Comparison · Glean
KnowWhyy vs Glean.
Glean searches across a whole company. KnowWhyy does one narrower job: it answers why a technical or product decision was made, from your GitHub, Slack and Notion, and you can set it up yourself today.
The short answer
If you need one assistant for every department and hundreds of tools, Glean is built for that and is bought through a sales process. If your team wants to ask “why did we build it this way?” across GitHub, Slack and Notion, and would rather sign up and connect a repository this afternoon, KnowWhyy is the smaller, focused option.
Side by side
How they differ.
- Built for
- KnowWhyy:Engineering and product teams asking why decisions were made and what shipped.
- Glean:Whole companies. Glean describes itself as an enterprise AI coworker.
- Sources
- KnowWhyy:GitHub (commits, pull requests, reviews, issues), Slack (channels you select) and Notion (pages you share). Source code and Slack DMs are never indexed.
- Glean:275+ connectors, including GitHub, Slack and Notion.
- Where you ask
- KnowWhyy:The KnowWhyy web app.
- Glean:Web and desktop apps, a browser extension, inside Slack, and AI tools through MCP.
- Slack DMs
- KnowWhyy:Never read.
- Glean:Can index private channels and DMs, as permissioned.
- Citations
- KnowWhyy:Every claim cites its commit, pull request, thread or page. Says so when the sources don't answer.
- Glean:Answers cite their sources.
- Pricing
- KnowWhyy:Public. A free plan for up to 2 members with 300 questions a month; Team is $15 per paid seat / month (or $150 / year); the first 2 members are free, minimum one paid seat.
- Glean:Not published. The pricing page offers a demo.
- Getting started
- KnowWhyy:Self-serve: sign up, connect a tool, choose what gets indexed.
- Glean:Demo and sales-led rollout.
Glean details checked against Glean's own documentation on October 29, 2026. Products change quickly, so confirm current plans and features with the vendor.
Which to choose
An honest recommendation.
Choose Glean if…
- You need answers across many tools beyond GitHub, Slack and Notion, for every department.
- You want to ask from inside Slack, a browser extension or a desktop app.
- You need permission-aware search of private channels and DMs.
- You have an enterprise budget and procurement process.
Choose KnowWhyy if…
- Your hardest questions are about why engineering and product decisions were made.
- Your context lives in GitHub, Slack and Notion.
- You want to start free, without a demo or a sales call.
- You want Slack DMs and source code kept out of the index entirely.
Some teams use a company-wide assistant for HR, sales and policy questions, and KnowWhyy for engineering history. They answer different questions, so they don't conflict.
FAQ
KnowWhyy vs Glean
Is KnowWhyy a Glean alternative?
For engineering and product teams, yes. KnowWhyy covers GitHub, Slack and Notion and focuses on why decisions were made. It isn't a replacement for a company-wide assistant that connects hundreds of tools.
How much does Glean cost compared with KnowWhyy?
Glean doesn't publish prices; its pricing page asks you to request a demo. KnowWhyy has a free plan for up to 2 members with 300 questions a month, and the Team plan is $15 per paid seat / month (or $150 / year); the first 2 members are free, minimum one paid seat.
Can I ask KnowWhyy questions from Slack?
Not yet. Questions are asked in the KnowWhyy web app, and each answer links back to the original Slack thread, pull request or Notion page.
Ask your first question in minutes.
Create a workspace, connect a tool and choose what gets indexed. The free plan includes GitHub, Slack and Notion.