Best Online Fax Services
In the past, faxing meant waiting in line at the office fax machine, fixing paper jams and hearing the dreaded busy signal. Online faxing eliminates many of the problems that came with traditional faxing, and offers all the security and benefits without the expensive hardware. You can send and receive online faxes on the go using your computer, tablet or mobile phone.
With the growing number of companies offering online faxing services, it can be challenging to figure out which one best meets your needs. To help you decide, we've selected the top services based on features, pricing and other significant factors. Read on to discover why these companies made our list of the best online fax services.
Our Top Picks For Best Online Fax Services
- Fax.Plus: Best For Occasional Use
- HumbleFax: Best For Affordable Monthly Costs
- RingCentral: Best For Large Companies
- eFax: Best For Unlimited Online Storage
- SRFax: Best For International Faxing
Best Online Fax Services Reviews
Why we chose it: The Basic Plan costs only $6.99 a month. It includes 200 free pages, unlimited online storage and a convenient mobile app.
Fax.Plus is an online faxing solution with four plans: Basic, Premium, Business and Enterprise. Prices range from $6.99 to $79.99 a month, with free included pages ranging from 200 to 4,000. Overage fees start at $.03 a page but vary by plan. All plans come with unlimited online storage, and you can sign up for a 14-day free trial to determine whether this solution is for you.
Fax.Plus utilizes security features such as encryption, security audits and two-factor authentication. This ensures your data remains secure at all times. Single sign-on is also available with the Enterprise plan, which is the only plan to include priority support and other advanced features.
You can use Fax.Plus on the web, your desktop, as well as Apple and Android mobile apps. You can also install extensions for Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Google Sheets and Chrome. You'll have the option to import your existing fax number or get a new local number. For an extra fee, you can get a toll-free or vanity number.
Across third-party customer review sites, users report mainly positive experiences with Fax.Plus service and customer support. The majority report an easy-to-use interface. The iOS app received 4.6 out of 5 stars based on over 4,800 reviews in the Apple Store. The Android app received 4.6 out of 5 stars based on over 16,000 reviews in the Google Play Store.
Why we chose it: For $10 a month, you're able to send and receive unlimited faxes. HumbleFax has no setup or overage fees, and you can get a new phone number or transfer your existing fax number for free as well.
HumbleFax offers one basic plan with unlimited faxing online. You can fax from your email or through the website. Although there is no app, the web page is optimized for mobile use. Faxes are available and stored for as long as you have your account. You can have up to 10 additional users, and you'll be able to access the service from an unlimited number of devices.
Signing up for HumbleFax takes only a minute. You can choose to transfer an existing fax number or create a new local number. HumbleFax utilizes end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication. You'll have the option to sync with Google Drive and Dropbox. Customer support is available 24/7 through the website. You can email the team or request a phone call.
HumbleFax lacks many advanced features, such as international faxing, digital signatures and HIPAA compliance. However, users report an easy-to-use interface and high reliability. According to reviews on third-party platforms, users are generally satisfied with the service offered by HumbleFax. However, there are several open complaints against the company with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The complaints revolve around billing issues. HumbleFax also doesn't offer a free trial.
Why we chose it: RingCentral's MVP plan comes with unlimited faxing, audio and video conferencing, business phone and text service and hundreds of app integrations.
RingCentral started as a company offering digital business phone service. Today, it boasts complete communication solutions for businesses of all sizes. You can choose between two online fax plans, Fax 3000 and MVP. Fax 3000 costs $22.99 a month per user if you pay annually and $27.99 if you pay monthly. It includes 3,000 pages, with each additional page costing $.049.
The MVP plan costs $27.99 a month per user if you pay annually and $40.99 if you pay monthly. It includes everything in the Fax 3000 plan plus video meetings, team messaging, unlimited audio conferencing, toll-free calling and business messaging. Additional fax numbers and toll-free or vanity numbers are available for additional fees. Both plans come with 24/7 customer support and require a 2-year contract.
RingCentral online faxing works through your computer, email or mobile app. It integrates with hundreds of popular apps, including Google Drive, Box and Dropbox. Customer satisfaction, however, is mixed. Across third-party review sites, most users report positive customer support and reliable service. Some complaints revolve around the difficulty of canceling service or downgrading when business needs change, and complaints made with the Better Business Bureau also reflect this issue. RingCentral offers a 14-day free trial.
Why we chose it: With eFax, you'll get unlimited cloud storage of all sent and received faxes for the life of your account. eFax lets you organize your stored faxes with tags and customized folders and search for and retrieve them easily by date, keyword or sender/recipient name.
eFax offers the eFax Plus and eFax Pro plans, plus the customizable eFax Corporate plan. eFax Plus costs $15.83 a month if you pay yearly and $18.99 if you do so monthly. It includes 170 sent pages and 170 received pages monthly with up to five users. The eFax Pro Plan costs $20.83 a month if you pay annually and $24.99 if you pay monthly. It includes 275 pages sent and 275 pages received monthly with up to five users. Additional pages cost $.10 each.
With eFax, you can send faxes through email, your browser or desktop or mobile apps. You'll be able to edit and sign your faxes through the app. The setup costs $10. Upon enrollment, you can choose between a local or toll-free fax number and get up to 10 fax numbers on your account. The customized Corporate plan is HIPAA compliant. All plans come with 24/7 customer support.
Across third-party customer review sites, customer satisfaction with eFax appears to be mainly positive. Most users report responsive customer service. The majority of complaints revolve around billing issues. There have been 21 complaints filed against eFax with the Better Business Bureau over the past three years, mainly related to difficulty canceling service. All complaints have been closed. eFax offers a 30-day free trial.
Why we chose it: SRFax lets you send faxes to over 200 countries. International rates for all countries are clearly listed on the website.
SRFax has four Enterprise plans and four HIPAA-compliant Healthcare plans. Standard rates for Enterprise Plans range from $11.45 to $37.90 monthly, with page limits ranging from 200 to 1,500. Healthcare plans range from $12.60 to $41.35 monthly, with page limits ranging from 200 to 1,500. You will receive 15% off all plan prices by paying annually. Overage fees vary by plan, ranging between $.05 and $.08 per page.
All plans allow you to have an unlimited number of users, unlimited online storage, and 24/7 customer support. You can choose between a new local or toll-free number or use your existing fax number. If you need additional fax numbers, you can purchase them for $4.95 each. SRFax lets you fax from email or through the website. The site is optimized for mobile use, but there is no SRFax mobile app.
There are limited third-party customer reviews for SRFax, and the Better Business Bureau counts only one complaint in the past three years. The reviews that exist are positive. The company features over a thousand customer reviews on its site, which mostly include five-star ratings. Most users report an easy-to-use interface and responsive customer service. The most common complaint is that junk faxes frequently make it through the spam filter. SRFax doesn't currently offer a free trial.
Other Online Fax Services We Considered
When selecting the best online fax services, we also considered HelloFax, Sfax and MetroFax. These electronic faxing services, however, didn't make our top selections because of limited features, support and included pages.
HelloFax
HelloFax has three paid plans from $9.99 to $39.99 a month. The highest-priced plan includes 1,000 pages a month. HelloFax didn't make it to our list due to limited customer support, lack of a mobile app and limited pages included with plans.
Sfax
Sfax has two plans, both HIPAA-compliant, which cost $29 and $49 a month. Both come with unlimited users, custom cover pages and an iOS mobile app. Sfax didn't make it to our best online fax services list because of high costs, low page limits and online storage that only lasts a year.
MetroFax
MetroFax offers three plans, costing between $9.96 and $31.63 a month when paid annually. Pages included range from 550 to 3,000. MetroFax didn't make it to our list of best online fax services because of limited included pages, lack of a digital signature tool and user reports of an outdated interface.
Online Fax Services Guide
Online fax services offer all the benefits of traditional faxing with more convenience and less hassle. Our guide will help you understand how online faxing works and tell you everything you need to know to choose the right service. It will also answer some of the most commonly asked questions about online fax services.
What Are Online Fax Services?
Online fax services let you send and receive documents using fax numbers without a physical fax machine. You can send and receive faxes from anywhere as long as you connect to the internet using your computer, tablet or smartphone. Most online fax services support multiple file types and let you fax documents that are too large for email transmission. You'll also get all the security of traditional faxing thanks to sophisticated end-to-end encryption and other advanced security features.
Unlike traditional faxing, online fax services don't require any special hardware. You can fax right through your existing email, the provider's website or a mobile app. Some companies even let you install extensions so you can fax documents directly from Microsoft Word, Google Docs and other popular programs.
Many online fax companies provide cloud-based storage for sent and received faxes. This reduces the need to print faxed documents, which saves paper, ink and physical storage space.
How Do Online Fax Services Work?
To get started with online fax services, you'll set up an account with a provider by entering your contact and payment info. Once you have all filled in, you'll receive a dedicated fax number. The number may be local or toll-free depending on the company, availability and your preference. Some providers give you the option of choosing your number.
Online fax services let you send faxes from your email or through the company's website or app. With email to fax, you can use your existing email account to attach a document and send it to a fax machine or an online fax account. Once you enter the recipient's fax number and attach the document, the fax service converts the file into a fax. You'll receive a confirmation once the fax gets sent.
Online fax services also let you send outgoing faxes through the company website using your browser and often through apps downloaded to your devices. You'll need to sign into your account, enter the recipient's fax number and attach the file you want to send. Once it gets sent, you'll receive confirmation.
Incoming faxes will be available in your email, online portal or app, depending on the provider. You can print the document if necessary or store it digitally. In addition to the cloud-based storage offered by many service providers, you may have the option to integrate your fax service with third-party storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive.
Features To Look For In An Online Faxing Service
With the growing number of online fax services available, it's essential to understand which features are the most significant to look for when selecting a provider. Here is a look at some of the top things to consider.
Dedicated Fax Number
When you enroll with a fax service online, you'll receive a dedicated fax number that you'll use to receive faxes. You'll distribute this number to colleagues, teams, clients, potential customers or anyone else who may need to send you faxes so the number must suit your business. Most providers supply a free local number. Using local numbers can be a good way to show a connection with your community.
Many providers also give you the option of having a toll-free number instead of a local number. Depending on the fax company, a toll-free number may be included for free or cost extra. A toll-free number lets people fax you from anywhere in the country, free of charge.
Some online fax services let you choose a vanity number for an additional fee. Using a vanity number makes it easy for people to remember your fax number, and it can boost the recognition of your company's brand.
When selecting an online fax service, you'll want to find out which types of fax numbers are available and how much they cost. If you need more than one number, find out if that's an option and how much each additional number will cost.
User-Friendly Interface
A user-friendly interface of an online faxing service makes sending and receiving faxes easy. Some companies post screenshots of their service's interface on their websites, so prospective customers can see whether the layout suits them.
Many online fax providers also offer free trials. A free trial is a great way to test a provider's interface before spending money and committing to a plan. Another way to learn about a service's interface is to read user reviews on third-party review sites. Testimonials from real users can help you learn about their experiences using the platform.
If there is a mobile app, look at reviews in the app store to find out how user-friendly customers find the app to be.
Support Services
When looking for an online fax provider, find out what customer support is available. Some companies offer 24/7 support, while others only assist users during local business hours. If you're in a different time zone than the company or use faxing services during off-hours, you might be unable to get technical support when you need it most.
Also, find out what contact methods the provider offers for customer support. Some companies offer email, live chat and phone support. Others have only one or two of these available. If real-time support is significant to you, look for a company that offers 24/7 phone support.
Data Encryption And Other Security Measures
Faxes often contain personal or confidential information. When selecting an online fax service, you'll want to verify that the provider utilizes end-to-end encryption and other security measures. Additional security measures for online faxing include two-factor authorization, single sign-on and manual and automatic security audits. If you plan to fax documents containing protected health information, look for a service that is HIPAA-compliant.
Easy Setup
Look for an electronic fax service with easy setup. Some companies let you set up your new account in minutes. You only need to enter your basic personal and payment info and choose a fax number. Most providers also allow you to keep your existing fax number (if you have one). If that's important to you, be sure it's an option before signing up for a service and find out what steps you'll need to take to make the transfer.
If you plan to add employees as additional users, find out how easy the process will be. Also, take into account any setup fees the company charges. Many providers offer a free fax service setup, but some charge a small one-time fee.
Cloud Storage Options
Most online fax services offer cloud storage to help you stay organized while cutting down on clutter. When looking for a fax provider, learn what storage type each one offers. Some let you store all sent and received faxes for the life of your account. Others limit the storage capacity or the period you can keep faxes in storage.
Unlimited lifetime storage is a great offering, but it's also essential that you can easily organize and retrieve archived faxes. Before signing up with a provider, learn what organizational tools you can use with its cloud storage. This could include customized folders, tags and a search engine with keyword retrieval. If you want to use a third-party cloud storage service, such as Box, Dropbox or Google Drive, find out which providers integrate with the service you'd like to use.
Online Fax Services FAQ
How We Chose The Best Online Fax Services
We looked at a number of factors when selecting the best online fax services to ensure they are easy to use, convenient, cost-efficient and reliable. These include:
- The number of plans the provider offers
- The affordability of the available plans
- Monthly page limits included with each plan
- Cloud storage options
- Security measures such as encryption and HIPAA compliance
- Methods of fax transmission, such as email to fax, mobile apps and an online portal
- Advanced features, such as electronic signature tools and app integrations
- The ease of setting up an account, sending and receiving faxes and making changes to your account
- User reviews on popular third-party review platforms