Abstract: 【Purpose/significance】This paper aims to compare the characteristics and development trends of research on competitive intelligence of small and medium-sized enterprises at home and abroad, reveal the differences between them, and provide a useful ref‐erence for further research by domestic scholars【. Method/process】Firstly, we use CNKI, Wipu, Wanfang and core collection of Web of Science as data sources, retrieval and obtain relevant paper information. Then, with the help of visual tool ITGInsight, analyze the co-authorship, journal association, topic distribution and evolution. Finally, the domestic and foreign research on competitive intelli‐gence of SMEs is compared from four dimensions: subject field, co-authorship, research topic and evolution trend.【Results/conclu‐sion】Foreign research has developed rapidly, with a wide distribution of topics, obvious interdisciplinary and close cooperation among authors. However, the domestic research enthusiasm is insufficient, the distribution of research topics and disciplines is concentrated,and the degree of cooperation between authors is low.【Innovation/limitation】This paper analyzes the differences between domestic and foreign SMEs' competitive intelligence research from different dimensions by using the visualization method. The sample litera‐ture and research tool have certain limitations. In the future, we should expand the scope of literature retrieval and make comprehen‐sive comparative analysis with other tools, so as to make the research results more comprehensive and credible.