Porter's 5 forces template
Analyze the market forces that influence your product strategy
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About the Porter's 5 forces template
Competitive pressure rarely comes from a single direction. Market entrants, shifting buyer expectations, alternative solutions — each one affects your ability to grow and maintain an advantage. This template helps you break down the five external forces that shape your product's position in the market: buyer power, alternative solutions, existing competitors, new rivals, and supplier or partner leverage. The layout is ready to go, with clear prompts in each zone to guide your thinking. Use it to organize your analysis and apply what you learn to your product or go-to-market plans.
Included in the Porter's 5 forces template
This Porter's 5 forces template includes built-in capabilities such as:
A structured layout with zones for each of the five forces to guide analysis
Customizable prompts to support discussion and deeper exploration
A menu of classic whiteboard features (including shapes, sticky notes, grids, and emojis)
Inline comments to gather feedback, questions, and ideas from teammates
Presentation frames to summarize findings and share with stakeholders
How to use the Porter's 5 forces template
Use this template to assess your competitive position, whether you are evaluating a potential market shift or preparing for a major strategic decision. The format provides a shared space to explore how customer expectations, supplier dynamics, and competitor threats influence your product's ability to succeed.
Each section represents one of the five forces. Type directly into the grid to capture relevant insights (such as pricing pressure, buyer behavior, or the emergence of substitute offerings). Use sticky notes or inline comments to layer in feedback from marketing, sales, finance, or other cross-functional teams. Apply color coding to flag high-risk factors or topics that require input from leadership.
When your analysis is complete, use presentation frames to structure takeaways for a strategy review or planning session. If you use Aha! Roadmaps, link your insights to related initiatives or research notes to keep competitive context connected to ongoing strategic work.
Best practices
Surface meaningful insights and sharpen your competitive response.
Go beyond what is visible: Competitive pressure is often subtle — a small shift in buyer power, a quiet new entrant, or an alternative solution gaining traction. Use this model to test assumptions and invite input from across the team.
Think beyond category: Substitutes are not always direct competitors. They might be simpler tools, workarounds, or entirely different approaches that solve the same customer problem. Understanding these options can help you better position your product.
Clarify where power lies: Identify who holds influence across your ecosystem, from suppliers and partners to distributors and regulators. This helps you understand where leverage exists and how to protect pricing, margins, and long-term relationships.
Translate analysis into action: Let your findings guide decisions about positioning, investment, or timing. Strategic insight only matters if it drives real change.
FAQs about the Porter's 5 forces template
How does Porter's 5 forces differ from a SWOT analysis?
A SWOT analysis helps you evaluate both internal capabilities and external factors that could impact your product or business. Porter's 5 forces focuses specifically on external market dynamics — such as buyer power, substitute products, and competitive threats — to assess the overall attractiveness of an industry. Use both to understand your position and make sharper strategic choices.
What are some best practices for using Porter's 5 forces?
Start with one product or business unit. Add what you know from competitive research, customer interviews, or industry reports. Then focus on what the insights mean — not just what is happening, but how it impacts your ability to grow. Revisit your analysis during planning cycles to validate your thinking.
Who is the Porter's 5 forces template for?
This template is ideal for product managers, marketers, and strategy teams who need a fast, visual way to understand competitive pressure. Use it during annual planning, launch prep, or any time the market shifts. It also works well as a discussion tool during cross-functional strategy sessions.
Is this template free to use?
Yes. To use this Porter's 5 forces template, sign up for a free 30-day trial of Aha! Whiteboards. (You can also try this template in Aha! Roadmaps if you need a complete product management solution.) Easily customize the template to suit your needs, then share it with as many people as you want (for free) to streamline collaboration.
