If you're a CFO or IT leader in manufacturing, you've probably asked yourself: are you bleeding more money in EDI VAN costs than you need to, or is moving to AS2 a real path to savings — or just another hidden headache? Choosing the right EDI approach for 2026 is a budget line debate, a risk calculation, a supply chain reliability question, and a tactical move in managing partner relationships.
For most SMB manufacturers in 2026, a hybrid managed EDI model — one portal, transparent per-partner pricing, no per-transaction fees — delivers the best cost outcome without the IT overhead of running AS2 yourself. Pure AS2 only beats a VAN on cost at very high volumes (50,000+ monthly transactions) with a dedicated IT team. For everyone else, the hidden costs of DIY AS2 often exceed the legacy VAN bill it replaces.
Most mid-sized manufacturers don't choose EDI out of love for file standards. You do it because your partners demand it, your customers expect it, and you want order flow without human error. But your cost lines are shaped by how much you move, who you trade with, and which connections you need.
| Cost Line | What It Is | Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Mailbox fees | Recurring charges just for having a connection open | Often hidden |
| Per-transaction costs | Charged on every order, invoice, ASN, or acknowledgment | Itemised but compounds fast |
| Partner surcharges | Costs that scale up with each additional trading partner | Rarely disclosed upfront |
| Setup and integration fees | Separate charges for new mapping, onboarding, or migration | Unpredictable, always annoying |
| Feature add-ons | Archive access, compliance dashboards, reporting billed separately | Listed in fine print |
| Company | Cost Reduction | Additional Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Spanx | 83% | Predictable monthly pricing, no surprise fees |
| Endust | 50% | Easier document retrieval and faster support |
| Torani | 54% | Zero downtime during migration, no lost orders |
| Razor USA | 50%+ | Full migration completed in 3 days, high volume handled seamlessly |
AS2 is a protocol — a way for two systems to communicate directly over the internet in a secure, encrypted way. Unlike a VAN, there's no middleman taking a cut per transaction. But the full cost picture is more complex than the headline suggests.
| Cost Factor | Legacy VAN | DIY AS2 | Managed Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fees | High — every document billed | None once set up | None — flat per-partner rate |
| Setup cost | Medium — per-partner onboarding fees | High — software, certs, IT hours | Low — included in service |
| Ongoing IT maintenance | Low — provider handles it | High — certs, compliance, partner changes | Low — provider handles it |
| Pricing transparency | Low — hidden line items | High — you control the infrastructure | High — published, all-inclusive rates |
| Multi-protocol support | Yes — VAN handles multiple protocols | AS2 only — hybrid requires more work | Yes — AS2, SFTP, FTP, API in one portal |
| Best for | Very low volume, minimal partners | 50,000+ monthly transactions, strong IT team | Most SMB manufacturers in 2026 |
Don't just check the total — scrutinise every line: per-transaction, mailbox, partner, migration, support, and special connection fees. Total across a rolling 12-month period to catch seasonal spikes and new partner onboarding surges.
Factor in hours spent troubleshooting, contacting your VAN provider, and manually fixing errors due to slow support. Most CFOs find they're paying 2–3x more than expected once everything is tallied.
Ask prospective providers for a cost breakdown using your actual last 3 months of data. A provider confident in their pricing will give you a direct comparison. If they won't, that tells you something.
Share your current VAN bill and we'll give you a direct cost comparison — no obligation, no sales pressure.
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