80+
Countries with local payment rails, native to the ledger
Comparison · Light vs NetSuite
Light vs NetSuite
NetSuite takes a long time to implement and you need third party solutions for core finance workflows. Go live quickly instead, and get cards, AP, procurement controls as well as consolidated reporting and multi-entity accounting.
Book a demo$2B
Revenue Tillo runs on Light across 8 entities
76%
Cut in Tillo's month-end processing time
4
People on the finance team scaling Lovable to $500M revenue
Compare Light vs NetSuite
| Light | NetSuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation | Weeks, with a dedicated implementation team and account manager included | 6–18 months, typically led by a system integrator |
| Architecture | One AI-native ledger; consolidation posts as transactions happen | Batch processing; period-end runs per entity |
| Agents | Agents complete work end to end inside your controls; every action logged and attributable | Assistive AI features; agentic capability on the roadmap |
| Configuration | Astra learns from your data and suggests workflow and configuration changes to increase performance; applied in-product, no consultants | Consultant-led; SuiteScript customization and admin changes via partners |
| Subscription management | Contract-based invoicing and deferred revenue automated | SuiteBilling, a separately licensed add-on |
| Spend management | Corporate and virtual cards with Apple Pay and Google Pay, expense capture via Slack, Teams and email, native to the ledger | Via marketplace partners (Ramp, Brex and others) |
| Global bill pay | AP and vendor payments executed on local rails in 80+ countries, from the ledger itself | Payment runs per entity; execution via banks and third-party connectors |
| Advanced reporting | Real-time multi-entity reporting with instant drill-down; no spreadsheet exports | Saved searches and SuiteAnalytics; often exported to spreadsheets |
| SaaS metrics | ARR, MRR, NRR, churn and cohort metrics computed from the ledger and contracts, in real time | Requires customization or a separate metrics tool |
| Global coverage | Local payment rails in 80+ countries; multi-entity, multi-currency by default | Broad global coverage; localization via SuiteTax and partners |
Signs you’ve outgrown NetSuite
Your system needs a full-time admin
Most NetSuite teams end up with a dedicated admin, a consultant on retainer, or both. Light is run by the finance team directly, with a dedicated account manager included rather than billed.
Period-end is a series of Run buttons
NetSuite's batch architecture means prepaids, depreciation and intercompany each wait for a period-end run, per entity. On Light, consolidation and eliminations post as transactions happen.
The add-on bill keeps growing
SuiteBilling for subscriptions, connectors for integrations, paid tiers for support. Biofire ran four US entities this way, then moved off NetSuite to Light for real-time event streaming into its manufacturing systems.
“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.”
TanjaDirector of Finance, Omnea
Top 3 reasons leaders pick Light over NetSuite
An all-inclusive platform
Leverage native products for AP, AR, Procurement and budgeting that seamlessly leverage AI and integrate to Slack and Teams.
Superior performance
Whether you are processing 100,000 or 50 million transactions, the Light Ledger is based on a hyper-performant database.
Beautiful reporting
Stop the reporting headache of spreadsheets, and get fast, intuitive reports with instant drill-down capabilities.
More reasons to love Light
Enjoy integrated products that both finance and the employees enjoy using.
Expense Management
Automate expense approvals, track spending in real-time, and gain insights with AI-powered analytics.
Vendor Management
Streamline vendor relationships with simplified onboarding, tracking supplier performance, and enforcing procurement policies.
Cards
Issue vendor and employee cards with Apple Pay and Google Pay globally. Upload receipts via Slack, Teams or email.
See the Light
Ready to un-ERP? The world's most complex finance teams already did.