In today’s workplace, information lives everywhere—from Google Docs and Slack threads to SharePoint folders and internal wikis. That’s why enterprise search has become a critical capability for modern organizations. Glean search is one of the better-known players in this space—but it has limitations.

Glean promises a “Google-for-work” experience, using AI to find information across your company’s tools. But while its pitch is appealing on the surface, many organizations discover that Glean enterprise search comes with trade-offs in cost, control, and flexibility.

If you’re considering enterprise search tools, GoSearch offers the powerful AI capabilities and flexibility modern teams need.

What Is Glean Search?

Glean search is an enterprise search platform that uses artificial intelligence to surface internal documents, conversations, tickets, and other content across standard workplace apps. Its primary feature is semantic search, which relies on natural language processing (NLP) to interpret queries beyond basic keyword matching, but effectiveness can vary depending on the data and tools in use.

Core Features of Glean Search:

• Semantic Search: Understands intent, not just exact terms.
• AI Answers: Generates summaries from internal content.
• Permissions-Aware Indexing: Respects user-level access controls.
• Contextual Ranking: Adjusts results based on user behavior.
• Standard Integrations: Supports tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, and Jira.

While these features may appear impressive at first glance, Glean often falls short in key areas—namely, implementation complexity, opaque pricing, and limited adaptability to varied tech environments. Organizations with legacy systems, specialized tools, or strict compliance needs frequently face challenges getting Glean to work without significant customization or costly service agreements.

Where Glean Search Falls Short

Despite its sleek interface and AI claims, Glean search presents several challenges that can be dealbreakers for many teams:

❌ Lack of Transparent Pricing

Glean operates on a quote-based model that requires custom negotiations and long-term contracts. For companies trying to plan budgets or avoid vendor lock-in, this lack of clarity is a red flag.

❌ Limited Data Control

Glean often functions as a black box when it comes to indexing and managing data sources. IT and InfoSec teams may find the platform restrictive, with fewer controls over how data is grouped, filtered, or excluded.

❌ Narrow Integration Scope

While Glean supports major SaaS tools, it doesn’t handle custom apps, legacy systems, or shared drives well. That’s a major drawback for enterprises with nonstandard environments or hybrid infrastructure.

❌ Slower Time to Value

Implementation can be time-consuming and resource-heavy. What looks like a plug-and-play solution often requires weeks—or even months—of setup, training, and integration work.

Why GoSearch Is a Better Alternative

GoSearch is a next-generation enterprise search platform built for real-world complexity, not just polished demos. It combines powerful generative AI, true federated search, and a modern pricing model to deliver fast, actionable results across your organization.

Here’s how GoSearch outperforms Glean search in the areas that matter most:

✅ Transparent, Scalable Pricing

GoSearch offers clear, usage-based tiers that scale with your needs. No hidden fees. No enterprise-only contracts. Just straightforward pricing that empowers you to grow.

✅ AI That Delivers Real Results

GoSearch goes beyond basic semantic search by integrating generative AI for:

• Internal document summarization
• Intelligent Q&A
• Knowledge extraction and content generation

These features help teams move faster, without digging through pages of content.

✅ Full Control Over Data Sources

With GoSearch, you decide what to index, how to group it, and how access is managed. That’s a huge win for companies with strict security, compliance, or data governance requirements.

✅ Federated Search Across Any Tool

GoSearch supports a broader range of data connectors than Glean, including:

• Legacy systems
• Shared drives and network folders
• Custom APIs
• Internal knowledge bases
  

Whether your information lives in modern SaaS platforms or you’re still working with legacy infrastructure, GoSearch unifies it all, without the complexity.

✅ Fast, Lightweight Deployment

Unlike Glean, GoSearch doesn’t require a drawn-out onboarding process. Most organizations are up and running within days, not months. That means faster ROI and less IT overhead.

Glean Search vs GoSearch: Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Glean Search	GoSearch
Pricing Transparency	❌ Opaque, quote-based	✅ Clear, tiered plans
AI Capabilities	⚠️ Basic semantic search	✅ Generative AI + summarization & Q&A
Integration Flexibility	⚠️ SaaS-focused, limited connectors	✅ Modern + legacy tool support
Data Control	⚠️ Admins have limited visibility	✅ Full customization and security controls
Deployment Time	❌ Weeks to implement	✅ Deploy in days

Bottom Line: Is Glean Search the Right Choice?

Glean search might work for companies using a standard SaaS stack and willing to commit to a premium price. But for many teams, the platform’s inflexibility, vague pricing, and limited integration scope are significant drawbacks.

If you’re looking for an enterprise search platform that offers more control, more intelligence, and more value, GoSearch is the better option.

See the GoSearch Difference

Ready to see how GoSearch stacks up against Glean Search in real-world use cases? Whether you’re managing hybrid teams, scaling knowledge sharing, or looking to reduce time spent searching for information, GoSearch delivers a smarter, faster path to productivity.

Request a demo today and experience the future of enterprise search.