Analysing the competitor is the most important part of SEO. It helps in increasing your website’s traffic by knowing the strategy that your competitors are using.
By understanding your competitors, you will get to learn useful ways to increase your website ranking and traffic. The process of doing a website analysis of your competitors involves keyword research, content analysis, paid ads, and backlinking analysis. It will show where you are lacking and how to fill those gaps.
What is Website Competitor Analysis?
Analyzing competitors’ websites means studying the features and content that attract visitors to your competitors. It also shows which keywords they rank on, where their backlinks come from, and what ads they run to attract the traffic. One can learn from their competitors’ websites and add a better strategy to make their website grow.
Types of Website Competitor Analysis Tools
There are several types of competitor analysis tools, each focusing on different data areas:
- Keyword Research Tools: Show what keywords your rivals use.
- Backlink Analysis Tools: Find who links to competitor sites.
- Traffic and Analytics Tools: Estimate traffic numbers and sources.
- Content Research Tools: Reveal popular content and social shares.
- Ad Research Tools: Track paid search campaigns.
- Social Media Analytics Tools: Analyze competitors’ social media performance.
Using a combination of these tools provides a complete picture of competitors’ online marketing tactics.
SpyOnWeb: Features and Overview
You might wonder, what is SpyOnWeb? SpyOnWeb was a simple tool that helped uncover connections between websites. It revealed if different sites used the same Google Analytics ID, IP address, or AdSense account. This allowed marketers to find related websites owned by the same company or person, which is very useful for deeper competitor understanding.
SpyOnWeb Features:
- Showed domains sharing the same Google Analytics or AdSense codes.
- Revealed websites hosted on the same IP address.
- Helped find hidden competitor websites or networks.
Pricing:
SpyOnWeb once offered free usage with paid plans starting at $6 per month.
SpyOnWeb Review:
Many users praised SpyOnWeb for its unique ability to trace connections between websites, providing valuable intel for SEO and fraud detection. However, the tool has not been functional since last year. It holds a place in SEO history as a good but now inactive resource.
Limitations and Need for Alternatives
- The platform is currently not operational.
- No updates or customer support available.
- Limited features compared to modern tools.
Though SpyOnWeb is inactive now. For those searching for reliable SpyOnWeb alternatives, there are many new, powerful competitor analysis tools available today.
Top 15 Free and Paid Alternatives to SpyOnWeb
Since SpyOnWeb is no longer functional, here are 15 great SpyOnWeb alternatives with detailed features, pricing, and reviews to help you pick the right one.
1. Semrush
- 7-day free trial; cancel before the trial ends to avoid charges.
- Features:
- Domain Overview with traffic, keywords, and backlinks data
- Keyword Gap for missing competitor keywords
- Position Tracking with SERP (Search Engine Results Page) features and competitors
- Pricing: Starts at $117.33/month
- User feedback: Comprehensive and detailed, great for agencies, slightly complex for beginners.
2. Ahrefs
- Free trial available with limited access. Pricing starts at $129/month
- Features:
- Site Explorer for backlinks and traffic profiles
- Content Explorer to find top-performing competitor content
- Rank Tracker to monitor keyword position that changes over time
- User feedback: Excellent for link-building; top backlink database. Limited (PPC) pay-per-click data in trial.
3. BuzzSumo
- Free trial with no credit card required. Pricing starts at $199/month
- Features:
- Content performance and social share analysis
- Influencer discovery and outreach tools
- Trending content alerts
- User feedback: Great for content marketers; expensive for small teams.
4. SpyFu
- Free plan available; paid plans from $39/month.
- Features:
- Historical PPC and organic keyword data
- Ad copy research and competitor keyword spying
- Affordable competitor PPC analysis
- User feedback: Good for PPC focus, interface feels outdated.
5. Sprout Social
- Pricing starts at $199/month.
- Features:
- Social media competitor engagement tracking
- Unified inbox and reporting dashboards
- Team collaboration tools
- User feedback: Excellent for social media teams; pricey for small businesses.
6. Owler
- Starts at $39/month.
- Features:
- Company profiles and competitor news alerts
- One company profile view per month
- Daily snapshot and instant insight
- User feedback: Useful for business intelligence, limited SEO data.
7. Serpstat
- Free trial available. Pricing starts at $50/month
- Features:
- Keyword research and gap analysis
- Backlink tracking and domain analysis
- Rank tracking with historical data
- User feedback: Need to work on the interface, good for business.
8. BuiltWith
- No free plan; $295/month.
- Features:
- Detects competitor website technologies
- Analytics on CMS, hosting, and plugins
- Custom company tech reports
- User feedback: Used mainly by agencies, too costly for small companies.
9. Phlanx
- Pricing starts at $39/month.
- Features:
- Influencer engagement analytics
- Follower authenticity checks
- Campaign ROI measurement tools
- User feedback: Perfect for influencer marketing, lacks SEO data.
10. Brandwatch
- Pricing on request after demo.
- Features:
- AI-driven social listening and brand monitoring
- Sentiment analysis across social platforms
- Real-time competitor trend tracking
- User feedback: Enterprise-grade, expensive, and complex.
11. SE Ranking
- Free version available.
- Features:
- Keyword position tracking with competitor comparison
- Backlink monitoring and site audits
- Marketing plan and white-label reports
- Pricing: Starts at $52/month
- User feedback: Ideal for SMBs and agencies, smaller databases.
12. AIOSEO
- No free trial, starts at $49.50/month.
- Features:
- WordPress SEO plugin with site audit
- Schema markup and on-page SEO analysis
- Basic competitor insights inside WordPress
- User feedback: Best for WordPress sites, limited external analysis.
13. Google Ads (AdWords)
- Pricing varies by ad spend and region.
- Features:
- Competitor ad campaigns and keyword bidding intelligence
- Paid search market trends and CPC data
- User feedback: Essential for PPC marketers, costs can rise rapidly.
14. Screaming Frog
- Free lite version; full $279/year.
- Features:
- Website crawling for SEO audits
- Fast at detecting broken links and duplicate content
- Easy to integrate with Google Analytics and other similar tools
- User feedback: Liked by SEO professionals. Lacks keyword ranking and backlinking profiles feature.
15. Neil Patel (Ubersuggest)
- Limited free tier. With a price starting at $12/month.
- Features:
- Keyword research and traffic estimates
- Site audits and basic competitor analysis
- Content ideas and backlink data
- User feedback: Great for beginners, lacks the depth of premium tools.
Comparison Table of Top Competitor Analysis Tools
| Tool | Price Start | Free Trial | Best For | Limitation |
| Semrush | $117.33/month | 7 days | Full SEO suite | Expensive for small businesses |
| Ahrefs | $129/month | Yes | Backlink research | Limited free trial features |
| BuzzSumo | $199/month | Yes | Content marketing | High price |
| SpyFu | $39/month | Yes | PPC research | Old interface |
| Sprout Social | $199/month | Limited | Social media analytics | Pricey |
| Owler | $39/month | Limited | Company insights | A few free tools |
| Serpstat | $50/month | Yes | Budget SEO tool | Less polished interface |
| BuiltWith | $295/month | No | Tech stack insights | Very high cost |
| Phlanx | $39/month | No | Influencer marketing | Not SEO focused |
| Brandwatch | Price after demo | No | Enterprise social listening | Complex/expensive |
| SE Ranking | $52/month | Yes | Balanced SEO | Smaller data sets |
| AIOSEO | $49.50/month | No | WordPress SEO | Limited outside WordPress |
| Google Ads | Varies | No | PPC/paid search | Can be costly |
| Screaming Frog | $279/year | Free lite | Technical SEO audits | No keyword/ content insights |
| Neil Patel | $12/month | Limited | Beginner SEO | Less detailed data |
What Makes the Best Competitor Analysis Tool?
The best tool for your organization depends on what you need from that tool. Some tools are best for backlinking, while others are best for keyword analysis.
Other factors also include the pricing, easy-to-use tools, and features that you need. If you are an SEO professional, Ahrefs and Semrush will be more useful. For content marketers, BuzzSumo is the right pick. An organization that works more as pay-per-click or PPC can go with SpyFu or Google Ads. The best analysis tool totally depends on what you need and what the requirements are.
Why is Competitor Website Analysis Important?
Competitor website analysis is vital for improving your SEO performance. It reveals what works for your rivals and helps craft stronger strategies. What is SpyOnWeb? It was once a helpful tool for displaying connections between websites, but it is no longer functional. Thankfully, there are many SpyOnWeb alternatives available today.
From Semrush’s comprehensive platform to Neil Patel’s beginner-friendly tools, there is a solution for every budget and need. Choosing the right tool lets you keep track of competitors and find new opportunities. Use these insights to grow your website traffic and beat your competition without much hassle.
Related: The Search Monitor: Features, Pricing, and Top 10 Alternatives
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