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Business Intelligence · head to head

Glean vs Mode

Glean logo

Glean

Business Intelligence

Work AI that Works

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mode logo

Mode

Business Intelligence

Collaborative analytics for data teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mode has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Glean no pricing published on website; enterprise sales model requires demo request; Mode free tier limited to 4GB RAM and 1 CPU for SQL notebooks, insufficient for large datasets
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Glean and Mode actually diverge.

Attributes where Glean and Mode differ
AttributeGleanMode
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Business Intelligence).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Glean

Nothing recorded that Mode does not also cover.

Only in Mode

  • SQL Editor
  • Python/R Notebooks
  • Interactive Reports
  • Version Control
  • Scheduling
  • Snowflake
  • Redshift
  • BigQuery

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Glean

  • Onboarding new employees across distributed teams to company knowledgenot Mode
  • Maintaining centralized searchable intranet for compliance requirementsnot Mode
  • Surfacing historical archived content for editorial and sales teamsnot Mode
  • Creating AI agents through natural language without engineersnot Mode
  • Reducing language model costs by filtering unnecessary datanot Mode

Mode

  • Self-service analyticsnot Glean
  • Data explorationnot Glean
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Glean
  • Collaborative analysisnot Glean
  • Embedded analyticsnot Glean

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Glean

  • No pricing published on website; enterprise sales model requires demo request

Mode

  • Free tier limited to 4GB RAM and 1 CPU for SQL notebooks, insufficient for large datasets
  • Requires SQL knowledge for most analysis tasks, creating dependency on technical resources
  • Paid plan pricing not publicly listed; requires sales consultation
  • Recently acquired by ThoughtSpot in 2026, creating product direction uncertainty
  • Limited customization options for visual aspects and embedded analytics

Pricing, plan by plan

Glean

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Glean review.

Mode

Free
  • FreeFree
    • SQL Editor
    • Python/R Notebooks
    • Basic Charts
  • Business$65/month
    • Advanced Visualizations
    • Collaboration
    • Integrations

Which should you pick?

Choose Glean if

Nothing in the data separates Glean from Mode on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Glean review

Choose Mode if

  • You need sql editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want python/r notebooks.
Mode review

Questions people ask

Is Glean or Mode better?
Neither clearly leads. Glean starts at On request and Mode at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Glean or Mode?
Mode has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Glean and Free for Mode.
Does Glean or Mode run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mode for free?
Yes. Mode has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Glean starts at On request.
What is Glean best used for?
Glean is most often used for onboarding new employees across distributed teams to company knowledge, maintaining centralized searchable intranet for compliance requirements, surfacing historical archived content for editorial and sales teams, creating ai agents through natural language without engineers. Of those, onboarding new employees across distributed teams to company knowledge and maintaining centralized searchable intranet for compliance requirements are not what Mode is typically brought in for.
What can Glean do that Mode cannot?
Mode covers SQL Editor, Python/R Notebooks, Interactive Reports, Version Control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Glean: How much does Glean cost?

Glean does not publish pricing on its website. The platform uses an enterprise sales model where customers request a demo and pricing is determined through direct consultation with the sales team.

Source
Mode: What languages does Mode support for analysis?

Mode notebooks support SQL, Python (3.11 with pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, matplotlib), and R (4.2.0 with ggplot2, dplyr, tidyr). Both Python and R allow additional library installation at runtime.

Source
Glean: Does Glean offer a free tier or trial?

No free tier information is available on Glean's website. Interested users must request a demo to learn about trial options and pricing.

Source
Mode: Can I integrate Mode notebook results into reports?

Yes. Mode allows adding notebook cell results directly to reports, with synchronized scheduling so reports re-run to keep data current.

Source
Mode: Does Mode support collaborative analysis?

Yes. Mode notebooks provide moveable code blocks and markdown cells enabling exploratory analysis and team collaboration on data queries and visualizations.

Source
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