps investors quickly understand your place in the market. But don’t fall into the trap of placing yourself in the top-right just to look good. Make sure the rest of your pitch backs it up with real data.

It’s one thing to be better today. It’s another to stay better over time. That’s where competitive advantage and defensibility come in.

This part of the slide should answer a simple question: “Why won’t someone else copy you tomorrow?”

Your edge might be first-mover advantage, a loyal community, unique partnerships, proprietary tech, or something harder to replicate—like network effects or switching costs. It could also be brand recognition, a strong referral engine, or deep knowledge of a niche.

Even your team could be an advantage, if they bring rare skills or insider access. Investors don’t expect magic, but they do want to see a plan that helps you stay ahead.

If you’re early-stage, it’s okay if your moat is still forming. Just explain how you plan to build one. That shows you’re thinking ahead.

If you’re not sure how to start your competitor slide, this step-by-step guide makes it easier. It helps you collect the right info, choose the right format, and keep everything focused on what matters.

Start by listing all the ways people solve the problem your product solves. These can be direct competitors (same product, same audience) or indirect ones (different approach, same goal).

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Example: If you're building a tool to help freelancers manage taxes, your competitors may include:

This step helps you show investors that you’ve explored the full landscape.

Don’t try to list every startup in your space. Choose a few that your audience would expect to see—well-known names, close competitors, or those with strong market share.

Add variety. For example, you could include:

Use tools like Crunchbase, G2, or Similarweb to support your selection.

Now decide what you’ll compare. Focus on traits that matter to your users.

These might include:

Don’t add points just to look better. Be fair and fact-based.

Use websites, public reviews, or product pages to collect details.

Example:

Accuracy matters. If your facts are wrong, it can hurt your pitch later.

Once you’ve got your data, pick a format that’s simple and clear.

Good options:

Make sure it fits the rest of your deck design.

A strong message is important, but if your slide looks cluttered or boring, people will stop paying attention. Design helps your message land. It makes your slide easy to read and remember.

Let’s break down the best ways to show your competition clearly and confidently.

The most common formats are:

The 2x2 layout works well if you're comparing two traits, like “price” and “ease of use.” Place competitors on the grid based on where they fall. Your own product should also appear—but only if the position is believable.

Feature tables work well for SaaS and product-based startups. List your top features in rows, and competitors in columns. Use checkmarks or colored dots to compare.

Keep the design clean. Avoid tiny text or too many icons. If your slide looks like a menu, it’s too busy.

Company logos help your slide stand out. They’re quick to recognize and easy on the eyes. But don’t overload your slide with too many.

Pick 4–6 key competitors. Place their logos clearly and make sure the sizing is consistent. Avoid stretching or low-quality images.

You can add your own logo too—just don’t make it the biggest unless you have a good reason.

If you're using a quadrant or chart, place logos in the right spots based on traits like cost, reach, or product depth. Let the design tell the story.

This isn’t a blog post. Your slide should speak for itself.

Use short phrases or single words. Avoid full sentences. Too much text means the investor has to work harder to understand your message.

Label axes, rows, or columns clearly. Use colors carefully—too many shades can distract, while too little can feel flat. Stick to 2–3 colors that match your overall pitch deck design.

If you need to explain more, do it in your pitch—not on the slide.

Your competition slide should look like it belongs in your pitch deck. Use the same fonts, colors, and spacing throughout. This helps create flow and keeps the focus on the message, not the design.

If your deck is clean and modern, don’t drop in a busy chart with clashing colors. If your slides are bold and simple, keep this one the same way.

Design doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to be clear, clean, and honest.

A good competition slide helps you look sharp. A great one helps you build trust. The way you structure your content, compare your product, and present your message plays a big role in how investors see your startup. These best practices keep your slide focused, honest, and clear.

Let’s walk through what works—and why.

Your slide should feel real—not like marketing fluff. Use facts that you can back up. This could be pricing info, feature lists, user counts, or reviews from trusted platforms like G2 or Capterra.

If your startup has better onboarding time than the competition, say how much faster it is. For example: “5-minute setup vs. 45 minutes on average.” That’s a strong claim investors can follow up on.

Avoid vague labels like “better experience” or “higher value.” These don’t mean much unless you explain what they refer to. The more concrete your comparison, the more credible your slide will be.

This is a mistake that many first-time founders make. Saying “we have no competition” can hurt your pitch. It sounds like you didn’t do enough research—or worse, that there’s no demand for your product.

Every startup has competitors, even if they're not direct. If you're offering something new, you’re still competing with how people solve that problem today. That could be Excel sheets, manual work, or other platforms.

Investors want to see that you understand what users are doing now, and why your product is a better choice. Show them that you know the space. It makes your pitch stronger.

Trying to fit 10 competitors and 12 features into one chart is a fast way to confuse people. Keep your slide clean. Choose a few important points that tell your story well.

And be fair in your comparisons. Don’t make every other company look bad just to make yourself look better. If you claim every other tool is “slow” and yours is “fast,” be ready to prove it.

Investors are smart. They’ve seen hundreds of decks. If your slide looks too perfect, it can hurt your credibility. Honest slides, even with some weaknesses, are more believable.

Your competition slide shouldn’t feel random. It should connect to your product, your problem slide, and your go-to-market plan. This makes your whole pitch feel stronger.

For example, if you said in your problem slide that users hate hidden fees, your competition slide can show how your pricing is clearer than others. If your solution focuses on mobile-first design, your slide should highlight how others don’t do that well.

This shows that your story is clear and consistent. And that’s what makes people remember your pitch.

Even smart founders mess up their competition slide. It’s easy to overthink, overdesign, or leave out key info. But small mistakes here can leave a bad impression on investors. This part of your deck should build trust—not raise questions.

Let’s go over the most common mistakes so you can avoid them.

This might sound bold, but it’s one of the worst things you can say in a pitch.

Every product has competition. If your startup solves a real problem, people are already solving it some other way—even if it’s with a spreadsheet or manual process.

Claiming “no one else does this” usually means you haven’t looked hard enough. And if investors spot a name you didn’t include, it makes your research look weak. It’s better to say, “Here’s who people use now—and here’s how we’re better.”

That shows you understand your users and your space.

Lots of startups use the 2x2 matrix and stick their logo in the top-right corner. It looks nice—but if it’s not backed up with real data, it feels fake.

Don’t just mark yourself as “fastest,” “cheapest,” or “most advanced” unless you can show why. If your competitor has a stronger product or bigger team, it’s okay to say that—then explain what you're doing differently.

Investors don’t need you to be perfect. They need to believe you’ve thought it through. A fair, honest slide is better than a perfect-looking one with no support behind it.

Cramming 10 competitors and 15 features into a tiny chart helps no one. It makes your slide hard to read, hard to follow, and hard to trust.

Stick to the most relevant 3–6 competitors. Focus on 3–5 key traits or features that actually matter to your customer. If everything is important, nothing stands out.

Keep it clean. Use simple visuals, consistent icons, and short text. Your slide should make your story clearer—not more confusing.

Words like “best-in-class,” “cutting-edge,” and “innovative” sound good, but don’t say much. Investors have seen these phrases in hundreds of pitch decks.

Replace them with real details. For example, instead of “AI-powered,” say “automatically detects fraud using transaction history and location data.” That’s more specific, easier to understand, and harder to copy.

Buzzwords make your pitch sound generic. Clear writing makes it stand out.

Your competition slide should match the rest of your deck. If your other slides are clean and modern, don’t drop in a blurry chart or mismatched font.

Use high-quality logos, stick to your color scheme, and keep spacing even. Poor design makes your pitch feel rushed—even if the idea is great.

Remember: This slide shows how you think about the market. If it looks messy or confusing, investors might assume your business is the same.

Your pitch deck competition slide can make a strong impact—if it’s done right.

Investors don’t expect you to beat everyone right away. But they do want to see that you understand the market, know who your real competitors are, and have a clear reason why your product stands out.

Be honest, be specific, and back your points with real info. Keep your layout simple and your message clear.

Don’t try to impress with big claims. Instead, show that you’ve done the work. That builds trust.

With the right research, smart design, and a focus on what matters to your users, your competition slide can help turn interest into investment.

Make it count.

Yes, a competitor slide is important in a pitch deck. It shows investors that you’ve done proper competitor research for pitch deck and that you understand your market. A clear comparison helps explain how your product is different and why it matters. Skipping this slide can make your pitch look incomplete or unprepared.

The best format for a competition slide is either a 2x2 matrix or a simple comparison table. Both formats make it easy to show your strengths next to your competitors. For most competitive analysis slides, the layout should be clean, with short text and clear labels that highlight your key advantage.

Include 4 to 6 competitors in your slide. This keeps the slide focused and easy to read. Adding too many can make the slide cluttered and hard to follow. Focus on direct competitors and a few strong indirect ones to keep your competitor analysis deck sharp and useful.

Yes, including logos helps your slide look cleaner and more visual. Logos are easy to recognize and save space compared to long company names. Make sure the logos are high-quality, evenly sized, and used in a way that fits the rest of your pitch deck design.

If you have no direct competition, show indirect competitors or current solutions your users rely on. This could include manual work, outdated tools, or big platforms solving the problem in a different way. Every competitor analysis deck should still highlight what people are using now—and how your product is better.

Yes, a Venn diagram can work, but it’s less common in competitive analysis slides. It’s best for showing overlapping features or shared traits between products. If you want to compare price, features, or market focus, a table or quadrant is usually easier to follow and more effective for investors.