Stressed out about making a crucial decision? A simple SWOT Analysis can help you make informed decisions based on hard facts and logic by outlining key aspects—the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to your business.
With this tool, you get to start with a blank canvas or open a Microsoft Excel SWOT Analysis template to get a headstart.
But with so many templates and tools available, how do you find the best SWOT Analysis? We have a solution!
In this guide, we will explore the best SWOT analysis template Excel offers and look at alternative options for effective SWOT Analysis in any situation or industry.
Best Free SWOT Analysis Templates for Excel
- What Makes a Good SWOT Analysis Template?
- Top 7 SWOT Analysis Templates Excel
- 1. Excel SWOT Analysis Template by Vertex42
- 2. Excel SWOT Analysis Template by Stakeholdermap.com
- 3. Excel Competitor SWOT Analysis Template by Coefficient
- 4. Excel Bottom-Up SWOT Analysis Template by Coefficient
- 5. Excel Top Down SWOT Analysis Template by Coefficient
- 6. Excel SWOT Analysis Template by DMAICTools.com
- 7. Excel SWOT Analysis Template by Top Excel Templates
- Limitations of Using Excel for SWOT Analysis
- Alternative SWOT Analysis Templates Excel
- Elevate your SWOT Analysis With ClickUp
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Makes a Good SWOT Analysis Template?
A SWOT Analysis is a strategic framework to identify the crucial factors affecting your business or project. The SWOT matrix covers:
- Strengths: Internal factors that give your business a competitive advantage
- Weaknesses: Internal and external elements that need improvement or that hinder your success
- Opportunities: Market trends or external factors that help you for business growth
- Threats: External factors or potential threats that might pose risks to your strategy
A SWOT framework needs to have the following features:
- Clear structure: Clear sections to help you identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
- Customizable: Editable sections and instructional text to help you adapt the template to your specific requirements
- Visual appeal: It should make your analysis more engaging and easier to understand
- Collaboration features: The ability to collaborate with team members in real-time, allowing them to provide valuable insights for a detailed analysis
Summarize this article for me pleaseTop 7 SWOT Analysis Templates Excel
If you are just starting with strategic planning or looking for free SWOT Analysis templates, Excel offers several reliable options to get you up and running.
Below, we’ll look at a list of the best free SWOT Analysis template options to help you find the right fit.
1. Excel SWOT Analysis Template by Vertex42
The SWOT Analysis Template by Vertex42 is an excellent choice for those who need a more comprehensive analysis with added depth.
With its structured design, the template helps you dive deeper into each category, encouraging a detailed examination of internal and external factors.
Each section includes space for notes, action items, and prioritization, making it a versatile tool for any strategic planning session.
⭐ Why you’ll love it
- Includes in-depth sections for notes, priority ranking, and strategic insights
- Flexible layout that caters to specific business needs
- Encourages a structured approach to gathering information for each SWOT element
📍Ideal for: Businesses seeking a more strategic approach to SWOT analysis. The visual format helps you to identify potential areas for improvement and innovation.
2. Excel SWOT Analysis Template by Stakeholdermap.com
If you need a straightforward format to complete your SWOT Analysis, the SWOT Analysis Template by Stakeholdermap.com is a perfect choice.
This template eliminates unnecessary complexity and focuses on what truly matters: strategic analysis.
The layout is simple and minimalistic, with separate sections for easy categorization and visualization of information without distractions.
⭐ Why you’ll love it
- Color-coded sections to help you get started quickly
- Modify content using customizable fields and categories for your specific needs
- Easy to print and share with team members or stakeholders for meetings
📍Ideal for: Small businesses, startups, or individual users looking for a simple way to conduct their first SWOT analysis. The clean layout is perfect for getting started and keeping your analysis focused.
3. Excel Competitor SWOT Analysis Template by Coefficient
The Coefficient Competitor SWOT Analysis Template is ideal for businesses that want a competitive edge.
Its straightforward layout allows you to focus on strategy rather than formatting, saving valuable time while delivering key insights.
⭐ Why you’ll love it
- Compare your strengths and weaknesses with competitors
- Add specific data points that are unique to your industry
- Use charts to visualize competitive positioning and identify opportunities
📍Ideal for: Businesses that need an in-depth competitor SWOT analysis template. It is particularly useful for companies in highly competitive industries wanting differentiation.
4. Excel Bottom-Up SWOT Analysis Template by Coefficient
The Bottom-Up SWOT Analysis Template by Coefficient provides a detailed breakdown starting with individual factors before building a comprehensive overview. This approach is excellent for gathering granular insights to form strategies based on detailed data.
This marketing SWOT analysis template emphasizes the small details to identify strengths and weaknesses. It’s ideal for deep dives into specific business areas that require thorough examination.
⭐ Why you’ll love it
- Dive into specific factors to build up to the overall analysis with instructional text and guidance
- Adjust categories or customize information to suit your specific business needs
📍Ideal for: Creative teams and project managers who want to develop a culture of innovation. This business planning SWOT template helps you generate new ideas to identify opportunities for improvement.
5. Excel Top Down SWOT Analysis Template by Coefficient
The Top-Down SWOT Analysis Template by Coefficient is designed for those who prefer a high-level approach. It starts with the big picture and breaks down each category into more specific details.
The template’s focus on overarching strategies helps you pinpoint broad opportunities and threats while streamlining decision-making. It’s perfect for aligning company goals with actionable strategies.
⭐ Why you’ll love it
- Comes with a ready-to-use SWOT structure
- Ideal for strategic discussions where you need to focus on the big picture before diving into specific details
- Helps identify major opportunities and threats for informed decision-making
📍Ideal for: Executives, department heads, and project managers that want to develop a long-term strategy. This free SWOT analysis template helps you identify the internal and external factors that will shape your business’s future.
6. Excel SWOT Analysis Template by DMAICTools.com
The Excel SWOT Analysis Template by DMAICTools.com is a classic, easy-to-use template that streamlines the SWOT analysis process. Built for simplicity, it’s an excellent choice for those looking to perform a quick yet comprehensive analysis.
The best part is that this editable SWOT analysis template includes instructional text and SWOT analysis examples to help you adopt it for your use.
⭐ Why you’ll love it
- Uses diagrams and color codes to highlight key information
- Provides prompts and example text to help you understand what information you need to input in each category
📍Ideal for: Businesses that want to conduct a thorough and detailed performance gap analysis. This template helps you to identify key areas for improvement and develop actionable plans based on your industry analysis.
💡 Pro Tip: Want a more well-rounded analysis? Use our 10 Free Industry Analysis Templates to Track Competition to get a view of your industry and understand how your competitors operate. 📊
7. Excel SWOT Analysis Template by Top Excel Templates
The Excel SWOT Analysis Template by Top Excel Templates provides a visually appealing and well-organized format for conducting a SWOT analysis. It features a clean and professional design that’s easy to understand and work with.
Designed for quick decision-making, this template’s visual appeal makes it suitable for formal business presentations and reports.
⭐ Why you’ll love it
- Includes guided prompts to help you identify key factors in every SWOT category
- Leverage market-focused sections to identify market trends and competitors
- Easy to navigate, making it suitable for teams of all skill levels
📍Ideal for: This template is perfect for individuals who need a quick and easy way to conduct a personal SWOT analysis. It is also perfect for brainstorming, generating ideas, and presenting to stakeholders.
Summarize this article for me pleaseLimitations of Using Excel for SWOT Analysis
While Excel has several SWOT analysis templates that will help you get the job done, it comes with several limitations. The major hiccups you may face when doing a SWOT analysis in Microsoft Excel are:
- Lack of collaboration features: Excel is not designed for real-time collaboration, making it difficult for teams to work together on the analysis. Teams need to either be in the same location to brainstorm using the SWOT matrix
- Limited data visualization capabilities: Excel’s basic charting and graphing tools may not be sufficient for creating visually appealing and informative presentations for your SWOT analysis
- Difficulty in sharing and version control: Sharing and tracking changes to Excel files is challenging, especially for large teams. Tracking the updates made in the simple spreadsheet often requires manual intervention, leading to errors or lapses
While Microsoft Excel is excellent for a SWOT analysis template, these limitations may not be ideal for most modern organizations working in a remote and distributed setup.
Summarize this article for me pleaseAlternative SWOT Analysis Templates Excel
When using a SWOT analysis template in Microsoft Excel or a PowerPoint presentation, the goal is to create a comprehensive business plan to showcase the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
But, how do you ensure that the insights you uncover are not in the shuffle?
This is where ClickUp, an all-in-one project management tool, comes into the picture.
With ClickUp, you can find the best SWOT analysis template to tailor and update for your business plan and launch SWOT tasks right from your brainstorming sessions.
By integrating strategy with project management, the platform transforms your strategy into an action plan that is ready to deliver results from the get-go.
Here are some of our highly recommended SWOT analysis templates
1. ClickUp SOAR Analysis Template
SOAR analysis takes a slightly different approach from SWOT analysis to identify internal factors and external opportunities. SOAR focuses on Aspirations and Results, helping you take a positive approach to strategic planning.
Implement the ClickUp SOAR Analysis Template to encourage a forward-thinking approach and drive meaningful change. It includes sections that will help you gather information and create an action plan based on these insights.
⭐ Why you’ll love it:
- Get segmented sections for each element of the SOAR analysis for a thorough exploration of each area
- Focus on aspirations helps align the analysis with strategic goals and long-term vision
- Encourage team participation by assigning specific tasks to different members
- Link relevant tasks and projects to aspirations and results for seamless strategy execution
📍Ideal for: Teams and organizations looking to develop actionable strategies that align with their aspirations.
💡 Pro Tip: If you prefer a more hands-on approach, follow our comprehensive guide on SOAR analysis to address weaknesses and achieve strategic objectives. 📝
2. ClickUp Personal SWOT Analysis Template
The ClickUp Personal SWOT Analysis Template is especially useful for personal development, career planning, and self-assessment.
By organizing your thoughts visually, assess your professional growth and make informed decisions about your future.
⭐ Why you’ll love it:
- Identify and analyze your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats with clearly defined sections and prompts
- Achieve your personal goals, whether for career planning or self-reflection
- Add tasks and notes directly in ClickUp for holistic tracking of personal growth initiatives
📍Ideal for: Individuals looking to enhance their personal growth, career advancement, or self-awareness. Whether you are a student, professional, or anyone aiming for self-improvement, this SWOT analysis template effectively evaluates your true potential.
3. ClickUp Competitive Analysis Template
The best use of the SWOT matrix is to evaluate your competitors and use these insights for strategic planning. The ClickUp Competitive Analysis Template lets you do just this, allowing you to analyze your key competitors and understand market trends.
Use this SWOT analysis template as a competitor analysis tool to understand your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses and implement these insights.
⭐ Why you’ll love it:
- Get detailed sections for analyzing each competitor’s strategies and market position
- Convert your SWOT analysis into visual insights into current market trends
- Tailor metrics and criteria to fit your industry and specific competitive scenario
- Share insights and collaborate with team members in real-time
📍Ideal for: Marketing teams, business analysts, and executives looking to gain insights into the competitive industry and build on their company’s strengths.
4. ClickUp Competitive Analysis Pricing Template
A key aspect of SWOT analysis is analyzing the company’s strengths compared to the market when defining how to price your products or services.
The ClickUp Competitive Analysis Pricing Template is ideal for those looking to do an in-depth SWOT analysis of their competitor’s products, pricing, and selling strategies to stand out.
This SWOT template allows businesses to evaluate pricing structures, discounts, and value propositions to create a product differentiation that includes internal and external factors.
⭐ Why you’ll love it:
- Get comprehensive sections for detailing competitors’ pricing tiers and unique selling propositions
- Convert your pricing comparisons into visual charts and graphs to identify trends and address potential challenges
- Adjust the template to focus on specific pricing elements relevant to your industry or niche
- Work together with team members to refine pricing strategies collaboratively
📍Ideal for: Pricing analysts, product managers, business strategists, or anyone in the organization who needs to understand the competitive pricing landscape and develop competitive pricing strategies.
Summarize this article for me pleaseElevate your SWOT Analysis With ClickUp
Understanding your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) is the first step to achieving your strategic goals. While the SWOT analysis helps in business planning, what is important is how well you integrate these strategies.
An Excel template provides a basic framework to get you started, but it lacks advanced features and collaboration capabilities.
ClickUp is an excellent choice for seamlessly integrating your SWOT analysis into actionable project management. With its customizable templates and collaborative tools, you can craft your upcoming business objective or conduct a detailed competitive analysis.
Ready to take your SWOT analysis to the next level? Try ClickUp for free today and experience the power of a comprehensive project management solution.
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