How to Track Competitor Prices on Shopify (2025 Guide)

In ecommerce, pricing can make or break a sale. Shoppers compare prices across tabs, browser extensions surface competitor offerings, and marketplaces algorithmically rank by price. Yet most brands still guess at competitor pricing or check manually once in a while.

This guide covers the four main approaches to tracking competitor prices on Shopify stores—from free DIY methods to enterprise solutions—so you can choose what fits your stage and budget.

Why Track Competitor Pricing?

Before diving into the how, let's cover the why. Understanding competitor pricing helps you:

• Optimize your own pricing strategy — Know when you're priced above or below market
• Spot when competitors run sales — React to flash sales or seasonal discounts
• Identify market gaps — Find price points no one is targeting
• Understand category benchmarks — What do similar products typically cost?

According to our analysis of 154,000+ products across 160 DTC Shopify stores, 23% of products are on sale at any given time, with an average discount of 31%. Missing competitor promotions means missing opportunities.

Method 1: Manual Tracking (Free)

The simplest approach—visit competitor sites and record what you see.

Best for: Early-stage stores with just a handful of direct competitors. Good for occasional spot-checks, but not sustainable for ongoing monitoring.

Method 2: Shopify's Public APIs (Free, Technical)

Here's something most people don't know: Shopify stores expose their product data publicly. Any store running on Shopify can be queried for its full product catalog.

Best for: Technical founders comfortable with Python or Node.js. A Saturday project can get you a working prototype, but maintaining and scaling it becomes a job in itself.

Method 3: Price Monitoring Tools (Paid)

SaaS tools that handle the scraping, storage, and alerting for you.

Best for: Established brands with specific competitor products to match and track. Works well when you know exactly which 50-500 SKUs to monitor.

Method 4: Pre-Built Datasets (Our Approach)

Instead of tracking specific competitors, access a dataset that's already tracking thousands of products across the DTC landscape.

Best for: Brands wanting broad market intelligence, investors analyzing categories, and analysts studying pricing trends. Great for answering "what does the market look like?" rather than "what is competitor X charging?"

What to Track

Regardless of which method you choose, focus on these key metrics:

1. Base prices — What do competitors charge normally? This is your benchmark.
2. Sale frequency — How often do they discount? Some brands are always on sale, others rarely.
3. Discount depth — 10% off or 50% off? Depth matters as much as frequency.
4. Category pricing — Are they premium in some categories, value in others?
5. New product pricing — How do they price launches? Do they start high and discount, or launch at target price?

Building Your Competitive Pricing Strategy

Having the data is just the start. Here's how to actually use it:

• Don't just match prices — Understand positioning. Being 10% higher with better branding can work.
• Track over time — Single snapshots miss patterns. Monthly data reveals strategy.
• Use data to justify decisions — "Competitors average $X" is more compelling than gut feel.
• Segment by category — Your hoodie pricing strategy may differ from your accessory strategy.

Comparison Summary

Get Started

Ready to understand the competitive landscape? Start by browsing what's already tracked:

• Browse 160 tracked stores — See which brands we monitor
• Explore by category — Find stores in your niche
• Download the dataset — Get the full 154,000+ product database