Glean score factors
Editorial quality86
Practical utility87
Trust & transparency86
Freshness86
Engagement quality10
Momentum7
Decision guide · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026 · AI Knowledge Management, AI Assistants, AI Enterprise Search
Glean
75.4
Onyx
76.7Choose Glean when you need organisations with knowledge scattered across many apps that need permission-aware search and cited answers for every employee. Choose Onyx when you need engineering and operations teams requiring self-hostable, permission-aware enterprise search connected to multi-app ecosystems.
At a glance
The practical differences
| Decision factor | Glean | Onyx |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | organisations with knowledge scattered across many apps that need permission-aware search and cited answers for every employee | engineering and operations teams requiring self-hostable, permission-aware enterprise search connected to multi-app ecosystems |
| Not ideal for | small teams, or buyers who need transparent self-serve pricing | teams seeking a lightweight document reader without technical infrastructure or integration configuration needs |
| Pricing | Glean is sold to organisations on quoted per-user contracts; there is no self-serve price list at the review date. Contact sales through the official site for a quote. | Pricing reflects published Business plan rates billed annually as of September 2026. Self-hosting via open source is available, and an Enterprise tier requires contacting sales. Verify current terms on the official pricing page. |
| Key difference | Deep connector coverage and permission enforcement across enterprise systems, making it a serious company-wide knowledge layer rather than a document chat tool. | Onyx combines open-source transparency and self-hosting flexibility with enterprise-grade permission inheritance across 40+ connectors, hybrid search, and knowledge graph RAG. |
| Overall rank | #305 | #183 |
| Review verdict | A leading choice for mid-size and large organisations that want one trustworthy place to find and ask about internal knowledge. Small teams will find it heavier and pricier than they need. | Onyx suits engineering-led workplaces and security-conscious enterprises seeking an auditable, self-hostable alternative to proprietary workplace search tools like Glean. It is less suited for small teams without dedicated technical support or organizations needing a turnkey, zero-configuration hosted tool out of the box. |
Onyx score factors
Editorial quality78
Practical utility84
Trust & transparency80
Freshness88
Engagement quality8
Momentum100
Glean strengths
- Broad connector ecosystem
- Strong permission enforcement
- Cited answers
- Enterprise administration
Onyx strengths
- Open-source codebase allows full auditing, self-hosting, and infrastructure transparency
- Inherits granular permissions and RBAC across more than 40 enterprise connectors
- Supports modern agent capabilities including MCP actions, code execution, and web search
Frequently asked
Glean vs Onyx
Should I choose Glean or Onyx?+
Choose Glean when you need organisations with knowledge scattered across many apps that need permission-aware search and cited answers for every employee. Choose Onyx when you need engineering and operations teams requiring self-hostable, permission-aware enterprise search connected to multi-app ecosystems. ToolsRank scores Glean 75.4 and Onyx 76.7; the gap reflects editorial quality, utility, trust, and freshness, not popularity or payment.
Is Glean cheaper than Onyx?+
Glean: Glean is sold to organisations on quoted per-user contracts; there is no self-serve price list at the review date. Contact sales through the official site for a quote. Onyx: Pricing reflects published Business plan rates billed annually as of September 2026. Self-hosting via open source is available, and an Enterprise tier requires contacting sales. Verify current terms on the official pricing page. Compare the plan you would actually use and verify current prices on each vendor's pricing page before purchasing.
Which is better for ai knowledge management?+
Onyx currently scores higher for ai knowledge management work. Glean remains the stronger pick when your priority is organisations with knowledge scattered across many apps that need permission-aware search and cited answers for every employee. Avoid Onyx if you are teams seeking a lightweight document reader without technical infrastructure or integration configuration needs.
Can I use Glean and Onyx together?+
Yes. Glean stands out for deep connector coverage and permission enforcement across enterprise systems, making it a serious company-wide knowledge layer rather than a document chat tool. Onyx stands out for onyx combines open-source transparency and self-hosting flexibility with enterprise-grade permission inheritance across 40+ connectors, hybrid search, and knowledge graph RAG. Pairing them makes sense when one workflow needs both strengths; otherwise pick the tool that matches your primary job.