Best online fax services 2020

Getting one of the best online fax services can transform your business. Fax is often seen as a dated way of communicating, but it's a secure way of sending documents, and is far faster than traditional and couriered delivery. In a time when businesses are increasingly looking to operate remotely or across multiple locations, yet still retain confidentiality and security, online fax services are experiencing a surge in sign-ups. If you're a part of the medical or legal profession, where hard copies of documents are essential, online fax is a perfect way to do business more efficiently and quickly.

What should you look for from the best online fax services? As with most other business services, a mixture of value and customer service are important, but you should also consider ease of use and security too. Different tiers of service will offer various levels of the above, and it's up to you to decide what is right for your business needs, but there are a handful of essential things to consider no matter what provider you decide to choose. Security and reliability are the most important things - even if these aspects mean you have to spend a little more per month. If you're dealing with sensitive, timely documents, you need to make sure they can be sent every time, and with no risk of interception.

Ease of use and customer service is important too. You don't want to be spending your valuable time - or that of your employees - figuring out how to send and receive, or being on the phone to the provider. All the online fax services below offer a decent blend of these key features, at a variety of price-points to suit different business sizes and uses. And if you're looking to rework your office comms completely, we have a guide to the best small business phone systems. 

1. Fax.plus: Best online fax service overall

Fax.plus

Deployment: Cloud, Web | Support: Online forms | Mobile app: Yes

Fax.plus is our pick for best online fax service because it offers an excellent range of features, all within a fantastically well-designed site. Navigating through the various options within Fax.plus is simple, and it has a large range of supported applications, such as Slack and Zapier. As a user-experience, it's second-to-none.

The problem is that - while it isn't the most expensive - Fax.plus does cost a little more than many other providers. Subscriptions run from $4.99-$49.99 per month, and these include various quotas for sending and receiving faxes online, along with different prices for sending additional documents and using additional tools. Picking out the right level of service really does depend on how much you'll use it, and the size of your business, but what we like is that there are enough tiers to suit almost all users and still offer good value for money.

You'll also get things like image optimization, support for online signatures in most common file types, and the ability to integrate multiple numbers to the same account. Sign-up and set-up is easy too, which is quite an achievement considering how fully-featured Fax.plus is. Overall, then, an excellent choice.

• Read our Fax.plus review

2. SRFax: Best for larger companies

SRFax

Deployment: Cloud, web | Support: 24/7 online | Mobile apps: No

SRFax is a flexible solution for companies who send bulk faxes: the service offers scheduling options, unlimited storage, and cross-platform integration. SRFax is a secure solution for companies who need to send and receive faxes. The web-based system enables companies to receive faxes to a personalized fax number, and send them from your standard email inbox, or their website. Email integration means that users are able to send and receive fax correspondence from any device that is able to display emails.

The service is geared more towards companies who rely quite heavily on faxing; there is no free plan for occasional users. The most affordable plan starts at $3.29 per month, and allows for up to 25 pages to be sent or received and can be connected to up to nine email addresses. Their highest volume packages come out at $45.95 per month, and allows users to send up to 2,500 pages per month, with multiple fax numbers, and offers the option of a 60-day free trial too.

• Read our SRFax review

3. RingCentral Fax: Best for cloud

RingCentral Fax

Deployment: Cloud, Windows Office | Support: 24/7 Phone, live chat | Mobile apps: Yes

RingCentral Fax enables you to send and receive faxes without the use of a fax machine and integrates easily with your cloud storage systems. 

Here, sending a fax from any of your integrated applications is seamless, whether via email, Dropbox or Google Drive.

Essentially, it’s for the business that wants the security of fax but with the ease of email. It starts from $17.99 a month for 1,500 faxes per month and goes right the way up to $34.99 for an unlimited use (which also includes phone and video).

For those that prefer to send a fax as email or manage their faxing by an app, there are these options too. And the monthly costs for small and medium businesses seem reasonable. For an extra fee, there is the possibility to use the fax number to send voice calls and even take voicemails.

Once it has been integrated into your day-to-day workspace (for example in Windows Mail or in Dropbox), you will start using it as second nature – exactly like you use emails.

Read our RingCentral Fax review

• Read our RingCentral Fax review

4. MetroFax: Best for international use

MetroFax

Deployment: Web, mobile | Support: Phone, fax, email | Mobile apps: Yes

The MetroFax internet-based service enables users to send and receive local or international fax messages at affordable prices to over 170 countries. Three plan options are designed to meet the needs of businesses and individuals with varying budgets.

MetroFax makes sending and receiving fax messages fast, affordable and easy whether you’re at home, in the office or traveling. The program is compatible with any internet-connected device, including Android and Apple cellphones. Ideal users are individuals and businesses who want to cut the cord from expensive fax machines and dedicated phone lines. 

MetroFax offers three service plans, starting at less than $10 per month for up to 500 fax pages. Plans support up to 2,500 fax pages per account, and each account can integrate up to five email addresses free of charge. Low monthly subscriptions make the service affordable for businesses of all sizes, but keep in mind that international charges will increase the cost for some users. There are no long-distance charges for phone numbers within the US and Canada.

• Read our full MetroFax review

5. Fax.com: Best for ease of use

Fax.com

Deployment: Web, email | Support: Online | Mobile apps: No

Fax.com enables you to send and receive fax messages from a secure website or through email. Once your account is set up, you can start faxing immediately which is great if you like to keep things simple. If you prefer to customize your fax messages, you can create custom cover pages and headers to distinguish your messages.

Fax.com boasts one of the largest faxing networks in the United States, it’s pretty simple to use too. Essentially it allows you to send fax messages from any computer or email account at any time.

There are no busy tones, so you can receive multiple fax pages simultaneously. You don’t even need to keep your computer turned on to receive incoming faxes. The program is easy to understand, and you can start faxing with a new account in just minutes. There is a one-time setup fee of $9.99 for all new accounts. The monthly charge thereafter is $9.99 and covers faxes sent within the United States and Canada. Additional charges are assessed for international faxes but it is worth noting that international rates aren’t always the most competitive.

• Read our Fax.com review

6. MyFax: Best for faxing on the go

MyFax

Deployment: Online, email and mobile devices, iOS and Android | Support: Phone and email | Mobile apps: Yes

MyFax is an award-winning faxing service that allows you to send faxes anywhere in the world. The service lets you send faxes via email, a website account or a mobile app that is available for both iOS and Android users. It has an app that is free to download and you can archive faxes online. This is a quick and easy service to use on the move meaning you will never miss another fax. 

The cost of sending a fax with MyFax is calculated on the recipient’s location, how long the document is and how long it takes to send. You can send faxes from the UK to the USA, Canada, and Europe. Internationally it can cost you more. Prices also vary depending on if you are using a local rate or the mobile rate. 

One of its best features is that MyFax offers users a search and tagging function on all plans. This is great if you need to go back and find information contained in a fax quickly. It can also increase productivity.

• Read our full MyFax review

7. eFax: Best for desktop

eFax

Deployment: Online, email, mobile, iOS and Android | Support: Phone, email, social media | Mobile apps: Yes

An online web browser that enables you to send faxes at an affordable rate anywhere in the world. eFax offers its users a secure, online alternative to traditional fax machines. For industries that are reliant on faxing for secure or legal documents, with eFax all faxes are sent via encryption. When you receive a fax from eFax, you will be sent a notification email that contains a unique URL. This then takes you to eFax account login where a secure sockets layer (SSL) connection is made.

The cost of sending a fax with eFax is calculated on the recipient’s location and how long the document is. As it's a worldwide service prices do vary but you can send faxes from the UK to the USA, Canada and Europe. Prices will vary depending on if you are using email, desktop or the mobile app.

Essentially there are three different plans available, a plus one basic package where you can send and receive 200 pages with up to four attachments for a basic cost. eFax say that their most popular plan is the pro plan and allows users to send and receive 300 pages with attachments. There is also an option to send additional pages at a low rate.

• Read our eFax review

8. HelloFax: Best for smaller businesses

HelloFax

Deployment: Cloud, web | Support: Cancel at any time online, responsive support team online | Mobile apps: No

Send faxes online from your computer directly to your customers' email, no fax machine needed. if you’re looking for an easy and cost-saving solution to your fax problems then HelloFax can certainly offer a credible solution for the average-sized business.

You don’t need to change your fax number either, which means clients used to sending faxes continue to do so, instead, they simply pop into your inbox.

An easy solution that aims to get rid of the fax machine altogether, HelloFax has certainly been talked about in the press for its ease of use. It easily integrates into your Dropbox and Google Drive, and any incoming fax simply gets sent to your email as a PDF – a piece of cake.

You can send five absolutely free faxes a month (but this is to send only, not to receive), or start with 300 a month for $9.99 in their Home Office plan. This goes up to $39.99 for the Small Business plan of 1000 pages per month to suit a team of up to 20. HelloFax says it takes just 30 seconds to set this up.

• Read our HelloFax review

9. OpenText Fax2Mail: Best for integration

OpenText Fax2Mail

Deployment: Cloud via SAP, web | Support: Phone and email | Mobile apps: Yes

OpenText Fax2Mail is a digital, cloud-based fax service that simplifies faxing from email, desktop and other applications. It’s a service that lets you offload your IT team from the entire fax function while helping align fax services with the business goals and strategic direction of your enterprise.

OpenText Fax2Mail focuses on larger corporate companies who like to compare open rates and pore over analytics. In terms of price, you can apply for a demo and a customer service operative will talk you through their pricing needs. An example they used was that if a company used 1500 faxes a month these would have a per rate cost of seven cents. This amount would be adjusted based on actual usage. There is also a monthly charge of around $15 to factor in.

They do promise help regardless of your time-zone though, with a number of offices around the world and contact via email. Plus, their fax analytics is truly one of a kind. What’s more, you can personally control your Fax2Mail account through a secure web interface that provides centralized administration, reporting, user management, cover sheet management, billing attributes as well as delivery report options.

• Read our OpenText Fax2Mail review

10. Nextiva: Best for scalability

Nextiva vFax

Deployment: Cloud, web, email | Support: Phone, email and live chat | Mobile apps: No

Nextiva vFax offers faxing solutions that are scalable depending on companies’ needs. They offer secure faxing solutions that are integrated with pre-existing email accounts.

They are a good solution for companies whose needs are set to evolve with time, and who need faxes to be sent using an encrypted service. Their great customer care, makes them ideal for companies who do not have an in-house IT support team. Scalable packages mean their service could be a good option for a growing company.

The system is integrated within the users’ normal email system and can be used both to send and receive faxes. Users can choose from setting up a new fax number, or they can transfer their existing number to the service with assistance from the company’s customer care team. Plans start at just $4.95 per month but can be scaled to suit businesses of all sizes.

All faxes are encrypted with 256-bit SSL encryption, making it a secure solution for all companies, including those operating in sensitive sectors such as healthcare and law. Faxes are stored online to ensure documents are not lost after they are transferred.

• Read our Nextiva vFax review

11. FaxZero: Best online fax service for occasional use

FaxZero

Deployment: Web | Support: Email | Mobile apps: No

Online web browser that enables you to send faxes for free to anywhere in the US and Canada. A good option for companies whose client base is centered in the US/Canada and who do not send large volumes of faxes.

FaxZero lets you send a fax to any fax machine in the United States (including Puerto Rico) or Canada for free. Users don’t need a fax machine to do so, but you do need a valid e-mail address.

The service also lets you send faxes to many other countries and while international faxing isn’t free, it is comparatively inexpensive. The premium fax costs $1.99 to the US/Canada, while fees vary for other countries based on the dialing cost.

With the Premium option there is no FaxZero logo on the cover page, so companies may prefer that option for business communications. The number of pages increases from three to 25, and there's no five-fax-per-day limitation. Premium faxes are delivered with higher priority, this means that they go to the front of the line ahead of free faxes.

• Read our FaxZero review

Why trust us about online fax services? 

We’ve researched and evaluated online fax services since 2006. We’ve identified the most relevant and unique features for each service and made our recommendations based on our experiences while using the mobile and online interfaces like a typical customer. We also contact customer support teams and ask important questions about the feature tiers, pricing information and various technical aspects to make sure we recommend services with comprehensive and timely support.

Important features of online fax services

Mobile app

You can use an internet-connected mobile device to send faxes with all the services we reviewed. If you plan to primarily use a phone or tablet to send and receive faxes, we recommend choosing a provider with an accompanying mobile app. Using a web browser to access an online portal is much more frustrating than navigating an application built for a mobile platform.

Security and encryption

If you plan to send and receive sensitive information, like healthcare records, bank statements or other confidential personal information, make sure the service you choose specifically mentions HIPPA compliance and enhanced security measures like PGP and SSL encryption. Wilfully sending personal medical information through unsecured channels could result in fines of up to $50,000.

Plan flexibility

Analog fax machines are becoming obsolete, because online fax services offer a more affordable and user-friendly platform. For fledgling small businesses, it’s hard to know how long and how frequently you need to use an online fax service, so plan flexibility is important. If you are unsure how frequently you need to use it, we recommend taking advantage of free trial periods, and once you find the service that fits your needs, starting with the lowest tier plan. Service providers are much more willing to upgrade than they are to downgrade a plan, and comprehensive tracking features make it easy to keep a close eye on usage.

For other small business solutions, take a look at our recommendations for the best cloud accounting software and the best POS systems.