Is BlackLine a complex software for finance and accounting teams?

No. The simple answer is that more than 385,000 users, including those with limited technology experience, use BlackLine. We have dedicated product managers who prioritize user-intuitive functionality. This translates to business-owned software often administered by accounting teams and functionality that can be learned rapidly by all users. Organizations frequently buy, implement, and use BlackLine before their next monthly close cycle.

Does OneStream offer the same functionality as BlackLine?

Not at all. OneStream offers FP&A-focused technology specializing in planning, consolidation, and financial reporting. Although OneStream offers some accounting solutions, like account reconciliations, its accounting offerings are generally limited in terms of products and capabilities. BlackLine provides more options to streamline accounting processes, from capabilities like more rule-based workflow options to products including an integrated Journal Entry product and the industry's only end-to-end Intercompany management solution.OneStream claims that organizations streamline accounting processes, with one customer saving as much as 20% in their close, while BlackLine’s dedicated solutions reduce close time by up to 70%.

Is BlackLine’s implementation timeline longer than OneStream?

BlackLine’s setup is faster than OneStream’s, period. BlackLine offers the fastest implementation options in the industry for midsize and enterprise customers, including the 5-Day Fast Track setup and the 2-week Rapid Remote. Most importantly, our professional services teams will work with you to understand your goals and set up an implementation plan for your timeline.

Does BlackLine’s software need a lot of technical resources (e.g., IT)?

BlackLine is a business-owned technology that is typically maintained directly by accounting teams. Though you may choose to assign IT owners, most finance and accounting teams maintain and manage their BlackLine instances with little to no IT involvement.

Does OneStream see more user adoption than BlackLine?

Last we checked, BlackLine boasts a larger customer and user base than OneStream. More than 4,400 companies and 385,000 users trust BlackLine to optimize their financial operations. More importantly, our customers are satisfied and choose to stay with BlackLine, as evidenced by our 97% retention rate.

Is BlackLine only for Enterprise Organizations?

BlackLine’s platform is designed to meet you where you are today and scale to meet your organization’s needs in the future. While more than 46% of the Fortune 500 trust Blackline, about half our customers are small or midsize organizations, sometimes with just one user. That may be why we have a 97% customer retention rate, and many OneStream users often switch to BlackLine.

Will BlackLine attempt to sell me more than I need?

No. While OneStream will sell you its whole platform, including unnecessary solutions, our approach focuses on understanding your organizational and optimization goals to identify the solutions that will have the most impact on day one. We only sell you what you need today.

Is BlackLine only a point solution?

No. BlackLine offers targeted solutions across Record-to-Report and Invoice-to-Cash processes. Though not all, many of our solutions integrate to unify your accounting processes and unlock greater efficiency, control, and visibility across your organization.Our approach is different from OneStream’s, but our focus is on providing the solutions and functionality that will deliver the value accounting teams need to drive efficiency, control, and productivity across the office of the CFO.

Future-ready finance & accounting teams choose BlackLine over OneStream

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Future-ready finance & accounting teams choose BlackLine over OneStream

BlackLine vs. OneStream

Choosing the right vendor is critical for optimizing your financial operations effectively. OneStream’s finance-intensive approach often leaves accounting teams on the sidelines, with limited optimization and underutilized products. Our comprehensive, end-to-end solutions for record-to-report truly empower your F&A teams. BlackLine seamlessly addresses close, intercompany, and consolidation processes, unlike OneStream, and our customers typically unlock more optimization and value with an average ROI of $2.77.

But don't take our word for it. Look what leading industry analysts are saying:

Ventana Research Finance Close Buyers Guide

Exemplary

Did not meet evaluation criteria

Foundational Record-to-Report Optimization

BlackLine’s purpose-built solutions unify your record-to-report activities, delivering automation, control, and actionable insight.

OneStream’s focus on financial planning limits accounting’s optimization potential. In fact, OneStream provides limited proof of how they improve the financial close. In contrast, BlackLine users have reduced their financial close time by up to 70%.

Faster Implementation & Onboarding

BlackLine offers targeted and flexible deployment options to make optimization impactful and achievable now and throughout your journey.

Alternatively, OneStream's implementations are often lengthy and complex, as echoed by numerous G2 reviews:

“It is a huge learning curve, and it is not entirely intuitive”
“Implementation cost is very high”
“OneStream could provide better training or in-house implementation”

Business-Owned and Agile

Finance and accounting teams own and manage BlackLine’s cloud-based suite of solutions. There’s no coding, customization, or need to dedicate IT resources to administering software.

On the contrary, OneStream is often IT-owned, requiring staff and customization that can create software management challenges. A recent customer noted, “OneStream’s implementation and customization can be complex, requiring technical expertise and extensive training.”

What Our Customers Say

“World-class financial close management tool with an end-to-end solution provider. BlackLine has addressed business problems like centralizing the data across all regions on one platform. We could define the segregation of duties by assigning the accounts and tasks to the respective people. We’re now able to monitor the certification status, timeliness, KPAs, and reporting centrally.”

Enterprise Organization with >1,000 employees

“BlackLine is an amazing software solution! My overall experience with BlackLine is incredibly positive due to their robust product offering, comprehensive support, and fantastic community events. Their (always improving) software helps to make the lives of regular accountants much easier and greatly enhances company efficiencies.”

Healthcare & Biotech Company

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Better Security

BlackLine adheres to the highest standards and has more data privacy and security certifications than Onestream, including PCI-DSS and ISO certifications 27017, 27018, and 27701. When you choose BlackLine, you're partnering with a trusted provider that prioritizes your data security with proven, globally recognized standards.

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Industry Leading Practices

BlackLine empowers organizations of all sizes and industries by unifying data and processes, automating repetitive tasks, and enhancing accountability through comprehensive visibility. Our solutions enable F&A teams to shift their focus from manual, time-consuming work to strategic, value-driven activities, ultimately driving greater efficiency and impact across the organization.

Learn how BlackLine helps your industry