# Is there free EDI software? We're a very small business and trying to keep costs minimal.

There's no truly free EDI software that handles real retail compliance. Some retailers offer free web portals for low document volumes (as in your case) where you can manually key in documents and receive purchase orders. These platforms aren't scalable though as they work for very low volume with one partner, and every order requires manual entry that's prone to errors.
There are open-source EDI translation tools, but they require significant technical expertise to set up, maintain, and integrate with your systems. For a small team without EDI or IT experience, the cost of building and maintaining a free tool often exceeds the cost of a managed provider. We cover this tradeoff in our post on building EDI in-house: <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://ihateedi.com/building-edi-in-house/">https://ihateedi.com/building-edi-in-house/</a>
The most affordable legitimate path is a managed EDI provider priced for small businesses. Elevate was built exactly for companies your size pricing starts at $750 per trading partner setup and $0.25/document with no annual contracts. You get fully managed service including mapping, testing, certification, and ongoing support. Our beginner's guide explains what's involved so you can budget accurately:<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://edielevate.com/a-beginners-guide-to-implementing-edi-without-a-headache/">https://edielevate.com/a-beginners-guide-to-implementing-edi-without-a-headache/</a>
Run your estimated costs on our EDI pricing calculator here: <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://edielevate.com/pricing/">https://edielevate.com/pricing/</a>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 3 months ago
- Author title: Always By Your Side, Solving EDI Challenges
- Net upvotes: 1



## Related Product
[Elevate](https://www.g2.com/products/edi-support-llc-elevate/reviews)

## Related Category
[Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)](https://www.g2.com/categories/electronic-data-interchange-edi)

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