The best online fax services offer capabilities beyond what an analog fax machine can do. They provide cloud storage, custom cover sheets, fax by email, and e-signature capabilities. And they meet high-level security and compliance standards to protect confidential files.
Providers offer scalable plans to support different faxing volumes starting at $9 or free plans for one-time or occasional use. Check out our roundup of the best sites to send faxes.
- iFax: Best overall for occasional faxing
- Fax.Plus: Best for security
- Nextiva vFAX: Best for fax machine support
- RingCentral Fax: Best for high-volume faxing
- SRFax: Best for healthcare providers
- eFax: Best for international faxing
- Dropbox Fax: Best for low to moderate faxing
Best Online Fax Services Compared
Online Fax Services | Monthly Starting Price | Free Trial/Plan | Key Features | FSB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $9.99 for 200 pages | 5 fax credits per month |
| 4.75 out of 5 |
 | $8.99 for 200 pages | 10 free pages |
| 4.41 out of 5 |
 | $9.95 for 500 pages | X |
| 4.10 out of 5 |
 | $27.99 for 3,000 pages | 7-day trial |
| 4.06 out of 5 |
 | $11.45 for 200 pages | X |
| 3.84 out of 5 |
 | $18.99 for 170 pages | 150 free pages |
| 3.83 out of 5 |
 | $9.99 for 300 pages | 5 free pages and a 30-day free trial |
| 3.77 out of 5 |
iFax: Best Overall for Occasional Faxing
What We Liked
- Offers 2 months free with an annual plan
- Renews free fax credits each month
- Supports pay-as-you-fax service
Where It Falls Behind
- Limits access to fax features within its highest-priced plan
- Lacks the inclusion of a fax number in its basic plan
- Doesn’t allow base plan users to receive faxes
iFax Monthly Pricing Annual billing starts at $8.33 per month, including two months free.
- Free: Free 5 outbound faxes per month
- Basic: $9.99 for 200 pages and outbound faxing
- Plus: $19.99 for 500 pages and inbound/outbound faxing, regulatory compliance Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and System and Organization Controls (SOC 2) , and desktop/mobile app
- Pro: $29.99 for cloud storage integrations, annotation, e-signature, branding, fax by email, and 24/7 support
- Pay-as-you-fax: $1.99 per page
- Free trial: 7-day access to the Pro plan
iFax wins as our overall best online fax service, specifically for solopreneurs and small teams that only need to fax occasionally and want the flexibility of a pay-as-you-go model. It offers five outbound fax credits that renew monthly, including fax cover sheets, file attachments, and real-time updates.
The pay-per-fax service starts at $1.99 per page with no setup fees or hidden costs. Once your faxing needs become frequent, you can switch to the base plan for only $9.99 monthly, which includes 200 pages.
Note that iFax exclusively offers all fax processing features in its highest-priced plan. If you’re seeking all-inclusive access to faxing capabilities, check out Dropbox Fax for fax by email, e-signature, and cloud storage at the same monthly fee.
iFax Features
iFax allows you to edit the text on a scanned file. (Source: iFax)
- Optical character recognition (OCR): This feature converts the texts in a scanned document into computer-readable texts with editable fields. This feature works across various files, such as images, digital records, and handwritten notes.
- Fax automation: This feature automatically labels incoming and outgoing faxes and stores them in a preassigned folder. You can integrate iFax with your electronic health record software to ensure a streamlined fax workflow.
- Fax notes: Add notes to your fax and allow team members to leave comments within the document. You can also set the status of a fax by labeling it as urgent, for review, or please reply.
Fax.Plus: Best for Security
What We Liked
- Supports vanity fax numbers
- Offers a suite of productivity tools for faxing
- Provides standard fax features across plans
Where It Falls Behind
- Requires users to upgrade to a higher plan if porting a fax number
- Restricts e-signature tool for mobile app users
- Lacks real-time customer support
Fax.Plus Monthly Pricing Save up to 22% with annual payments and get three months free.
- Free plan: For 10 pages
- Basic: $8.99 for 200 pages, 1 fax number, email to fax, 60 max. pages per fax, unlimited fax storage, inbound faxing, mobile app, multiple recipients, and 10 cents per extra page
- Premium: $17.99 for 500 pages, 90 max. pages per fax, number porting, and 7 cents per extra page
- Business: $34.99 for up to 5 members, 1,000 pages, 200 max. pages per fax, admin console, and 5 cents per extra page
- Enterprise: $99.99 for unlimited users, 4,000 pages, 250 max. pages per fax, 3 cents per extra page, and advanced security controls
Fax.Plus is the best online faxing solution for companies like law and insurance firms that need robust security features when sending confidential documents over the internet. It is one of the few providers that equips its free plan with multiple compliance requirements. Built with multiple layers of protection, Fax.Plus comes with data encryption, two-factor authentication, and fully encrypted fax archives.
To ensure adherence to regulatory standards, the Fax.Plus platform offers extensive regulatory compliance offerings, which you can access on the compliance oversight dashboard. Some of its supported data privacy standards include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and Service Organization Control (SOC).
Fax.Plus falls short in terms of native e-signature capability. Users need to install the Sign.Plus app on their mobile device to sign a document before they can upload the signature to their computer. If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to sign your faxes, Dropbox Fax comes with a built-in e-signature tool across all plans, including the free version.
Fax.Plus Features
Customize the content of your fax cover sheet. (Source: Fax.Plus)
- Fax header: Customize the text display on your fax header by adding the date, time, page count, and fax number of the sender or recipient. The timestamp is set based on the sender’s time zone.
- Fax cover sheets: The Fax.Plus website offers a selection of free fax cover sheet templates. For added customization, you can use the cover sheet generator or upload a shared cover sheet for the team.
- Analytics dashboard: Monitor the monthly fax consumption of the team or a specific member. The dashboard displays the number of faxes each member sends and receives based on billing cycles.
Nextiva vFAX: Best for Fax Machine Support
What We Liked
- Charges for only 3 cents per extra page
- Accepts a variety of file formats
- Offers a fax bridge for analog faxing
Where It Falls Behind
- Deletes faxes from the system after 6 months
- Doesn’t support international faxing and fax blasting
- Lacks a fax-blocking feature
Nextiva vFAX is our best online faxing service for businesses seeking to retain their analog fax machines while enjoying the benefits of a virtual faxing solution. Purchasing the Nextiva fax bridge lets you connect your standard fax machine with your Nextiva account so you can fax to and from your email and fax machine.
In terms of value for money, Nextiva vFAX outperforms other faxing services online as it offers the most fax pages each month for a monthly fee of $9.95. The base plan supports up to 500 faxes per month, surpassing competitors like eFax, which charges $18.99 for 170 pages.
Unfortunately, Nextiva vFAX is not designed for high-volume faxing because it only supports up to six recipients at a time. If your company needs fax broadcasting—for instance, when bulk-distributing marketing materials—check out RingCentral Fax. You can transmit faxes to a maximum of 50 fax numbers.
Nextiva vFAX Features
Manage faxes and profile settings from the Nextiva vFAX portal. (Source: Nextiva vFAX)
- vFAX portal: Manage all your faxes in a secure portal through any browser-enabled device. Send and receive faxes, check the status or account activity, and retrieve backup information.
- Multidevice support: Send and receive faxes from any device, such as a fax machine, smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. Faxes are delivered securely to your preferred inbox, which triggers SMS alerts when a new fax arrives.
- Secure transmission and storage: Nextiva uses 256-bit secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption for every fax sent and received to protect sensitive information. All faxes are stored in maximum-security data centers.
RingCentral Fax: Best for High-volume Faxing
What We Liked
- Allows multiple file types for fax attachments
- Supports up to 50 fax recipients at once
- Offers a full-featured phone plan with unlimited e-fax
Where It Falls Behind
- Has limited subscription options
- Doesn’t support low-level fax usage
- Lacks an e-signature tool
RingCentral Fax Monthly Pricing (per User) Billed annually
- Fax 3000: $27.99 for 3,000 faxes, 1 local fax number, mobile app, fax scheduling, file sharing, fax broadcasting, fax spam blocking, and fax cover page templates
- Advanced: $25; message, video, phone, SMS, and unlimited internet fax in one
- Free trial: 7 days
RingCentral, the industry’s leading voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) system, offers a fax service designed to send large volumes of faxes to multiple recipients. Send faxes to a maximum of 50 recipients at a time, or activate the fax broadcasting feature to send more. Advanced cloud technology and encrypted transmission mean you can receive faxes simultaneously without hearing a busy signal.
This platform is one of the best online faxing services because of its comprehensive VoIP functionality and several standout features, such as advanced fax spam blocking and SMS notifications. Fax scheduling lets you send faxes later by picking the date and time of delivery, while cover sheet templates offer customizable fax cover pages for a more personalized touch.
RingCentral Fax’s monthly rate is among the highest you’ll pay for a base plan among the fax services we reviewed. There’s no option to scale down because of its single-plan structure, which may not appeal to small businesses with low-volume faxing requirements. Consider Dropbox Fax for more scalable pricing options.
RingCentral Fax Features
Send faxes online with the RingCentral desktop app. (Source: RingCentral)
- Advanced fax blocking: Customize blocking options based on your privacy requirements. Block faxes from specific phone numbers, area codes, prefixes, or phones with no caller ID.
- Instant fax alerts: Get real-time alerts via text or email whenever you send or receive a fax. You can also customize notification preferences for other users’ extensions.
- Multidevice faxing: Send, receive, and manage faxes across multiple devices, including a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile device.
SRFax: Best for Healthcare Providers
What We Liked
- Supports up to 50 fax recipients at once
- Offers dedicated healthcare plans
- Allows multiple users to have their own fax number
Where It Falls Behind
- Lacks third-party integrations
- Has a clunky, outdated interface
- Only offers email support
SRFax Monthly Pricing Save up to 15% with annual billing. Contact sales for a larger plan.
Standard Plans
- Basic Plus: $11.45 for 200 pages
- Standard Lite: $14.90 for 500 pages
- Standard: $21.80 for 800 pages
- Standard Plus: $37.90 for 1,500 pages
- Free trial: 60 days
All plans include unlimited outbound users, unlimited storage, and password protection.
Healthcare Plans High-volume plans are available from 1,500 to 20,000 pages per month.
- Healthcare Lite: $12.60 for 200 pages
- Healthcare Basic: $16.05 for 500 pages
- Healthcare Basic Plus: $22.95 for 800 pages
All plans include multiple numbers per account, enhanced security, API integration, and OCR.
SRFax is a HIPAA-compliant fax service offering subscription plans dedicated to healthcare professionals. All healthcare plans are designed to meet HIPAA compliance specifications in adherence to patient privacy laws.
It is the only fax provider with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), allowing it to perform services involving the use of personal health information. This guarantees the user that SRFax will appropriately safeguard patient data.
Standard packages are available for non-healthcare use. All plans include multiple recipients, a printer driver, and unlimited storage. We also particularly like how it accommodates unlimited outbound users, as most competitors, like Fax.Plus, charge $99.99 for the same capability.
On the downside, its entry-level plan is priced higher than most providers on our list. Users pay $11.45 for 200 fax pages compared to $9.99 with iFax, which is our pick for the best free online fax service because of its renewable free fax credits.
SRFax Features
SRFax provides configuration options when sending faxes. (Source: SRFax)
- Never Busy Service: SRFax provides a single fax number for online faxing with the ability to send and receive multiple faxes without a busy signal.
- Fax API: SRFax provides easy-to-use and feature-rich APIs to enable developers to incorporate e-fax capability into a platform. API assets are available for download.
- Junk fax filter: Prevent spam faxes by adding fax numbers to a list of blocked callers. All blocked faxes are placed into the “junk faxes” folder and stored for seven days.
eFax: Best for International Faxing
What We Liked
- Offers free cloud storage
- Provides international fax numbers
- Supports up to 3GB attachments
Where It Falls Behind
- Can only send faxes to 5 email addresses
- Lacks custom cover page
- Charges an extra $10 to maintain a prepaid balance
eFax Monthly Pricing Save up to $37.90 on the annual plan.
- Plus: $18.99 for 5 users, 170 sent pages, and 170 received pages
- Pro: $24.99 for 5 users, 275 sent pages, and 275 received pages
- Protect: $49.99 for 500 total pages
- Corporate: Custom pricing
- Free trial: 14 days
All plans include 1 phone number (local or toll-free), online storage, email-to-fax, e-signature, multiple recipients, and searchable faxes.
eFax has long been the best online fax for small business use for its ability to send and receive faxes from any country without additional costs or setup fees. It also offers international fax numbers to make it easier and more affordable for your clients and partners to reach you via fax.
There’s no need to pay long-distance fees when sending international faxes because faxing charges are based on send rates. For example, sending faxes to Australia will only cost you 10 cents per page (local), while a 40-cent fee applies if you send it via mobile.
Unfortunately, eFax has limited fax cover sheet customizations. This is a must-have feature for companies in industries like healthcare that want to add transmission details to the cover page to meet specific compliance standards. A better alternative would be RingCentral Fax, which offers a wide range of cover page templates, such as classic, confidential, formal, and urgent.
eFax Features
eFax offers an intuitive interface for sending faxes online. (Source: eFax)
- eFax Messenger: This feature provides an improved user interface that lets you fax directly from your desktop, so you don’t need to access the online portal from your browser. This allows you to create, edit, and store faxes more conveniently.
- Searchable PDFs: eFax uses OCR technology to help users quickly retrieve a stored fax. Simply enter a keyword, recipient’s name, or date to search through faxes. This feature works on faxes in PDF format.
- Electronic signature: Add an electronic signature or annotation to a fax before sending it. Signing a fax can be done by swiping your finger on your mobile screen or uploading your saved signature on the eFax app.
Dropbox Fax: Best for Low to Moderate Faxing
What We Liked
- Offers a free plan for one-time users
- Has the longest free trial
- Includes a free e-signature tool
Where It Falls Behind
- Has no mobile app
- Doesn’t renew free fax credits
- Doesn’t customize cover sheets
Dropbox Fax Monthly Pricing Annual plans start at $8.33 per month.
- Free: Free for 5 pages, e-signature, unlimited cloud storage, and app integrations
- Home Office: $9.99 for 5 users, 300 pages, email to fax, inbound faxing, and multiple fax recipients
- Professional: $19.99 for 10 users, 500 pages, and fax number porting
- Small Business: $39.99 for 20 users and 1,000 pages
- Free trial: 30 days
Dropbox Fax is our best online fax service for small businesses that need to send faxes regularly, but not in high volumes. It has three scalable subscription options, ranging from $9.99 to $39.99 per month. Each plan supports a specific number of users between five and 20 senders, allowing you to accommodate more users as your business grows.
Like Fax.Plus, Dropbox Fax offers a free fax service and 20 free fax pages for completing onboarding tasks. It has built-in e-signature capabilities that let you add a signature, date, text, and checkboxes before sending a fax. Users can also send a high-resolution colored fax for image-heavy documents.
Dropbox Fax doesn’t have a mobile app to support remote fax users. In this case, consider Nextiva vFAX, which lets you use your tablet or smartphone to send and receive faxes. Access your fax documents in one intuitive mobile interface and set up SMS alerts for incoming and outgoing faxes.
Dropbox Fax Features
Choose whether to send a fax via the recipient’s email or number. (Source: Dropbox Fax)
- Third-party integrations: Dropbox Fax integrates with Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, and One Drive to send and retrieve faxes in the cloud.
- Electronic signature: Sign your faxes online without a scanner or printer. You can also add annotations, such as dates, checkboxes, or custom texts.
- Online fax number: Dropbox provides a fax number that works as a fax line, which you can use to receive faxes from physical fax machines or any computer fax service.
How We Evaluated the Best Online Fax Services
We examined dozens of online fax services for business use with capabilities that make sending and receiving faxes online relatively easier than a traditional fax machine. To form our unbiased expert assessment, we rated each provider based on pricing, features, ease of use, and customer support. Learn how we evaluated the best online fax services by clicking on the tabs below:
15% of Overall Score
We reviewed the prices of multiple online fax services, including discounts for annual prepayment and multiple-user subscriptions. Plus, we looked at the number of available plans and checked the affordability of each provider’s service tiers.
25% of Overall Score
We examined several standard fax capabilities that businesses commonly look for in an online fax service. These include data storage, indexing, fax scheduling, and faxing by email. We also compared the number of pages included per plan and favored those that offer over 200 pages on the basic tier.
10% of Overall Score
For niche features, we considered the types of security features and compliance offerings. Similarly, we awarded additional points for high-level features like e-signature, international faxing, and blacklisting.
20% of Overall Score
We assessed the user-friendliness of each online fax service by exploring it ourselves and checking user reviews from reliable websites. And we considered learning curves during the setup and configuration phases.
15% of Overall Score
We checked each provider’s customer service channels, including phone, live chat, email, helpdesk, and a community forum. Additional points are given if all support channels are available 24/7. We also explored the knowledge base resources available for new users.
15% of Overall Score
We assessed each provider’s overall quality and performance by looking at its standout qualities and value for money. We also considered their level of popularity and user-friendliness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Definitely. Free online fax services like iFax let you send up to five pages every month with no setup fees. Sign up for a free trial from providers like Fax.Plus, Dropbox Fax, and RingCentral Fax for one-time faxing.
Yes, but you need a third-party service like Fax.Plus to send a free fax. You can do this by creating a Fax.Plus account using your Google account. Proceed to Gmail, click “Compose,” and enter the recipient’s fax number followed by @fax.plus. Attach the fax document as an email attachment and hit “Send.”
Yes. Several online faxing services comply with global security and data privacy standards, making them more reliable and secure enough to carry confidential data. iFax, our top online fax service, is your best option if you’re looking for a legitimate provider with compliance certifications. Otherwise, practice due diligence and examine a provider’s security measures.
Bottom Line
Faxing remains one of the most important communication methods for businesses that send and receive confidential files. Through online fax services for businesses, users can send important documents securely without a physical fax machine.
After testing seven fax providers, we picked iFax as the best online fax service for 2024 because of its flexible pricing and renewable free fax credits. It’s ideal for small teams that send faxes occasionally and want to easily upgrade to a paid subscription without paying a huge upfront cost. Take advantage of its free plan and see how it can meet your business needs.
