How Cassidy and Glean compare at a glance
| Strategic Goal | Glean | Cassidy |
|---|---|---|
Overall positioning | Started as search, added Agents on top | Agents and Workflows as first-class features, powered by the Knowledge Base, with search as one step inside them Win |
Chat and agent quality | Agents extend a search platform; Auto mode plans its own steps | Workflows start from CRM changes, meetings, forms, tickets, and any event from your apps, then read and write to your systems through the final action, with every step auditable Win |
Multi-step workflows and event triggers | Glean says Workflow mode is for fixed, repeatable, deterministic execution with explicit control | Every trigger, condition, and action is explicit and reviewable Win |
Knowledge Base and company context | Custom tools built from scratch require an uploaded API specification and either the Admin or Tool Creator role; MCP servers can also be imported to extend functionality. | No-code Agent and Workflow builder, no spec or admin-only setup required Win |
Model choice and provider flexibility | Enterprise Graph and hybrid keyword + vector + RAG search at scale | Semantic, permission-aware retrieval over the Knowledge Base that supplies context to Agents and Workflows, with less breadth than Glean's Enterprise Graph Lose |
Deployment surfaces | 275+ native and MCP-based connectors out of the box | 100+ integrations, fewer than Glean's 275+, all treated as equal connections Lose |
Governance, permissions and audit logs | Can create and act across Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint through Microsoft 365 tool packs inside Glean | Deploys directly in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Slack, Teams, and Chrome Draw |
Everyday usability and learning curve | Fast, familiar search-bar interface for finding things quickly | Same ease of finding answers, with action available in the same step Draw |
Best Fit | Findability across a large, fragmented app ecosystem is the main need | Finishing multi-step processes end to end is the main need Win |
Search depth vs. automation depth
Glean’s platform philosophy
- Started as an enterprise search tool built around company context and connectors
- Enterprise Graph and hybrid keyword + vector + RAG search at scale
- Agents are a more recent addition layered on top of that same search platform
- Auto mode plans its own steps from a prompt
Cassidy’s platform philosophy
- Agents and Workflows are first-class features, powered by the Knowledge Base from the start rather than added on afterward
- Different retrieval methods, comparable results for getting the right context into an automation, where Glean's focus is finding content and surfacing where it lives
- Explicit triggers (CRM changes, meetings, forms, tickets, and any event from your apps), conditions, and actions defined up front
- What runs is exactly what your team designed, every time
Extending the platform
Glean’s extensibility
- 275+ native and MCP-based connectors covering most enterprise systems
- Custom tools built from scratch require uploading an OpenAPI spec
- Tools can also be imported from MCP servers, with admins controlling which tools are enabled
- Creating tools requires the Admin or Tool creator role
Cassidy’s extensibility
- No-code Agent and Workflow builder: triggers, conditions, and actions visually
- Plain-language instructions, no OpenAPI spec required
- The person closest to the work can build and own it
- 100+ integrations across enterprise tools, treated as equal, first-class connections
Time to value and rollout scope
Glean’s time to value
- Search value grows with the number of connected and indexed sources
- Connectors for the sources you want searchable are set up as part of rollout
- Agents, triggers, and tools are configured separately in Agent Builder and the Admin console
Cassidy’s time to value
- Connect only the systems one high-value workflow needs
- Launch that workflow, prove it, then expand
- No org-wide data rollout required to get started
- Most teams have their first live Workflow running within the first week
Governance, permissions, and audit logs
Glean’s governance controls
- Source-system permissions are enforced across search, chat, and agent actions
- Admin audit logs are on by default and can be exported to a SIEM
- Admins can restrict which agent creators can add specific tools
- Agent roles such as Agent Creator and Agent Moderator control who builds and shares agents
Cassidy’s governance controls
- RBAC, SSO, and audit logging cover every Agent and Workflow run
- Workflow-level permissions control who can view, run, or edit each automation
- Permission-aware Knowledge Base access, inherited from the source system
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA, and CASA certified, with no model training on your data
Implementation, onboarding, and support model
Glean’s support model
- Rollout starts with connector setup and initial crawls
- Admins choose which sources to connect and index
- The Admin console and docs cover tools, agents, and governance setup
- Agents and tools are configured in Agent Builder and the Admin console, separate from connector setup
Cassidy’s support model
- A dedicated solutions team helps design and launch the first Workflows
- No org-wide content audit required before launching one workflow
- Onboarding includes hands-on training for the teams who'll own each Workflow
- Support continues as new Workflows get added, not just at launch
Search experience and everyday usability
Glean’s everyday experience
- Search bar interface is familiar and fast for finding documents and answers
- Hybrid keyword, vector, and RAG search surfaces results across a wide range of connected apps
- Auto mode is the default starting point in Agent Builder, while search, chat, and agents share the same underlying company context
- Available as a web app, browser extension, Slack, and Microsoft Teams
Cassidy’s everyday experience
- Semantic search is grounded in the same Knowledge Base that powers Agents and Workflows
- Finding an answer and acting on it with an Agent or Workflow happen in the same interface
- Available inside Slack, Teams, Chrome, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Built for teams whose daily need is finishing high-stakes work end to end, from retrieving context to the final action
- Answers cite their sources, so teams can verify before acting
Choosing between Cassidy and Glean
Choose Cassidy if…
- Your team needs Agents and Workflows that finish high-stakes tasks end to end, beyond retrieving information
- You want explicit, reviewable control over every step an automation takes
- You want business teams to build and own automations themselves, without an API spec or admin-only setup
- Your automations need to reach Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, not just chat and search
Choose Glean if…
- Your primary, immediate problem is findability across a large, fragmented app ecosystem, and automation is a secondary concern
- Deep, breadth-first indexed search is your main use case, not multi-step process automation
More enterprise AI platform comparisons
FAQ
Cassidy replaces Glean for teams whose core problem has shifted from finding information to completing work. Glean centers on search and answers across a fragmented app ecosystem, with Agents and tools layered on top; Cassidy's Agents and Workflows, both powered by the Knowledge Base, read and write to connected systems to finish multi-step processes end to end. Teams that need both search and action sometimes run them side by side, but Cassidy is built to stand on its own.
Cassidy includes enterprise search through its Knowledge Base, which indexes documents, wikis, and transcripts with semantic, permission-aware retrieval and cites every source. The distinction from Glean is what happens after the answer surfaces: Cassidy's Agents and Workflows can act on that information immediately, writing back to connected systems.
Non-technical teams build Workflows in Cassidy without engineering support. The no-code builder defines triggers, conditions, and actions through plain-language instructions and a visual interface, with no OpenAPI specification or admin-managed authentication setup required. This differs from building custom tools in Glean from scratch, which calls for an uploaded API spec and the Admin or Tool creator role, though tools can also be imported from MCP servers.
Glean's Agents operate on top of its search platform, and Auto mode plans its own execution steps from a prompt, with Workflow mode available for more predictable, repeatable runs. Cassidy has Agents too, and Agents and Workflows are first-class features powered by the Knowledge Base rather than added on afterward. Its Workflows are built around explicit, auditable steps from the start, so every trigger, condition, and action is defined up front and runs the same way every time.
Cassidy deploys directly inside Slack, Microsoft Teams, Chrome, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and can be embedded directly on your website. API access is available for custom integrations beyond these surfaces. This means Agents and Workflows reach the tools your team already works in daily.
Most teams have their first live Workflow running within the first week, connecting only the systems that use case requires. A dedicated solutions team helps design that first Workflow.
Cassidy supports multiple AI models, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and open source models, selectable per Agent or per individual Workflow step based on the task at hand. New models are added as they become available. This mirrors capabilities in Glean's own Model Hub, so model choice is shared ground between the two platforms rather than a point of difference.
Cassidy is SOC 2 Type II attested, GDPR compliant, HIPAA compliant, and CASA validated, with SSO, advanced RBAC, audit logging, and permission-aware Knowledge Base access built in. Customer data is not used to train AI models. These controls cover every Agent and Workflow run, giving enterprise IT teams the governance and audit trail they need to approve rollout.
