Best 5 Competitive Research Tools for Early B2B Startups
Jun 24, 2025
How to make smarter decisions without a dedicated CI team or $100K budget
Introduction
If you're building a B2B startup, competitive research is no longer a nice-to-have—it's essential. But here's the reality: most tools on the market are built for enterprise companies with dedicated CI teams and six-figure budgets. For early-stage startups, that’s just not feasible.
That's why we’re starting this list with a tool that’s built differently: Steve. It’s AI-native, startup-friendly, and designed for teams that need insight—not dashboards.
In this post, we’ll walk through five practical tools—including Steve—that early B2B startups are using today to track competitors, shape positioning, and support GTM execution. Our focus is on what actually works when your resources are limited and your time is even tighter.
What Early-Stage Startups Need
When evaluating CI tools, here’s what really matters:
Affordability – Can you start without locking into an expensive annual contract?
Ease of adoption – Can you get value in hours, not weeks?
Insight quality – Does it surface relevant changes, or just raw data?
Workflow fit – Does it work with tools you already use (Slack, Notion, etc.)?
1. Steve – Built for Early-Stage CI
Best for:
B2B startup teams looking for automated, AI-driven CI with minimal manual work
Overview:
Steve is an AI-native competitive research assistant designed specifically for lean teams. It monitors competitors' websites, reviews, social posts, and product changes—then summarizes updates in plain English. Insights are delivered directly via Slack or email, so you stay informed without needing a new dashboard or workflow.
Why it works for early-stage teams:
Requires zero manual input or setup
Alerts you to meaningful changes (not just noise)
Great for solo PMMs, founders, and sales
Priced to scale with your growth—not against it
What it won’t do (yet):
No full CRM or battlecard suite (intentionally lightweight)
Not designed for legacy enterprises with rigid processes
If you're starting to formalize your GTM strategy and need context on what your competitors are doing—Steve gives you leverage, not just data.
2. Google Sheets + Slack (#competitive channel)
Still one of the most common—and scrappiest—CI systems. It’s free, flexible, and works well in small teams where everyone contributes.
Pros:
No cost
Easy to launch
Great for cross-functional collaboration
Cons:
No automation or alerts
Hard to maintain over time
Easily becomes messy or stale
3. Crayon
A mature platform with deep integrations and a full CI suite. Best suited for companies with dedicated enablement or CI functions.
Pros:
Powerful battlecard builder
Good for sales teams
Rich analytics and integrations
Cons:
Expensive for early teams
Requires training and manual input
Often overkill for <50-person companies
4. Klue
Focuses on competitive enablement for sales teams, offering structured workflows and integrations.
Pros:
Sales-focused features
Gong and Slack integrations
Large enterprise user base
Cons:
Manual upkeep required
High onboarding cost (time + money)
Less flexible for scrappy teams
5. Semrush / Similarweb
Originally for SEO and traffic analysis, these tools help track competitor web visibility and paid media efforts.
Pros:
Great for marketing-led CI
Domain-level insights
Content and keyword tracking
Cons:
Doesn’t track product or positioning changes
Can be pricey depending on usage
Lacks collaboration features for PMM/sales teams
Conclusion
Early-stage startups need leverage—not complexity. Whether you start with a spreadsheet or jump into AI-powered automation like Steve, the key is to stay proactive. CI doesn’t have to be another full-time job—it just needs to deliver the right insights at the right time.
As you scale, you can upgrade systems—but the habit of monitoring competitors intelligently should start now.
👉 Ready to stop chasing updates and start getting insights? Try Steve