Write a competitor comparison page that's fair enough to believe

Who reads a vs page

Two kinds of reader land on a comparison landing page. One already uses the competitor and is wondering whether to switch; they want to know what they'd lose. The other is choosing between the two for the first time; they want to know which fits their situation. Neither wants a competitor comparison page that is just your feature list with ticks. Both want to know: for someone like me, which one, and why?

The rules Anticode uses for its own comparisons

Anticode publishes comparison pages of its own, such as Anticode vs Lovable, and writes them to a short set of rules. They work for any product.

1. Every fact about the other product links to its own public page: their pricing page, their docs, their feature page. Not a review site, not a forum post.
2. Every source carries the date it was checked. Products change; a dated claim tells the reader how fresh it is and protects you when it goes out of date.
3. At least three such sources. A comparison resting on one page is an opinion.
4. Say plainly where the other product is the better choice, and for whom.
5. No rankings or superlatives, no invented user counts and no prices for your own product beyond a link to your pricing page.

A structure that holds up

The short answer

Two or three sentences: who should pick which. Put it first, because many readers stop there.

What each is built for

The design intent of each product in a paragraph. This explains most of the differences that follow.

Comparison table

Rows a buyer actually weighs: what you can build, how editing works, export, hosting, pricing model, support. Use words in the cells, not just ticks.

Where they're better

A section with its own heading. It's the part that makes the rest credible.

Where you're better

Specific, with examples or a link to see it.

Switching

What moves over, what doesn't, how long it takes.

Sources

Every outside link, with the date checked.

An alternative to competitor page is a different search, made by someone leaving that product, and deserves a different page: why people leave (with sources), what to look for, several options including yours, and when to stay put.

Mistakes that cost trust

• Comparing your current version with their version from two years ago. Recheck their pages every quarter and update the dates.
• Rows chosen so you win every one. Readers notice. Include the rows they'd weigh even when you lose them.
• Pricing comparisons without the plan names and dates. Prices change more often than anything else; date them or link to them.
• Mocking the competitor. Their customers are your prospects.
• Screenshots of their product without dates. Interfaces change; an old screenshot looks like a deliberate misrepresentation.

Building it with Anticode

Describe the comparison and paste the links to the competitor's pages you'll cite. The Architect reads links in the request once and summarises them into the brief, which gives the build a starting point, but recheck every fact yourself against the live page and write the date beside it. The design engine lays out the table and sections in one of seven design systems, matching your main site.

The Critic's nineteen checks and the design gate help with the parts of a vs page for your product that read as marketing filler: stock AI phrases, placeholder text and empty links block publishing. Whether each source page still says what you quote is a manual check, and worth doing before a sceptical reader does it for you. They don't check whether your claims are true or fair; that's the work only you can do.

Limits

• No automatic monitoring of competitors' pages. Set a reminder to recheck sources.
• No embedded demo videos or interactive widgets; link to them, or build a separate interactive demo as an app.
• English only. Anticode doesn't build or translate comparison pages in other languages.

Questions people ask

Should I publish comparisons with every competitor?

Only with the ones prospects actually ask about. Three solid comparisons do more than twenty thin ones.

What if the competitor is better for most people?

Say who it's better for and write the page for the people your product fits. That's still a useful page, and it sends the right customers your way.

How often should a comparison page be updated?

Whenever either product changes something in your table, and at least every few months. Update the checked dates when you do.