# What does EDI actually cost for a small business? I keep seeing wildly different numbers — some say $500/month, others quote $50K+ for implementation. What's realistic?

The huge price range you're seeing is real, and it's one of the biggest pain points in the EDI space. Here's why: traditional EDI providers were built for enterprise companies, so their pricing reflects that: long implementation timelines, complex VAN fees, per-document charges that stack up, and multi-year contracts.

For a small business doing under 10 trading partners, here's roughly what to expect:

Web/portal EDI (manual): Some retailers offer free portals, but you're manually keying in every order. Not scalable but good to get started if you have just a few orders that can be managed by one person.

Cloud-based managed EDI: This is the sweet spot for SMBs. Monthly fees typically range $150–$500/month depending on volume and partners, with one-time setup fees per trading partner. Elevate is an good example of flexible, transparent, no-contract, fully supported software for SMBs with or without EDI knowledge.

Enterprise/on-premise EDI: $10K–$50K+ upfront. Overkill for most small businesses.

To learn in detail about EDI pricing models and cost, read: <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://edielevate.com/the-real-cost-of-edi/">https://edielevate.com/the-real-cost-of-edi/</a>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 4 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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