Faxing has long been a great way to send and receive certain documents. Although it may seem to be going out of fashion, it has been rebranded to fit the modern lifestyle.
Using a fax machine to send documents back and forth is inefficient for modern business operations. But by unleashing the power of online faxing and its ability to enhance mobility and flexibility, you and your team can send and receive faxes from any device with an internet connection, whether they’re in the office, at home, or on the go.
In this article, we’ll explain better online faxing, why it’s a valuable tool for modern businesses, and online fax services that can set you up with a fax number.
What Is a Fax
Faxing, short for facsimile, is the process of transmitting scanned documents as electronic signals over a telephone line or the Internet. With a history dating back to 1843, this technology allows for the quick and secure exchange of printed materials, including text and images, by converting them into digital data that can be sent to a receiving fax machine or service, which then reconstructs the document.
Online faxing has revolutionized the traditional faxing method, bringing it into the digital age. This modern solution allows you to send and receive faxes via the Internet, eliminating the need for a physical fax machine. This means greater convenience and flexibility as you can now fax from anywhere using your computer, phone, or tablet. It also reduces costs associated with maintaining fax machines and paper supplies, making it a cheaper and more efficient option.
source: Statista
How to Get a Fax Number
Getting a fax number is a straightforward process, and various online fax services are available today. Here’s a look at four popular options: Fax. Plus, myFax, iFax, and eFax. Each service offers unique features and pricing plans to suit different needs.
Fax.Plus
Overview
Fax.plus is a versatile online fax service designed for both individual and business use. It is a part of the Alohi suite of products, including SIGN.PLUS and SCAN.PLUS. Fax.plus offers a user-friendly interface and robust features to facilitate seamless faxing.
Features
Local and Toll-Free Numbers
Online fax services like Fax.Plus offers the flexibility of both local and toll-free numbers to suit your business needs. A very important feature they offer is the number porting feature, which lets you keep your current fax number while switching to Fax.Plus so that you maintain continuity without any downtime.
Security and Reliability
Fax.Plus ensures the security and reliability of your fax communications with advanced encryption, tamper-evident document security, and robust authentication. The service claims to use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) with a network capacity 15 times greater than the largest DDoS attack ever recorded, providing a strong defense against potential DDoS attacks and ensuring uninterrupted service.
Data security is further enhanced with 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for stored files and Transport Layer Security (TLS) for data transmission. TLS 1.3, supported by Fax.Plus, improves both speed and security, ensuring that only the two endpoints can decrypt the traffic for maximum confidentiality.
Fa.Plus ensures that your faxes are delivered with their retry option, which increases the likelihood of successful fax transmission by automatically resending faxes if the recipient’s fax machine is busy, based on your preset specified timing and number of retries.
Industry Compliance Standards
Fax.Plus adheres to industry-leading compliance standards to ensure the security and regulatory compliance of your data including ISO/IEC 27001,SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR and CCPA. The data center is fully certified, audited, and verified to meet the strictest regulations, providing peace of mind for users across various industries, but especially in the healthcare operations.
Enterprise Scalability
Fax.Plus offers scalable business solutions with its Business and Enterprise plans and also offers features to match. These plans enable you to manage multiple fax numbers and users, assigning numbers to team members as needed to maintain connectivity and streamline document activities.
Another business-oriented feature is the analytics dashboard that allows you to monitor your team’s monthly usage by tracking faxes sent and received during billing cycles, providing valuable insights into operational performance. This also comes with a centralized admin dashboard that simplifies user management, permissions, and fax archiving, making it easier to maintain control over your fax communications. And then you have Single Sign-On (SSO), with which you can use existing login credentials from major identity providers for quick and secure access to Fax.Plus.
For high-volume faxing, Fax.Plus offers Enterprise plans starting at 4,000 pages, tailored to your unique needs and capable of scaling up easily as your business grows. Fax.Plus also offers extensive integrations with apps like Slack, Microsoft Word, Google, and more via Zapier or the Fax.Plus API.
Fax.Plus Pricing
Fax.Plus pricing
Fax.plus pricing (billed annually)
Fax.plus offers four subscription plans: Basic, Premium, Business, and Enterprise.
The Basic plan starts at $8.99 monthly or $83.99 billed annually. It includes features such as 200 free monthly pages, one fax number, and one member account. Additional pages cost $0.10 each, with a maximum of 60 pages per fax. Key features include email-to-fax, mobile app access, unlimited fax storage, and multiple fax recipients.
The Premium plan, at $17.99 monthly or $167.99 billed annually, provides 500 free pages per month. Extra pages cost $0.07 each, with a maximum of 90 pages per fax. It includes everything in the Basic plan, plus toll-free fax numbers, fax number porting, the ability to export fax logs to CSV, and the option to switch off fax reception.
The Business plan is priced at $34.99 monthly or $335.99 billed annually. It offers 1,000 free pages per month, with additional pages at $0.05 each and a maximum of 200 pages per fax. This plan includes multiple fax numbers and up to five member accounts. It contains all the features from the Premium plan, with added benefits like team setup, an admin dashboard, Slack integration, and fax number management.
The Enterprise plan costs $99.99 monthly or $959.99 billed annually. It includes 4,000 free pages per month, with extra pages costing $0.03 each and a maximum of 250 pages per fax. This plan offers multiple fax numbers and unlimited member accounts. It includes all features from the Business plan, plus Zapier integration, Fax.Plus API access, data residency options, and single sign-on (SSO) functionality.
MyFax
Overview
MyFax is another cloud-based faxing service that allows customers to send and receive faxes from anywhere. Launched in 2004 by Protus IP Solutions and acquired by J2 Cloud Services in 2010, MyFax has grown in popularity among small and medium-sized businesses. The service also provides the flexibility of sending faxes via web, email, or mobile device, without hardware or software.
Features
Share With up to 5
MyFax offers a feature called Share With 5, which allows you to share your faxes with up to five other people. This feature is ideal for businesses that require collaboration on faxes or for business owners who wish to grant their employees access to faxes without providing full access to their email accounts. Share With 5 also allows you to use it with your own email accounts, such as a corporate account for work and a personal one for home.
Fax Archive Storage
Every MyFax plan includes free online storage for your faxes, ensuring that you can store them in one central location and never have to worry about losing or misplacing a critical fax again. The MyFax Central portal simplifies the process of searching for archived faxes by enabling you to search by name, date, fax number, and more. Additionally, you can make retrieving a fax even easier by “tagging” your faxes with keywords or categories.
Choose Your Fax Number with MyFax
With MyFax, you can choose the fax number that best suits your needs, regardless of your geographic location. You can select from a range of options, including local, toll-free, and international numbers.
MyFax also simplifies the process of transferring your existing fax number to their service. By porting your current fax number to MyFax, you can retain the same number that your customers and clients are familiar with, eliminating the need to update your contact information. This seamless transition allows you to avoid the hassle of updating documents such as business cards or your website with a new fax number.
MyFax Pricing
MyFax pricing
MyFax pricing (billed annually)
MyFax offers three subscription plans: Home Office User, Small Business User, and Power User.
The Home Office User plan is priced at $12 monthly (or $10 billed annually). It includes 100 pages for sending and 100 pages for receiving each month. This plan is perfect for individual or home office use and offers a cost-effective solution for low-volume faxing needs.
The Small Business User plan costs $25 per month and provides 300 pages for sending and 300 pages for receiving each month. This plan is tailored for small businesses and offers ample capacity for moderate faxing needs.
The Power User plan is available for $45 per month. It includes 600 pages for sending and 600 pages for receiving each month, making it ideal for users with high-volume faxing requirements.
Every MyFax plan includes email to fax, iOS and Android mobile fax app, online fax storage, fax tag, etc.
iFax
Overview
iFax, the first online faxing app, has transformed how we handle fax communications by leveraging the power of the internet. This pioneering service allows you to send and receive faxes without the need for a physical fax machine, offering unparalleled convenience and flexibility. With its innovation and robust features, iFax set the foundation for modern faxing solutions, catering to both individual and business needs while ensuring secure and efficient communication.
Features
Secure and HIPAA Compliant
When sending a fax online, security is paramount. iFax significantly increases the security of your documents and data with end-to-end encryption, ensuring your sensitive information remains protected. This includes encryption for both outbound and inbound faxes, as well as delivery notifications, making every aspect of your online fax experience secure.
For businesses handling health data, iFax ensures compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. As not every online fax provider is HIPAA compliant, iFax’s adherence to these stringent regulations provides a secure and compliant solution for healthcare professionals and organizations, avoiding severe penalties and protecting sensitive patient information.
Multiple Email Addresses
iFax allows you to connect multiple email accounts to one fax line, simplifying the faxing process without the need for a standalone email address for online faxing. This feature enables you to easily send and receive faxes using your existing email addresses, eliminating the need to create new accounts for team members. Each team member can connect their own email address to the online fax account under one subscription, streamlining communication and improving efficiency.
Scheduled Delivery
Online faxing with iFax allows you to schedule fax deliveries, similar to how you might schedule social media posts or newsletters. This feature is particularly useful for those who work unconventional hours or need to send faxes at more appropriate times. You can set up the digital fax and schedule it to be sent at a sociable hour, ensuring that the right fax reaches the right recipient at the right time without you needing to be awake or available when it goes out. This enhances convenience and helps prevent forgotten faxes.
Progress Tracker
iFax also includes a progress and status tracker, giving you real-time updates on the faxes you send. You can easily monitor the progress of your faxes, ensuring they are sent to the correct place and received by the intended recipient. The tracker allows you to see where the fax is in the delivery process, whether it has been delivered, and whether it has been read, providing peace of mind and greater control over your communications.
Archive
One of the most beneficial features of iFax is its archiving capability, which automatically stores all your incoming and outgoing online faxes for easy retrieval at a later date. This feature reduces the need for paper, as there’s no need to print received faxes, and simplifies filing and organization.
You can choose to keep all incoming faxes in chronological order in your secure email inbox, or utilize the Fax Archive feature, which provides a dedicated cloud storage system for safely storing all your faxes. This ensures that your documents are secure and easily accessible whenever you need them
iFax Pricing
iFax pricing
iFax pricing (billed annually)
iFax offers three subscription plans: Basic, Plus, and Pro.
The Basic plan is $9.99 monthly. It allows you to send faxes and includes features like iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac apps, AI for OCR, data extraction, and generative AI. However, it does not include receiving faxes, team collaboration, smart folders with Google Drive/Dropbox, annotation or eSignature of fax documents, branded company fax pages, fax by email, developer API, Zapier integration, or 24/7 live chat and phone support.
The Plus plan costs $19.99 monthly and allows you to send and receive faxes. It is HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 compliant. It includes everything in the Basic plan, with additional features such as team collaboration and fax processing, smart folders with Google Drive/Dropbox, document annotation and eSigning, branded company fax pages, fax by email, developer API, and Zapier integration. However, 24/7 live chat and phone support are not included.
The Pro plan is available for $29.99 monthly. This plan offers all the features of the Plus plan, including sending and receiving faxes, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 compliance, multi-platform apps, AI capabilities, team collaboration, smart folders, document annotation and eSigning, branded company fax pages, fax by email, developer API, Zapier integration, and 24/7 live chat and phone support.
eFax
Overview
eFax has been a world-leading online fax service for over two decades, provided by Consensus Cloud Solutions. Since its inception as a digital cloud faxing organization, eFax has evolved to serve millions of customers, including small, medium, and large businesses, as well as Fortune 500 companies. eFax offers secure digital faxing supported by robust security measures and encryption protocols, allowing users to safely retrieve and store faxes via email and a cloud-based web app.
Features
Number Management Features
eFax offers comprehensive number management capabilities, allowing you to manage multiple fax numbers across different countries. If you already have a fax number, eFax makes it easy to port your existing number, letting you keep the same contact while benefiting from their advanced features.
eFax also offers International faxing, allowing you to send and receive faxes from anywhere in the world without additional costs or setup fees. eFax’s Multi DID Support enables you to get additional phone numbers for your business without purchasing extra hardware. You can still assign multiple numbers to a single fax line and receive calls from any designated number.
Integration Features
eFax offers easy integration with other applications and systems, streamlining your fax operations and maximizing efficiency. Their API integration allows businesses to quickly integrate faxing with various applications and programs, enhancing workflow and efficiency. Their eFax Router is a versatile Windows application that enables automatic fax downloads for one or multiple fax numbers through a secure internet connection, making fax management more convenient.
Other eFax’s integration capabilities include Multi-Function Printers (MFP) and Scanners, the eFax SAP Connector, and Consensus Clarity (which leverages AI to convert unstructured digital documents into valuable and actionable data, enhancing communication efficiency). Lastly, the Salesforce Connector allows users to send and receive faxes within the Salesforce interface, adding secure and easy-to-use fax capabilities to your CRM system.
Compliance and Security Features
eFax offers a comprehensive range of compliance and security features to ensure your documents are secure and compliant with industry standards. For compliance, eFax offers functions for HIPAA, BAA, PCI DSS, GLBA, SOC, SOC2, and HITRUST, ensuring that documents are handled properly and securely, regardless of the industry requirements.
On the security front, eFax prioritizes document safety with features such as eFax Secure™, which encrypts data transmission using TLS security and AES 256-bit encryption for data at rest. Email security is ensured through TLS encryption for both incoming and outgoing emails. Additionally, eFax provides audit control and audit trails to keep track of all document transmissions, providing a comprehensive record for review.
Administration Features
eFax offers several administration features that enhance its business usability, making it a comprehensive choice beyond its security features. The corporate-level admin portal provides a secure and centralized platform to manage user accounts, access document history, view monthly billing statements and more. This portal allows for the assignment of multiple administrators, each with access and control over different user accounts, enabling efficient management of any number of user accounts within the organization.
Users can securely create, view, and share documents with multiple users, with the ability to control access levels for each user. Administrators can easily add or delete user accounts as needed, ensuring optimal document management. Additionally, eFax provides a comprehensive reporting dashboard to track activity, performance, and trends, enabling businesses to stay informed about document usage and optimize resource allocation.
eFax Pricing
eFax pricing
eFax pricing (billed annually)
eFax offers four subscription plans: Plus, Pro, Protect, and Corporate.
The Plus plan, designed for individuals, costs $18.99 per month, with a special offer of $5 for the first month. It includes 170 pages for sending and 170 pages for receiving each month, along with a free local fax number.
The Pro plan, ideal for small businesses, is priced at $24.99 per month, with an introductory rate of $10 for the first month. This plan includes 275 pages for sending and 275 pages for receiving each month, a free local or toll-free number, and supports up to five team members.
The Protect plan, best suited for regulated industries, costs $49.99 per month, with a starting rate of $15 for the first month. It provides a total of 500 pages per month, HIPAA compliance with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), a free local or toll-free number, and support for five team members.
The Corporate plan is tailored for large-scale customization and requires a quote. This plan offers scalable page volume, HIPAA compliance with a BAA, HITRUST certification, a fax API for easy integration, and an admin management portal. For more information or to get a quote, contact eFax at (833) 903-4283.
Comparison Table
| Fax.Plus | MyFax | iFax | eFax | |
| Price | $8.99 to $99.99/mo | $12 to $45/mo | $9.99 to $29.99/mo | $18.99 to $49.99/mo |
| Digital Signature | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Integration | Slack, Zapier etc. | No | Yes | Yes |
| Email Faxing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile App | iOS and Android | iOS and Android | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
| UI/UX | Simple and Modern | Outdated look | Outdated look | Look and feel is good |
| Large File Sharing Maximum | 30MB | 20MB | 20MB | 3GB Maximum (using the Large File Sharing) |
| Bulk Faxing Maximum | 500 recipients | 50 (with MyFaxCentral) | 10 recipients | 20 recipients |
| HIPAA Compliance | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Support | Email, help center, message, office | Call, email, chat, FAQs | Chat, message | Email, phone, chat, message, FAQs |
Wrap Up
Obtaining a fax number has never been easier with the variety of online fax services available today. Services like fax.plus, myfax.com, ifaxapp.com, and efax.com provide flexible and convenient solutions tailored to both individual and business needs. These platforms offer numerous features from mobile accessibility to integration with cloud storage, all with their little differences ensuring that you can find the perfect fit for your faxing requirements.
Whatever option you go with will be based on what best suits you and your business. Explore the features and pricing plans of these top online fax services to determine which one aligns best with your needs, and take advantage of the modern, hassle-free way to manage your fax communications.
