# SaaS Competitor Intelligence Monitor (`cancap/competitive-intel-actor`) Actor Track competitor pricing, feature launches, hiring signals & product updates. Works on any SaaS site. $0.05/site. No API keys needed. - **URL**: https://apify.com/cancap/competitive-intel-actor.md - **Developed by:** [CANCAP](https://apify.com/cancap) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $50.00 / 1,000 competitor analyzeds This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## SaaS Competitive Intelligence Monitor Monitor your SaaS competitors automatically. Track pricing changes, feature launches, job postings, and product updates. ### What this actor does Automatically scrapes your competitors' websites and extracts: - **Pricing information** — pricing pages, plan tiers, feature comparison - **Product features** — extracted feature lists and benefits - **Hiring signals** — job postings (indicates growth or expansion) - **Blog/changelog activity** — product updates and announcements - **Social presence** — LinkedIn, Twitter, GitHub links (company size indicator) ### Use cases 1. **Sales teams** — Build battle cards with latest competitor positioning 2. **Product managers** — Track feature launches and roadmap trends 3. **Investors** — Monitor competitive landscape for portfolio companies 4. **Marketing** — Stay informed on competitor messaging and campaigns 5. **Recruiting** — See if competitors are hiring (growth signal) ### How to use #### Basic example ```json { "competitors": [ "https://www.intercom.com", "https://www.drift.com", "https://www.hubspot.com" ] } ```` #### Input parameters - **competitors** (required) — Array of competitor URLs - Format: `["https://competitor1.com", "https://competitor2.com"]` - Can include or exclude `https://` prefix - Max 50 URLs per run - **maxDepth** (optional) — How deep to crawl (default: 1) - 1 = homepage only - 2 = homepage + pricing page + about page - 3 = go deeper for more content - **checkJobBoard** (optional) — Monitor hiring (default: true) - Extracts job postings and careers pages - Tracks if competitor is actively hiring - **trackPricingChanges** (optional) — Extract pricing (default: true) - Captures pricing page content - Useful for price comparison - **extractFeatures** (optional) — Get feature list (default: true) - Pulls feature mentions from marketing copy - Useful for competitive positioning ### Output example ```json { "competitor": { "domain": "www.intercom.com", "url": "https://www.intercom.com", "scrapedAt": "2026-06-24T10:30:00Z" }, "content": { "pageTitle": "Customer Communications Platform | Intercom", "h1": "The complete customer communications platform", "metaDescription": "Intercom is the complete customer communications platform...", "hasChangelog": true, "hasBlog": true, "hasAnnouncements": true }, "pricing": { "visibleElements": [ "Starting at $0/month", "Pro plan $99/month", "Enterprise custom pricing" ] }, "features": { "extractedFeatures": [ "Live chat", "Automated messages", "Customer data platform", "Ticketing system" ] }, "engagement": { "ctaButtons": ["Start free", "Schedule demo", "Get started"], "jobLinks": ["careers.intercom.com"], "socialLinks": { "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/intercom/", "twitter": "https://twitter.com/intercom" } }, "signals": { "isHiring": true, "activelyUpdating": true, "makingAnnouncements": true, "hiringSignal": "High" } } ``` ### Pricing This actor uses **pay-per-event pricing**: - **$0.05** per competitor website scanned - Monitor 10 competitors = $0.50 per run - Monitor 50 competitors = $2.50 per run - Includes all extracted data (pricing, features, hiring signals, etc.) **Recommended usage:** - Small teams (1-5 competitors): Run weekly = $0.25-1.25/week - Medium teams (5-20 competitors): Run daily = $1.75-10/week - Enterprise (20+ competitors): Bulk discount available ### How it works 1. You provide competitor URLs 2. Actor scrapes public-facing content (HTML pages only) 3. Extracts structured data (pricing, features, job links) 4. Returns clean JSON dataset 5. You integrate into CRM, Slack, or dashboard **No API keys needed** — we scrape public web pages just like you would manually. ### Common questions #### Will this get me blocked? - We use respectful rate limiting (2-3 second delays between requests) - Target only your competitor's public pages - No login credentials required - Compliant with robots.txt - **No warranty** — scraping always carries legal risk; use responsibly #### How often should I run this? - Competitors' pricing: Weekly or monthly - Job postings: Weekly (hiring can change fast) - Blog/changelog: Daily or weekly (depends on how active they are) #### Can I monitor internal pages? - No, we only scrape publicly visible HTML - We do not bypass logins or paywalls - We do not extract private/proprietary data #### Is this legal? - We only extract publicly visible data - Falls under fair use in most jurisdictions - User is responsible for compliance with local laws and company ToS ### Troubleshooting #### "No results returned" - Check competitor URLs are correct - Verify websites are accessible (not blocked in your region) - Try increasing `maxDepth` to 2-3 for deeper crawling #### "Slow results" - Large websites take longer to process - Set `maxDepth` to 1 for faster results - Consider running fewer competitors per job #### "Competitor site not found" - Verify URL is correct (use full URL including https://) - Some sites may have robots.txt restrictions - Check if site is geographically restricted ### Support Found a bug? Have a feature request? Submit in Apify comments section. *** **Made for SaaS teams who want to stay ahead of competitors.** Build battle cards. Track hiring. Monitor pricing. Automate the research. # Actor input Schema ## `competitors` (type: `array`): List of competitor websites. Include full URL (https://). Max 50 per run. ## `maxDepth` (type: `integer`): 1 = homepage only (fast). 2 = homepage + pricing/careers/features pages (recommended). 3 = deep crawl (slow). ## `checkJobBoard` (type: `boolean`): Find job postings and career page links (useful for spotting growth signals). ## `trackPricingChanges` (type: `boolean`): Extract pricing tiers, dollar amounts, free trial mentions, enterprise plans. ## `extractFeatures` (type: `boolean`): Pull feature mentions, h2 headings, and benefit bullets from marketing copy. ## `useProxy` (type: `boolean`): Enable Apify proxy rotation. Useful if competitors block direct requests. ## Actor input object example ```json { "competitors": [ "https://www.intercom.com", "https://www.drift.com", "https://www.hubspot.com" ], "maxDepth": 1, "checkJobBoard": true, "trackPricingChanges": true, "extractFeatures": true, "useProxy": false } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "competitors": [ "https://www.intercom.com", "https://www.drift.com", "https://www.hubspot.com" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("cancap/competitive-intel-actor").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "competitors": [ "https://www.intercom.com", "https://www.drift.com", "https://www.hubspot.com", ] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("cancap/competitive-intel-actor").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "competitors": [ "https://www.intercom.com", "https://www.drift.com", "https://www.hubspot.com" ] }' | apify call cancap/competitive-intel-actor --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=cancap/competitive-intel-actor", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "SaaS Competitor Intelligence Monitor", "description": "Track competitor pricing, feature launches, hiring signals & product updates. Works on any SaaS site. $0.05/site. No API keys needed.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "qb2rdXNjAmi3FR8un" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/cancap~competitive-intel-actor/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-cancap-competitive-intel-actor", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/cancap~competitive-intel-actor/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-cancap-competitive-intel-actor", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/cancap~competitive-intel-actor/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-cancap-competitive-intel-actor", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "competitors" ], "properties": { "competitors": { "title": "Competitor URLs", "type": "array", "description": "List of competitor websites. Include full URL (https://). Max 50 per run.", "default": [ "https://www.intercom.com" ] }, "maxDepth": { "title": "Crawl Depth", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 3, "type": "integer", "description": "1 = homepage only (fast). 2 = homepage + pricing/careers/features pages (recommended). 3 = deep crawl (slow).", "default": 1 }, "checkJobBoard": { "title": "Detect Hiring Activity", "type": "boolean", "description": "Find job postings and career page links (useful for spotting growth signals).", "default": true }, "trackPricingChanges": { "title": "Extract Pricing Info", "type": "boolean", "description": "Extract pricing tiers, dollar amounts, free trial mentions, enterprise plans.", "default": true }, "extractFeatures": { "title": "Extract Feature List", "type": "boolean", "description": "Pull feature mentions, h2 headings, and benefit bullets from marketing copy.", "default": true }, "useProxy": { "title": "Use Apify Proxy", "type": "boolean", "description": "Enable Apify proxy rotation. Useful if competitors block direct requests.", "default": false } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```