Comparison · Light vs Aptean
Light vs Aptean
Aptean sells industry ERPs for food and beverage, apparel, process and discrete manufacturing, distribution and life sciences, connected through its AI platform, AppCentral. Light is one agentic ledger for multi-entity finance teams, with AP, AR, cards, billing and consolidation in the same books.
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Light and Aptean, compared
| Feature | Light | Aptean |
|---|---|---|
| General ledger and accounting system of recordAptean: financials sit in each industry ERP beside purchasing, inventory and production | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-entity accounting and consolidationAptean: editions built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central can consolidate several companies | Yes | Yes |
| Accounts payable and vendor bill payAptean: purchasing and financials run together in each industry ERP | Yes | Yes |
| Accounts receivable and customer invoicingAptean: invoicing in the ERP, with Aptean Pay taking card and ACH payments that reconcile in the ERP | Yes | Yes |
| Agents that complete work, not only suggestAptean: AppCentral agents update production plans, notify procurement and run workflows that Aptean's specialists design | Yes | Yes |
| Financial statements (P&L, balance sheet) | Yes | Yes |
4 week implementation
KPMG global partnership
Remove 4+ tools
700+ apps
The world's most demanding finance teams run on Light.
Run every entity on one ledger
Aptean's industry ERPs keep financials beside purchasing, inventory and production. Light holds every entity on one agentic ledger and consolidates as transactions post, with intercompany eliminations included.
- 01
Put spend and billing in the books
Aptean runs purchasing in the ERP and collects customer payments through Aptean Pay. In Light, cards, expenses, supplier payments on local rails in 80+ countries and contract-based invoicing all post to the same ledger.
- 02
Let agents finish the work
Aptean's AppCentral agents update plans, flag issues and run workflows across its industry products. Light's agents code, match and post inside the controls your finance team sets, with every action logged.
When to choose Light
- 01
Close every entity at once
Consolidation and eliminations update as transactions post.
- 02
Cards and expenses built in
Spend posts to the same ledger as everything else.
- 03
Implementation is included
A dedicated Light team moves your entities onto Light in weeks, with an account manager included.
Trusted by the world's
fastest growing companies
See how finance teams run lean and global on Light.
Read customer stories-
“We evaluated several vendors. Light won because it covers our full finance stack, revenue, AR, AP, expenses, and consolidation, without stitching together a patchwork of point solutions.”
Tanja, Director of FinanceOmnea -
“Even though we’re three entities, it’s like I’m running a finance department for one entity.”
Thobias, Finance ManagerAlva Labs -
“I really like that Light’s AI already gives me suggestions, GL accounts, cost centers, tax codes. I don’t have to start from scratch.”
Cédric, Finance ManagerOper Credits -
“Nine times out of ten the AI matches everything and posts it to the right account. One click and you’re done.”
Jeppe, CFOKeyShot
Built for the daily work
Bills through to payment
Capture invoices, route approvals and pay vendors from the same system.
Room to grow
One ledger built to handle billions of transactions across your business.
Trace every number
Open a report and drill straight into the transactions behind it.
Spending, under control
Expenses, vendors and cards connected to your ledger.
Expenses
Collect receipts, approve expenses and track spend as it happens.
Vendors
Keep supplier details, bills and approvals together. Apply your purchasing rules as work moves through.
Cards
Issue cards for employees and vendors. Pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay. Send receipts through Slack, Teams or email.
Frequently asked questions
Is Aptean a general ledger?
Aptean sells industry ERPs, and the general ledger sits inside each one beside purchasing, inventory and production. Light is one agentic ledger built for multi-entity finance teams.
Does Light handle inventory?
Yes, through the Inventory app in the Light App Store: physical orders, stock reservations, shipments and returns, FIFO costs posted to Light, and goods received against purchase orders and bills.
When does Aptean fit?
When production, recipes, traceability or the supply chain are the core of the system you are choosing, and you want industry ERP, planning and transport from one vendor.
How long does implementation take?
A dedicated Light team moves your entities onto Light in weeks, with an account manager included. Aptean's food and beverage ERP typically goes live in four to six months.
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