The best EDI software depends on how much trading you do: web EDI suits a small supplier with a few retail partners, an API-based platform suits growing brands with their own systems, and a managed service suits teams that want it handled for them. Ten options follow in no particular order.
EDI, or electronic data interchange, is how big retailers and distributors swap purchase orders, invoices and shipping notices with suppliers without anyone retyping them. If a major retailer wants to stock your products, there's a good chance they'll ask you to trade by EDI before the first order.
The ten tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from small-business web EDI to integration platforms used by large supply chains. Every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. If you're also working out how goods get to customers, my guide to what a 3PL does explains the warehouse side.
EDI software at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version, a free tool or an open source edition. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 EDI Source | EDI software and integration | Connecting EDI to your ERP | Not stated |
| CData Arc | Managed file transfer and EDI automation | Secure file transfer plus EDI in one tool | Trial only |
| Cleo | EDI and B2B integration platform | Integration-heavy supply chains | Not stated |
| Commport | Cloud and integrated EDI | Web-based EDI for small suppliers | Not stated |
| EDI2XML | EDI conversion tools and managed service | Handing EDI to a managed service | Not stated |
| eZCom | EDI software for growing suppliers | Drop ship and retailer EDI | Not stated |
| Kleinschmidt | Managed EDI and API integration | X12 standards plus API exchange | Not stated |
| Orderful | Modern API-based EDI network | Connecting once to many partners | Not stated |
| SPS Commerce | Retail EDI network | Selling into major retailers | Not stated |
| Zenbridge | EDI-as-API platform | Developers adding EDI to their own system | Not stated |
Ten EDI software options to consider
1 EDI Source
Best for: Manufacturers and suppliers that want ERP and EDI integrated for end-to-end visibility and less manual entry.
CData Arc
Best for: IT teams that want secure file transfer and EDI automation configured in one product, with a trial to test it.
Cleo
Best for: Mid-sized and larger companies that want EDI and B2B integration in one platform, now including the old DataTrans Solutions web EDI.
Commport
Best for: Small and mid-sized suppliers that want a secure web-based EDI platform to stay compliant with any trading partner.
EDI2XML
Best for: Businesses that want EDI converted to XML or JSON and run as a fully managed service instead of in-house.
eZCom
Best for: Suppliers selling into big retailers that want EDI software with drop ship support and a list of ready retailer connections.
Kleinschmidt
Best for: Companies that want managed EDI on X12 standards and native API exchange with partners from one provider.
Orderful
Best for: Fast-growing brands that want to connect once and trade with thousands of partners through a modern EDI network.
SPS Commerce
Best for: Suppliers and brands that want retail EDI, sales data and item data from one of the biggest retail networks.
Zenbridge
Best for: Small businesses and developers who want to exchange EDI documents with trading partners through simple APIs.
Web EDI, integrated EDI or a managed service?
Web EDI is a browser portal where you read incoming orders and send back invoices and shipping notices by hand. It's the quickest way to say yes to a retailer when volumes are low. Integrated EDI connects straight to your ERP, accounting or ecommerce system, so documents flow in and out without anyone typing. Managed services take the mapping and partner setup off your hands completely.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
A newer group offers EDI as an API. Instead of learning document standards, your developers call a modern API and the provider handles the translation to and from each partner's format.
EDI invoices are VAT records too
HMRC's guidance on electronic invoicing says you're free to choose a method of ensuring the authenticity, integrity and legibility of invoices that suits how you operate, and it lists EDI among the approaches that can do this.
That matters because once your invoices travel by EDI, the electronic version becomes the record. Make sure your setup keeps invoices readable and unaltered, and that you can find any one of them again when your accountant asks.
Questions to ask before you sign up
- Which retailers or distributors do we need to trade with, and are they already connected?
- Which documents will we exchange, such as orders, invoices and shipping notices?
- Will it connect to our ERP, accounting or ecommerce platform?
- Who sets up and maintains each new trading partner?
- What happens when a partner rejects a document?
- Can it handle drop ship orders if a retailer asks for them?
Documents you'll meet first
- Purchase order. The retailer tells you what they want.
- Order acknowledgement. You confirm what you can supply.
- Advance ship notice. You say what's on its way and when.
- Invoice. You bill for what was shipped.
Do you make EDI software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing EDI software
Ask your biggest retail partner which providers they already work with, then shortlist from there. A provider that's already connected to your partner saves weeks of setup and testing. Start with web EDI if orders are few, and move to integrated EDI once typing them in starts eating your week.
Keep a simple log of every rejected document and why it was rejected. Retailers can apply chargebacks for late or wrong paperwork, and a pattern in that log tells you exactly what to fix. My guide to choosing the right logistics partner covers the shipping side of the same relationship.
Frequently asked questions
What is EDI software?
It's software that sends and receives business documents, such as purchase orders and invoices, in standard electronic formats so trading partners don't have to retype them.
Do small businesses need EDI?
Often only when a large retailer or distributor asks for it. Web EDI lets a small supplier meet that requirement without a big project.
What's the difference between web EDI and integrated EDI?
Web EDI is a portal where you handle documents by hand. Integrated EDI connects to your own systems so documents flow automatically.
What is X12?
It's a widely used set of EDI standards in North America that defines the structure of documents such as purchase orders and invoices.
Is there free EDI software?
None of the tools in this list named a free plan on the pages I read, though one offers a trial. Check the free plan column.
Can EDI work through an API?
Yes. Several providers in this list describe API-based EDI, where your developers use a modern API and the provider handles the EDI formats.
