Alternatives

Glean Alternatives (November 2026)

TL;DR: Glean is a sales-led enterprise platform for search, an assistant and agents over connected company data, with source permissions enforced. Swfte Studio is a visual builder for agents and workflows on the same platform as a model gateway, with published prices. If your need is company-wide search, Glean is built for it; if it is building and testing agents, compare Studio.

Updated Oct 6, 20267 min read

About Glean and why teams compare it

Glean describes itself as enterprise AI that understands your company. Its home page says it supports 275+ connections to work apps and data sources and 40+ language models, and its agent builder is described as no-code, with natural-language or template starts, branching and looping, and automatic versioning. Its security page says it enforces source-system permissions on every read and write. Pricing is not published: the pricing page directs buyers to a demo. Teams compare it with Swfte when they want published prices, or when what they need is a builder for agents and workflows with testing and releases rather than search across many apps. This page compares the two on published facts and says who should pick which. Swfte also has a separate page on enterprise AI search.

Glean sits in the Enterprise AI platform: search, assistant and agents over connected company data category. In short: A sales-led enterprise platform that connects to company apps, enforces source-system permissions, and offers an assistant and a no-code agent builder on top. Pricing as published is Not published; sales-led. The pricing page shows no prices and directs buyers to Get a demo. Glean’s MCP documentation says MCP is subject to usage-based pricing with supplemental FlexCredit terms. It is best for Large organisations that want company-wide search and assistants over many connected apps, with source permissions enforced and a vendor-run or customer-hosted deployment.

Swfte vs Glean at a glance

CapabilitySwfteGleanChecked at
CategoryVisual builder for agents and workflows (Studio), on the same platform as the gatewayEnterprise AI platform that connects to company apps, with search, an assistant and a no-code agent builder, per GleanGlean home page
Pricing unit and plansFree (10 workflows, 5 agents, 2,000 executions per month); Pro $39; Team $99 (3 users included); Enterprise customNot published; sales-led. The pricing page lists no prices and directs buyers to Get a demo. MCP is described as subject to usage-based pricing with FlexCredit terms; how seats and credits are counted overall is not stated on the pages we reviewedPricing
Who buildsVisual builder in Studio, with an API for custom systemsA no-code, drag-and-drop agent builder: start from natural-language instructions or a template, with branching and looping and a choice of model for each stepAgent builder
Integrations100+ tool integrations, plus an API for custom systems275+ connections to work apps and data sources, including Slack, Google Drive, Jira, Confluence, SharePoint, GitHub and Salesforce, per GleanGlean home page
AI agents and modelsAny model reachable through the Connect gateway; agents and multi-agent orchestration in StudioThe home page says 40+ language models. The docs name the GPT, Claude and Gemini families, a Model Hub for onboarding new models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Amazon, bring-your-own-key deployments, and admin control over which models users can chooseModel choice
MCPSee the MCP gateway page for how Swfte approaches MCPGlean is both an MCP host and an MCP server, generally available on all plans. Admins connect remote servers over SSE or streaming HTTP. Agents that use write tools or human-in-the-loop steps cannot be added to an MCP serverAbout Glean MCP
Human approvalRole-based access and human-approval steps in workflows; configurable data-retention policies are designed for, not shippedWrite tools in agents ask the user to Allow or Cancel in interactive Glean web app sessions, and agent builders can choose to bypass confirmation for a step. A Wait for user input step pauses an agent for up to 30 days and cannot be scheduled or used through Slack, MCP or the APIHuman-in-the-loop for write tools
Evaluation and versioningTesting and evaluation: A/B experiments between chatflow versions and safety policies on agents are built; golden sets and regression runs are in development. Versions with promote and rollback for chatflows and workflows; release channels and gradual rollouts are in developmentThe agent builder page describes testing outputs, drafts, automatic versioning and rollback. A formal evaluation framework with datasets is not verified from the pages we reviewedAgent builder
Permissions and auditTraces, logs and token-cost telemetry per stepGlean says it enforces source-system permissions on every read and write, and logs every control point to an audit trail whose events can be streamed into a SIEMGlean security
HostingManaged service; customer data at rest in AWS Ireland. Dedicated or private deployment is designed for and scoped as an engagement, not self-serveTwo models: Glean Hosted, a SaaS service on GCP, and Customer Hosted, where Glean deploys its tenant as a managed service inside your own GCP or AWS environment. Both are described as single-tenantDeployment models
SSO and admin controlsSAML SSO and SCIM are in developmentSAML and OIDC are supported with Microsoft Entra ID, Okta and Google Workspace, and Glean says it prefers OIDC. SCIM is not verified from the pages we fetchedSSO protocols
Data use and trainingNot listed on this site as a Studio statement; see the trust centreModel providers are configured with zero-retention commitments, so customer data is not stored or used for training by the model vendors, per Glean’s docsModel choice
ComplianceNo SOC 2 report or ISO 27001 certificate is held and no HIPAA BAA is signed today; a SOC 2 Type I audit is in preparation (see the trust page). The exact posture depends on your use case, jurisdiction and deploymentGlean’s security page lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, HIPAA, GDPR and TX-RAMP Level 2. Scope and dates are not stated on that pageGlean security
Export and portabilityNot verified for Studio on this pageNot verified from the pages we reviewed

Glean values were checked against the vendor's own pages on October 6, 2026. Plans, prices and limits change; confirm on the vendor's page before you decide. Where a cell is blank or says "not verified", we could not confirm it from a primary source and chose not to guess.

Who should pick which

Pick Glean if

  • Your main need is company-wide search and an assistant over many connected apps, with source-system permissions enforced on every read and write.
  • You want a Customer Hosted deployment inside your own GCP or AWS environment, which Glean documents, and are comfortable with a sales-led process.
  • You need a long list of connectors out of the box: Glean says 275+.
  • You need a security page that lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, HIPAA, GDPR and TX-RAMP Level 2 and want to review it with Glean.

Pick Swfte if

  • You want to build and test agents and workflows in a visual builder with A/B experiments (golden sets and regression runs are in development).
  • You want version rollback (release channels and gradual rollouts are in development) around agent releases.
  • You want the builder and the model gateway on one platform, so routing, failover and cost tracking are shared, with prices published on the pricing page.
  • Your need is a workflow or agent that acts, more than a search layer over every app.
  • You are comfortable with Swfte’s current gaps: SAML SSO and SCIM are in development, dedicated or private deployment is scoped as an engagement and is not self-serve, and the integration catalogue is far smaller than a company-wide connector set.

What Glean does well

  • Glean says it supports 275+ connections to work apps and data sources
  • Source-system permissions are enforced on every read and write, per its security page
  • Two deployment models are documented: Glean Hosted, and Customer Hosted inside your own GCP or AWS environment, both single-tenant
  • A no-code agent builder with branching and looping, drafts, versioning and rollback
  • Security page lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, HIPAA, GDPR and TX-RAMP Level 2

Trade-offs to weigh

  • Pricing is not published: the pricing page directs buyers to Get a demo
  • Human-in-the-loop confirmations for write tools apply to interactive sessions in the Glean web app, and the Wait for user input step cannot be scheduled or used through MCP or the API
  • Agents that use write tools or human-in-the-loop steps cannot be exposed as MCP tools
  • Its pages emphasise company-data search and assistants; a dataset-based evaluation framework for agents is not described on the pages we reviewed

When Swfte is the better choice

When the job is building and testing agents and workflows with versioned releases, on the same platform as a model gateway, and you want a self-serve plan with published prices. Glean is the better fit if the core need is enterprise search across many connected apps.

Swfte Studio is for teams that want to build agents and workflows visually and run them as a managed service. It uses the Connect gateway for model access, so routing, failover and cost tracking are shared, and it lists testing and evaluation, semantic versions with rollbacks, and human-approval steps in workflows. Nexus adds agent governance.

Swfte is not a replacement for enterprise search. Glean says it connects to 275+ apps and enforces source-system permissions, and it documents a Customer Hosted deployment. Swfte is earlier on enterprise identity: SAML SSO and SCIM are in development, and dedicated or private deployment is an engagement, not self-serve.

Where Swfte fits

Agents that business teams ownWorkflows where an agent drafts, classifies or routes work, built and changed in a visual builder by the team that owns the process.
Tested and versioned agent releasesStudio lists A/B experiments between chatflow versions and version rollback, with golden sets, regression runs and release channels in development around the agent steps.
Human-approval steps in workflowsHuman-approval steps sit in workflows in Studio, with role-based access, and Nexus is available next to Studio for agent governance.
Keep Glean where company search is the pointIf people need to find answers across every connected app, keep Glean for that. Use Swfte for the agents and workflows that should be tested and released.

How to migrate from Glean to Swfte

  1. List how you use Glean

    Separate search and assistant use from agents. For each Glean agent, note its trigger, steps, tools, the apps it reads and any human confirmation.

  2. Decide what to move

    Search across many connected apps is not what Studio is for, so keep that in Glean. Agents that call models and a handful of tools are candidates for Studio.

  3. Record what you have

    Copy each agent’s instructions, steps and tool list into a document. We do not list an import for Glean agents, and we have not verified an export from Glean, so treat it as a rebuild.

  4. Rebuild one workflow in Studio

    Recreate the trigger, the agent steps, the tools and any approval step. Studio’s free plan includes 10 workflows, 5 agents and 2,000 executions per month, enough to test one case. Studio lists 100+ tool integrations plus an API for the rest.

  5. Test on real inputs, then run both

    Run 20 to 50 real inputs through Studio’s testing and compare with the Glean agent. Then run both for a while and compare outputs, failures and cost.

  6. Cut over what fits

    Move the workflows that benefit from versioned releases and keep search and assistant use in Glean. Check systems you need against the Studio integration list before you commit.

How Glean compares to other alternatives

Other products worth comparing are Dust and Copilot Studio. Each has its own page in the alternatives index.

For a full cross-comparison see the alternatives index and the head-to-head comparisons grouped by category.

Sources

Glean facts on this page come from the vendor's own documentation and pricing pages. Swfte facts come from our pricing and product pages. See something out of date? Tell us at sales@swfte.com and we will correct it.

Frequently asked questions about Glean alternatives

Is Swfte a Glean alternative?

For building and testing agents and workflows, yes. For company-wide enterprise search across many connected apps, no: Glean says it supports 275+ connections and enforces source-system permissions, and Studio’s catalogue is much smaller. Many teams would use each for different jobs.

How much does Glean cost?

Glean does not publish prices. Its pricing page shows no plans and directs buyers to Get a demo, so cost depends on a sales conversation. Swfte Studio lists Free, Pro $39, Team $99 (3 users included) and Enterprise custom.

Does Glean have a free plan?

We did not find a free plan on the pages we reviewed. Swfte Studio’s free plan includes 10 workflows, 5 agents and 2,000 executions per month.

Can I self-host Glean?

Glean documents a Customer Hosted model, where it deploys its tenant as a managed service inside your own GCP or AWS environment, alongside Glean Hosted. That is a managed deployment rather than software you run yourself. Swfte Studio is a managed service; dedicated or private deployment is scoped as an engagement, not self-serve.

Can I import my Glean agents into Swfte?

No. We do not list an import for Glean agents, and we have not verified an export from Glean. Record each agent’s instructions, steps and tools and rebuild the workflow in Studio.

Does Glean support MCP and human approval?

Yes to both, with limits. Glean is an MCP host and server, and agents with write tools or human-in-the-loop steps cannot be exposed as MCP tools. Write-tool confirmations apply to interactive sessions in the Glean web app. For Swfte’s approach to MCP see our MCP gateway guide.

Is Glean compliant, and how does that compare with Swfte?

Glean’s security page lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, HIPAA, GDPR and TX-RAMP Level 2; scope and dates are not on that page, so confirm them with Glean. Swfte does not hold a SOC 2 report or an ISO 27001 certificate and does not sign HIPAA BAAs today; a SOC 2 Type I audit is in preparation, and the trust page has the current status. Ask each vendor for its documents and check them against your use case.

Which models does Glean work with?

Glean says 40+ language models and its docs name the GPT, Claude and Gemini families, with bring-your-own-key deployments. Studio uses any model reachable through the Connect gateway.

Rebuild one agent in Studio

Pick an agent that does not depend on company-wide search, rebuild it on the free plan, and compare results on your own data.

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