How to conduct credible competitive benchmarking for a SaaS PM tool beyond features?

[JonathanIT]

As the new product manager for a project management SaaS tool, I've been tasked with conducting a comprehensive competitive benchmarking analysis to identify our strengths, weaknesses, and potential market gaps, but I'm struggling to move beyond just comparing feature lists on websites. I need to understand our competitors' actual user experience, pricing strategies, and customer sentiment, but I'm unsure how to systematically gather that intelligence without signing up for dozens of trials under fake accounts or relying on potentially biased third-party reviews. For others who have done this, what methodologies and tools did you find most effective for gathering actionable competitive benchmarking data? How do you analyze and present this information to leadership to drive strategic decisions about product development and positioning, and how often do you revisit your benchmarks to stay current?