Comparison · Light vs Xentral
Light vs Xentral
Xentral is a cloud ERP for commerce that runs sales channels, inventory, orders, purchasing and invoicing in one system, with AI agents and postings exported to DATEV or another accounting system. Light is one agentic ledger for multi-entity finance teams, with AP, AR, cards and consolidation in the same general ledger.
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Light and Xentral, compared
| Feature | Light | Xentral |
|---|---|---|
| General ledger and accounting system of recordXentral: exports postings and document images to DATEV or another accounting system of your choice | Yes | No |
| Group consolidation and intercompany eliminationsXentral: consolidation sits in the accounting system the postings are exported to | Yes | No |
| Accounts payable and vendor bill payXentral: supplier bills in ZUGFeRD, XRechnung, XML or PDF, with SEPA credit transfers on the Pro plan | Yes | Yes |
| Accounts receivable and customer invoicingXentral: invoices, credit notes, automatic payment matching and, on higher plans, dunning | Yes | Yes |
| Corporate and virtual cardsXentral: purchasing runs through purchase requests, purchase orders and supplier bills | Yes | No |
| Agents that complete work, not only suggestXentral: Agent Hub agents handle orders, returns, payment notifications and AP postings, with the team approving proposed entries | Yes | Yes |
| Financial statements (P&L, balance sheet)Xentral: reports cover sales, returns, inventory and gross profit; the P&L and balance sheet come from the accounting system the postings go to | Yes | No |
4 week implementation
KPMG global partnership
Remove 4+ tools
700+ apps
The world's most demanding finance teams run on Light.
Keep the books in one system
Xentral runs channels, orders, inventory and invoicing, and exports postings to DATEV or another accounting system. Light is the general ledger itself, with AP, AR, cards and expenses posting straight to it.
- 01
Statements straight from the ledger
Xentral reports cover sales, returns, inventory and gross profit, while the P&L and balance sheet come from the accounting system the postings go to. Light produces financial statements from the ledger, with drill-down to the source document.
- 02
Run every entity on one ledger
With Xentral, consolidation happens in the connected accounting system. Light holds every entity on one ledger and consolidates as transactions post, with intercompany eliminations included.
When to choose Light
- 01
The ledger is included
Light is the system of record: spend, AP, AR and the general ledger in one platform, with no ERP decision left open.
- 02
Close every entity at once
Consolidation and eliminations update as transactions post.
- 03
Group reporting is always current
Every entity rolls up in real time, with drill-down to the source document and no exports.
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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 Xentral a general ledger?
No. It is a commerce ERP that exports postings and document images to DATEV or another accounting system, where the general ledger is kept. Light is the general ledger itself.
Does Light work with DATEV?
Yes. Light exports DATEV Buchungsstapel from the ledger.
When does Xentral fit?
When the main work is commerce operations: shops, marketplaces, warehouse, shipping and returns, with the books kept in DATEV or another accounting system.
Does Light handle inventory?
Through the Inventory app in the Light App Store: manage physical orders, reserve stock, track shipments and returns, and post FIFO costs to Light, with a stock view tied to the ledger.
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