Glean alternative
A focused Glean alternative for smaller teams.
Glean is a broad enterprise search and work-AI platform with hundreds of connectors, centralized administration, agents, and a synced search index. Chat with Work is the focused, self-serve alternative for smaller teams that want to search Drive, Dropbox, and Slack without building a permanent workplace-content index.
Side by side.
Both solve a real problem. They aim at different buyers.
| Dimension | Glean | Chat with Work |
|---|---|---|
| Target customer | Large enterprise. | Smaller teams and mid-market. |
| How it searches | Builds and syncs a permanent index of your enterprise data. | Searches Drive, Dropbox, and Slack live. Nothing is permanently copied; cached text is encrypted and deleted after 30 days unused. |
| Time to first answer | Admin-led setup. Glean notes that large sources can take several days to finish syncing. | Immediately after signup. |
| Pricing | Contact sales; public list pricing is not displayed. | €5–€50 per seat per month. Self-serve. |
| Buying motion | Enterprise sales cycle and procurement. | Self-serve sign-up. |
| Connector count | 275+ native and MCP-based connectors advertised by Glean. | Google Drive, Dropbox, and Slack today; more coming. |
| Actions and agents | Supports actions, agents, triggers, and human approval controls. | Read-only search and answers today. |
| Model choice | Platform-managed. | Claude, GPT, Gemini, Mistral, and others; processing location depends on the provider you choose. |
| Deployment fit | Centralized enterprise rollout with IT and security involvement. | Self-serve by default; self-hosting is available. |
Last reviewed August 14, 2026. Glean's product changes over time; see its official connector directory and connector setup documentation for current details.
Comparing two larger workplace-search platforms first? Read Glean vs Dropbox Dash.
Common questions
Before choosing a Glean alternative.
Is Chat with Work a Glean alternative?
Yes, for smaller teams that need focused search across Google Drive, Dropbox, and Slack. Glean is the stronger fit when you need a broad enterprise platform, hundreds of connectors, centralized administration, agents, and actions.
Does Chat with Work build a permanent search index?
No. Chat with Work searches connected accounts when you ask. Matching content may be kept in an encrypted cache for speed, then deleted after 30 days of inactivity.
How can a smaller team try Chat with Work?
Create a self-serve account, connect Google Drive, Dropbox, or Slack, and start asking questions. There is no company-wide migration or search index to build first.
Get the answer in Drive, Dropbox, and Slack today.
One file-source connection, a couple of clicks. Add Slack from settings when you're ready.
Create your account and connect a work source.