Glean is strongest for cross‑app, permission‑aware enterprise search with 100+ connectors and a Work AI suite. Amazon Q Business offers deep AWS integration and simple per‑user pricing ($3 Lite, $20 Pro). Choose Glean for heterogeneous SaaS stacks and knowledge search; choose Q Business for AWS‑first environments and builder workflows.

What these tools are?

What is an AI knowledge tool?
A platform that connects to your company’s documents, chats, tickets and wikis, indexes them, and lets people search and ask questions in natural language. The best tools honour permissions (you only see what you’re allowed to) and cite sources.

Key terms used in this guide

• Connector: a secure integration to a data source (e.g., Google Drive, SharePoint, Slack, Jira). More connectors = broader coverage with less custom work.

• Permission mirroring: the tool copies each app’s access controls, so private docs stay private.

• RAG (retrieval‑augmented generation): the assistant finds relevant passages from your content and uses them to ground its answer, with citations.

• Agent/automation: lightweight workflows that can take actions (e.g., draft a doc, update a ticket) with approvals.

What is Glean?
Glean is a work AI platform known for strong enterprise search across many SaaS apps, strict permission mirroring and a built‑in assistant/agents layer. It’s popular in organisations running a heterogeneous stack (Google Workspace/Microsoft 365 + Slack/Confluence/Jira/CRM/ITSM, etc.).

What is Amazon Q Business?
Amazon Q Business is a managed AI assistant from AWS that connects to your content, answers questions and powers simple apps (“Q Apps”). It shines in AWS‑first environments, pairs tightly with IAM and QuickSight, and offers transparent per‑user pricing.

Deployment at a glance

• Glean: Typically SaaS; admin connects sources, sets scopes and starts indexing. Works well across many third‑party tools.

• Amazon Q Business: Runs in your AWS tenant; benefits from native AWS identity/networking patterns and pairing with Bedrock/QuickSight.

How to choose (mental model)

1. Map your sources → if most knowledge sits in third‑party SaaS, lean Glean; if most sits in AWS services/data and you prefer AWS governance, lean Q Business.

2. Confirm permission mirroring on your trickiest apps/spaces.

3. Pilot with 2–3 day‑one use cases (support, sales enablement, policy search) and measure accuracy, time saved, and citation trust.

Quick Verdict (TL;DR)

• Choose Glean if: Your knowledge lives across Google Workspace/Microsoft 365, Slack, Confluence, Jira, Salesforce, ServiceNow, etc.; you need best‑in‑class semantic search and strict permission mirroring.

• Choose Amazon Q Business if: You’re AWS‑centric, want tight IAM/SSO alignment, QuickSight/Q Apps, and a low‑friction, per‑user model.

Side‑by‑Side Comparison (2026)

Note: Features and pricing evolve—confirm with vendors before purchasing.

Use‑Case Fit

Where Glean excels

• Knowledge discovery: Fast, permission‑aware retrieval across Docs, Drive/OneDrive, Slack threads, Confluence pages, tickets, and CRM records.

• Support & ops: Surface similar cases and policies; reduce handle time with grounded snippets.

• Research & sales: Deep search over wikis + sales assets; personalised answers with citations.

Where Amazon Q Business excels

• AWS‑centric analytics: Natural‑language answers on data with QuickSight; Q Apps to automate internal tasks.

• Security alignment: Uses AWS IAM, private networking patterns, and Bedrock model choices for tighter control.

• Fast start for builders: Simple connector setup; per‑user pricing for predictable pilots.

Decision Matrix

Score each tool for your environment (1–5):

Illustrative only—adjust weights to your priorities.

Buyer Checklist

• Sources to connect (SaaS + data lake) and who owns them.

• Permission model: ACLs, external sharing, guest access.

• Required certifications/assurances (SOC 2, ISO 27001, regional).

• Must‑have connectors and “day‑one” use cases.

• Required analytics (usage, relevance, ROI).

• Rollout plan (pilot OUs/teams, training, guardrails).

FAQs

Is Glean more accurate than Amazon Q Business?
Both return permission‑aware answers. In heterogeneous SaaS environments, customers often report stronger retrieval with Glean’s connector depth; in AWS‑first stacks, Q Business can be more straightforward and performant.

How do prices compare?
Glean is typically sold via sales with enterprise packaging; Amazon Q Business publishes Lite (~$3) and Pro (~$20) per user per month. Verify for your region and usage limits.

Does either tool replace a data warehouse or BI tool?
No. They sit on top of your sources. Q Business pairs closely with QuickSight; Glean focuses on cross‑tool knowledge retrieval.

What about security and permissions?
Both mirror source permissions. Glean emphasises SaaS ACL mirroring across 100+ apps; Q Business aligns with AWS IAM and Bedrock controls.

Can they generate documents and automate tasks?
Yes. Glean offers an assistant/agents; Q Business offers Q Apps and action plugins. Use approvals for high‑risk actions.