Comparison · Light vs OneStream
Light vs OneStream
OneStream is an enterprise corporate performance management platform that unifies financial close and consolidation, planning, reporting and analytics on one data model. It is strong on group consolidation, account reconciliations, driver-based and workforce planning, tax provisioning and ESG reporting, with AI agents built into those workflows. It is not an ERP: it sits alongside the ERPs your entities run and pulls their data in through connectors. Light is the agentic ERP where the ledger and the consolidation are the same system, so the group numbers are the books rather than a platform built above them.
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Light and OneStream, compared
| Feature | Light | OneStream |
|---|---|---|
| General ledger and accounting system of recordOneStream: a finance platform that sits alongside your ERP and pulls its data in; the ERP stays the system of record | Yes | No |
| Multi-entity consolidationOneStream: a core strength: intercompany eliminations, currency translation and US GAAP and IFRS reporting for complex groups | Yes | Yes |
| Budget, forecast and budget-vs-actual reportingOneStream: a genuine strength, from budgets and rolling forecasts to driver-based, scenario, workforce and capital planning | Yes | Yes |
| Accounts payable and accounts receivable ledgersOneStream: not what it is built for; AP and AR stay in the ERPs it connects to | Yes | No |
| Corporate cards and spend managementOneStream: not offered; OneStream is a close, planning and reporting platform | Yes | No |
| Vendor payments on local railsOneStream: not a payments product; cash flow forecasting is planning, not payment execution | Yes | No |
| Consolidation posts continuously as transactions happenOneStream: consolidation runs on data loaded from source ERPs through connectors | Yes | No |
4 week implementation
KPMG global partnership
Remove 4+ tools
700+ apps
The world's most demanding finance teams run on Light.
Consolidate at the source
OneStream loads data from the ERPs your entities run. Light consolidates as transactions post, with drill-down from group figures to source documents.
- 01
Keep daily finance together
Light runs bills, invoicing, cards and payments alongside the general ledger. Agents complete routine work within your controls, with a record of every action.
- 02
Check the specialist requirements
OneStream covers driver-based, scenario and workforce planning, tax provisioning and ESG reporting. If you need those, a dedicated platform is the right answer; compare them explicitly before deciding.
When to choose Light
- 01
One ledger for every entity
Add a company, a country or a currency without adding another system.
- 02
Close every entity at once
Consolidation and eliminations update as transactions post.
- 03
One product for all of finance
Ledger, cards, bills, billing and consolidation run in one product, so no data has to move between systems.
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 OneStream a general ledger?
No. It sits alongside your ERPs and consolidates, plans and reports on their data.
Can Light replace our entity ERPs?
Light provides the ledger, payables, receivables, spend and consolidation in one platform.
When does OneStream fit?
When you keep many different ERPs, or need enterprise planning, tax and ESG reporting on top of them.
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