Know who can copy your idea before you build it.
Moat Check researches the companies already doing your idea, names the one most likely to copy you, and scores how defensible it is across ten moat tests. In about a minute.
Free, no sign-up Private until you publish Live web research
B2B marketplace for Lagos restaurants to order from food suppliers, with next-day delivery and 30-day credit.
- TTradeDepotMost likely to copyB2B distribution and credit for Nigerian retailers
- CChowdeckLagos food delivery with existing restaurant relationships
- MMoniepointBusiness banking, payments and credit for merchants
Reach density in one district before expanding, and raise credit limits for restaurants that order consistently. Credit tied to platform history is the main reason to stay.
- Network effectpass
- Winnable starting marketpass
- Owned customer relationshippass
- Competitive resiliencepartial
- Proprietary datapass
- Data flywheelpass
- Switching costspartial
- Distribution advantagefail
Every idea is scored on the same ten tests of defensibility
- 01Network effect
- 02Winnable starting market
- 03Owned customer relationship
- 04Competitive resilience
- 05Proprietary data
- 06Data flywheel
- 07Switching costs
- 08Distribution advantage
- 09Platform independence
- 10Beyond the AI model
The report
Evidence, not encouragement.
Most idea checkers tell you your idea is great. Moat Check tells you who is already there, who will follow you in, and what would make you hard to displace.
Live competitor research
Every analysis runs fresh web searches and reads what they find. You get the companies already doing your idea, or close to it.
- B2B food supply Lagos restaurants
- restaurant supplier credit Nigeria
- TradeDepot restaurants expansion
- Sources reviewed
- TTradeDepotB2B distribution and credit
- CChowdeckRestaurant delivery, Lagos
- MMoniepointMerchant banking and credit
The copycat, named
The incumbent best placed to replicate you, why, and how long it would take.
Most likely to copy
TradeDepot
Already runs B2B distribution and credit for retailers in Nigeria.
6–12 months to replicate
A score you can argue with
Ten tests, 10 points for a pass and 5 for a partial. Each verdict cites its evidence.
- Network effectpass
- Switching costspartial
- Distribution advantagefail
Founders fill the gaps
Publish an analysis and other founders add the competitors it missed, then confirm each other's.
- HelloFresh added by @priya_raman▲ 3
- Khan Academy added by @wanjiru_kamau▲ 3
Outcomes, on the record
Founders report what happened next, so you can see which ratings held up.
- AnalysedStrong moat, 80
- BuildingFounder update
- Earning revenueLatest update
Panels show an illustrative example analysis.
How it works
From idea to verdict in a minute.
No forms, no calls, no deck. Describe the idea the way you would to a friend. Add your market and customer if you want sharper research.
Read the methodology- 01
Describe it
30 secondsOne or two sentences: what it does and who it's for.
- 02
We research it
About a minuteLive searches for competitors, then a structured review of ten moat tests against what was found.
- 03
You decide
Yours to keepA score, the copycat, the evidence, and the one move that would most strengthen your moat.
Built by founders
Every founder makes the next analysis sharper.
Web research misses things. Founders don't. Competitors they add and outcomes they report feed every future analysis of a similar idea.
- 01
You analyse an idea
Live research finds the competitors and the likely copycat.
- 02
You publish it
Optional. It joins the public library, with or without your name.
- 03
Founders add what was missed
Others add competitors and confirm each other's additions.
- 04
The next analysis starts smarter
Confirmed competitors inform every similar analysis after it.
Idea library
Learn from ideas already tested.
The library is empty so far. Publish your analysis to be the first entry.
How does Moat Check score my startup idea?
We search the web for existing competitors, then assess your idea against 10 defensibility tests. Each test scores 10 points (pass), 5 (partial) or 0 (fail), so the total is out of 100. The score is calculated from the evidence for each test, not guessed.
What do the ratings mean?
0–29 is No moat: an existing player could copy it quickly. 30–54 is Weak moat: a funded competitor could catch up within months. 55–79 is Defensible: copying it would take significant time and capital. 80–100 is Strong moat: durable advantages that compound over time.
Is Moat Check free? Do I need an account?
You can try one analysis without an account. A free account comes with 5 bonus analyses, then 3 a month, keeps your results, and lets you publish to the idea library. For more, credit packs start at $9 for 5 analyses and never expire, and the Investor plan is $99 a month for 150 analyses, with a 7-day free trial. See the pricing page for details.
What is the idea library?
A public collection of analyses that founders chose to publish. Other founders can add competitors an analysis missed and confirm each other's additions, and authors can report what happened next. Confirmed competitors are passed to future analyses of similar ideas, so each published analysis improves the ones after it.
Is my idea kept private?
Yes, unless you publish it. Every analysis starts private, saved at an unguessable link that is not listed or indexed by search engines. Publishing is a separate, reversible step: you can publish with or without your name and unpublish at any time.
Find your moat before a competitor finds your idea.
Your first analysis is free. Accounts get 5 bonus analyses, then 3 every month.