 "Competition" was well received by television critics. Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode an 8.6. ("Great") Goldman enjoyed Sandman's nonchalant behavior, favoring using his newfound powers for money over getting his revenge on Spider-Man. He wrote that the episode "delivered some of the best fight scenes yet," including the Spider-Man punching Sandman only to discover he is made of sand, which he called his favorite fight scene in the entire episode. On Peter's personal life being portrayed, Goldman wrote that he "had to deal with the age old superhero conflict regarding whether he could use his powers to help himself in everyday ways – not just whether it was'right' but whether it might give him away."
