---
type: context
project: spectra
created: 2026-02-14
tags: [type/context, project/spectra, domain/strategy]
---

# Competitive Landscape

## Direct Competitors
| Tool | Type | Strength | Weakness vs Spectra |
|------|------|----------|-------------------|
| **CodeRabbit** | AI PR reviews | Fast, dev-friendly, $150/mo | PR-only, single model, no holistic analysis |
| **SonarQube** | Rules-based quality | Mature, 1000+ rules, enterprise trust | No AI, no architecture analysis, slow |
| **Snyk** | Security scanning | Deep security, great integrations | Security-only, no quality/arch/docs |
| **Semgrep** | Rules-based scanning | Fast, customizable | Rules-only, no docs analysis |
| **DeepSource** | Quality + auto-fix | Auto-fix capability | Limited architecture analysis |
| **Manual Review** | Human experts | Deep understanding | 40+ hours, $200+/hr, inconsistent |

## White Space (No Competitor Offers)
- Multi-agent AI analysis across ALL 6 dimensions simultaneously
- Extended thinking validation (<5% false positives)
- Full-repo analysis in <2 minutes
- Single command, zero config

## Counter-Positioning (Why Incumbents Can't Copy)
| Incumbent | Why They Can't | Likely Response |
|-----------|---------------|-----------------|
| SonarQube | 1000+ rules are their moat; AI undermines it | Superficial AI features |
| Snyk | Security-only brand; expanding dilutes | Partner rather than build |
| Semgrep | Performance is selling point; LLM adds latency | AI as optional add-on |
| CodeRabbit | PR-level UX is core; full-repo changes product | Most likely to attempt similar |

## 7-Layer Moat Strategy
1. Prompt IP (now) — proprietary agent prompts, meta-prompting
2. Golden Files (month 1) — curated test repos with validated outputs
3. Aggregate Data (month 6) — anonymous benchmarks
4. Brand (month 12) — "Spectra Score" becomes shorthand
5. Network Effects (month 18) — more users = better benchmarks
6. Enterprise Lock-in (month 24) — historical data, CI/CD, compliance
7. Process Power (building) — 6-agent pipeline hard to replicate
