80+
Countries with local payment rails, native to the ledger
Comparison · Light vs Rillet
Light vs Rillet
Rillet brings AI to the general ledger and the close. Light brings AI to the whole finance stack: the general ledger plus native AP, AR, procurement, corporate cards, and expenses in one system, with nothing to stitch together.
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 Rillet
| Light | Rillet | |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation | Weeks, with a dedicated implementation team and account manager included | 4–6 weeks, CPA-led, by their own benchmark |
| Architecture | One AI-native ledger; consolidation posts as transactions happen | AI-native real-time GL; sub-ledgers delegated to partner tools |
| Agents | Agents complete work end to end inside your controls; every action logged and attributable | Aura AI agents on the ledger |
| Configuration | Astra learns from your data and suggests workflow and configuration changes to increase performance; applied in-product, no consultants | Configured with their CPA team |
| Subscription management | Contract-based invoicing and deferred revenue automated | Native usage-based billing and revenue recognition |
| Spend management | Corporate and virtual cards with Apple Pay and Google Pay, expense capture via Slack, Teams and email, native to the ledger | Via Ramp, Brex, Airwallex |
| Global bill pay | AP and vendor payments executed on local rails in 80+ countries, from the ledger itself | AP accounting native; payment execution via Ramp, BILL, Tipalti |
| Advanced reporting | Real-time multi-entity reporting with instant drill-down; no spreadsheet exports | Real-time reporting, SaaS-focused |
| SaaS metrics | ARR, MRR, NRR, churn and cohort metrics computed from the ledger and contracts, in real time | Built in (ARR/MRR waterfall, NRR) |
| Global coverage | Local payment rails in 80+ countries; multi-entity, multi-currency by default | US-centred install base |
Why finance teams choose Light over Rillet
Rillet deserves the comparison: it is a real AI-native ledger with real agents (Aura), fast CPA-led implementations, and built-in SaaS metrics. The difference between the 2 platforms is scope. Rillet's agents reach as far as its ledger reaches, and by design cards, expenses, AP execution and procurement live in partner tools: Ramp, Brex, BILL, Tipalti, Expensify.
Light's bet is that agent reach is the product. AP, AR, cards, expenses, procurement, consolidation and reporting are native to one ledger, so an agent follows a transaction from Slack receipt to posted payment without a handoff, and does it across 80+ countries rather than a US-centred install base.
The partner boundary is the ceiling
A Rillet stack is typically Rillet plus Ramp or Brex plus a bill-pay tool. Each integration is a place where the agent stops, a sync that can drift, and a second audit trail. On Light there is no boundary to cross: the same agent that codes the invoice executes the payment on local rails and posts the result.
Global multi-entity from day one
Rillet's centre of gravity is US SaaS. Light runs multinationals across the US, Europe and APAC with local rails and tax logic in 80+ countries: Tillo processes $2B in revenue across 8 entities, Legora runs 20 countries, and customers with $500M ARR have completed audits on Light.
Configuration that learns
Rillet configures with its CPA team; Light adds Astra, which watches how your team works and suggests workflow and configuration changes applied in-product. The platform improves with use instead of waiting for a services engagement.
Where Rillet is the right call
A single-entity US SaaS company that wants a modern GL and is happy running Ramp for spend can be well served by Rillet. The calculus flips when entities multiply, countries appear, or you want spend and procurement inside the same controlled loop as the ledger.
Signs you’ve outgrown Rillet
The agent stops at the partner boundary
Rillet's ledger is genuinely AI-native, and its agents reach as far as the ledger reaches. Cards, expenses, AP execution and procurement live in partner tools, and every integration boundary is a handoff. On Light those sub-ledgers are native, so agents run the workflow end to end.
Spend is someone else's product
A Rillet stack typically means Rillet plus Ramp or Brex plus a bill-pay tool. Light is one platform: ledger, cards, expenses, AP execution and procurement together.
Global is the gap
Rillet's install base and rails are US-centred. Light runs multi-entity groups across 80+ countries with local payment rails and tax logic.
“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 Rillet
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.
Frequently asked questions
Is Light a good alternative to Rillet?
Yes, and the comparison is real: both are AI-native ledgers with agents. Light adds native cards, expenses, AP execution and procurement, plus multi-entity operations across 80+ countries, where Rillet delegates spend to partners and centres on the US.
Both claim agents. What is the practical difference?
Reach. Rillet's agents work the ledger; spend and payment execution live in partner tools they cannot cross. Light's agents run intake-to-payment and record-to-report end to end because every sub-ledger is native.
Does Light have SaaS metrics like Rillet?
Yes: ARR, MRR, NRR, churn and cohort metrics computed from the ledger and contracts in real time.
How fast is Light to implement versus Rillet?
Both implement in weeks. Light includes a dedicated implementation team and account manager, and the platform then learns your configuration through Astra.