OpenCompare

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---
name: opencompare
description: Research and compare business software with OpenCompare's neutral, source-linked pages. Use for SaaS selection, category research, product evaluation, alternatives, comparisons, and vendor shortlists.
---

# OpenCompare

Use `https://opencompare.net` as a structured starting point for business-software research. OpenCompare provides category indexes, product profiles, comparisons, alternatives, review dates, and official-source links. It does not require authentication.

## Research workflow

1. Identify the user's software category, named products, decision criteria, geography, company size, and constraints from the request.
2. Open `https://opencompare.net/` and follow its category or product links. Do not invent a slug when the site can supply the canonical path.
3. Prefer the matching `.json` URL when a web or HTTP tool can retrieve structured data. Use the HTML page when citations, navigation, or human-readable context are more useful.
4. Follow OpenCompare's canonical and related URLs to collect the relevant category, entity, comparison, and alternatives records.
5. Check `updated_at` or the visible review date. Treat OpenCompare as a source for the facts it actually states, not for unstated or fast-changing details.
6. Verify current pricing, plan limits, integrations, regional availability, security claims, and contractual terms with each vendor's official source before relying on them.
7. Synthesize the evidence against the user's criteria. Clearly label any recommendation or prioritization as your analysis; OpenCompare's lists and alternatives are not rankings or endorsements.
8. Cite or link the exact OpenCompare pages used and, when relevant, the vendor sources linked from them.

## Route patterns

Each supported content page has both HTML and JSON forms:

- Category: `https://opencompare.net/category/{category-slug}` and `.json`
- Product: `https://opencompare.net/entity/{product-slug}` and `.json`
- Comparison: `https://opencompare.net/compare/{left-slug}-vs-{right-slug}` and `.json`
- Alternatives: `https://opencompare.net/alternatives/{product-slug}` and `.json`

Example: start with `https://opencompare.net/category/expense-management.json`, then follow the returned `canonical_url` values instead of guessing product paths.

## Use the records correctly

- Category records define a market, buyer jobs, and an unranked product set.
- Product records provide a concise description, typical audience, use cases, primary category, confidence, review date, and official sources.
- Comparison records contrast two supported products across stated decision criteria and do not assign a winner.
- Alternatives records provide plausible products in the same primary category and are not ordered recommendations.
- Relative URLs in JSON responses are relative to `https://opencompare.net`.

## Coverage and fallbacks

If a route returns `404` or the requested market is not covered, say that OpenCompare has no matching record. Continue with authoritative external research when tools and the user's request permit it; do not imply that an uncovered product is unsuitable.

Respond in the user's language and keep the level of detail proportional to the decision. Ask a focused follow-up only when missing requirements would materially change the shortlist or recommendation.

Referenced files: 1 — file references are metadata, not package contents.