FaxZero review

FaxZero is a browser-based offering for free faxing to the US and Canada

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

A good option for companies whose client base is centered on the US/Canada and who do not send large volumes of faxes.

Pros

  • +

    Free faxes to the US & Canada

  • +

    No branding on paid faxes

  • +

    Send up to 25 pages depending on destination

Cons

  • -

    Costs up to $40 depending on destination

  • -

    Free plan limited to five faxes per day

  • -

    Limit of 15 pages for some destinations

Why you can trust Top Ten Reviews Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

FaxZero enables 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 email address. All in all, we think FaxZero is one of the best online fax services you can use in 2020.

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 Premium 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 limit. Premium faxes are delivered with higher priority, this means that they go to the front of the line ahead of free faxes.

FaxZero review: Features

  • No fax machine required
  • A free option to the US/Canada
  • Affordable international and premium options
FaxZero: Key Features

Deployment: Web

Training: Documentation, Webinars, Live Online, In Person

Support: When needed via email

FaxZero offers its users a secure, online alternative to traditional fax machines. While the use of fax is no longer common in some sectors, there are industries that still require documents to be faxed, including the banking and legal sector. With FaxZero all user information is encrypted and submitted through HTTPS protocol to their server. All outbound communication from the server is secured with either SSL or TLS. FaxZero keeps its server software up to date to prevent any known exploits and the security is up to the best of industry standards.

FaxZero review: Design and usability

  • No apps or software to download
  • Web-based service

To send a fax, users need to log on to the FaxZero website and fill out a form to provide contact details for the sender and the recipient of the correspondence. Users can either type plain text or attach files to be sent by fax. The easiest way to send a fax is to just type or paste the text of the fax into the Type text to appear on the cover page box. Or users can simply click the Browse button to fax a file on their computer. They can send a PDF, Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX or RTF) file, image files (PNG or JPG) or Excel spreadsheet (XLS or XLSX). Other supported file formats include TXT, HTML, TIFF, GIF, and PPT (PowerPoint).

A confirmation email is then sent to the email address the sender provided. The user needs to click on the confirmation link in that message in order to send the fax. Until that link has been activated, the fax will not be sent. The user then receives an email confirming receipt of the fax in due course, or if there was an issue delivering the fax, they will be notified.

While all of this may seem like a slight hassle, if you’re looking for a simple solution to an occasional need for secure fax then this might be cost appropriate.

FaxZero review: Performance

  • Option to prioritize faxes by upgrading to paid service
  • Great value for money depending on where you’re sending it
  • Wide range of file compatibility

FaxZero offers users a free plan where users can send five domestic (US/Canada) faxes a day for free. For those who do not want FaxZero branding on their documents, who need to send larger quantities of faxes or longer documents, there are options to add additional faxes for $1.99 each for domestic recipients. The service can be used to send faxes to other countries too, but the price varies depending on the cost to dial up the destination, full fees can be viewed on the provider’s website. 

Premium faxes do not have the FaxZero logo on the cover page, so users may like that option better for business communications. The maximum number of pages increases from three to 25, and there's no five-fax-per-day limit. Moreover, premium faxes are delivered with higher priority, this means that they go to the front of the line ahead of free faxes.

If you do decide to pay for your fax this means that the standard cover page with the FaxZero logo is not sent with it, so a users’ documents start on the first page of the fax.

To receive a fax, some companies may require you to use their cover page when communicating with them. This contains a special barcode. If your company needs to do this then you would have to pay the $1.99 fee in order to disable the standard cover page. 

Should I use FaxZero?

FaxZero is a great free option for small to medium companies who occasionally send short faxes within the US or Canada. The solution is an excellent cost-effective alternative to having to purchase and set up a traditional fax machine and the servers are maintained so as to ensure security throughout the file transfer process.

However, the service does not have an app, nor does it integrate with email. And you can’t store faxes to look at them later. Essentially, this is a quick and free service to the US and Canada but it could also be a practical workaround for companies who do not use faxes enough to warrant investing in a machine and telephone line dedicated to sending faxes.

For those occasional clients who still require documents to be sent by fax for speed or security reasons then FaxZero.com could definitely be an option.

While international faxing fees are higher than premium domestic faxes, the company’s pricing is comparatively competitive and is linked to the cost of the dial-up fee they are charged for contacting international fax numbers. So the international pricing may seem expensive but it remains competitive in the market.

What other online fax services are available?

FaxZero is one of the best online fax services you can buy in 2020 but it may not meet all your company's requirements. Of course, there are plenty of other online fax services options to consider. Here's our pick of best online fax services, with some of the features that make them stand out; click through to read each review:

MetroFax boasts zero long-distance charges within Canada and the US; Nextiva is good for its flexible pricing for all sizes of business; OpenText is designed to work with your IT software; RingCentral Fax integrates well with Windows; multiple emails can be allocated to a single fax number with MyFax, while eFax is good for companies who have a global client base; Fax.com sends faxes via email or from the web; SRFax enables you to schedule and keep a record of your faxes; and with HelloFax there's no need to tell your customers there's been a change, as you can keep your old number.

To see these online fax service compared head-to-head read our buying guide: Best online fax services 2020.

Gina Clarke

Gina Clarke has worked in journalism for over a decade for titles such as The Daily Mail, The Sun and Forbes. She began her career in BBC radio and now specialises in subjects such as financial technology and women’s health. She has written for the Top Ten Reviews brand on a number of different and varied topics.