Sending Fax Online or by Email Is Easy With These 10 Services

Fax machines may seem like a relic of the past, but they are still commonly used in many industries today. Law firms, healthcare organizations, government agencies, and more rely on fax as a quick, secure way to send important documents.

However, traditional fax machines have some downsides. They require expensive equipment, toner, paper, and maintenance. Plus, you need a dedicated phone line just for faxing. This is where online fax services come in.

Online fax services allow you to send and receive faxes directly from your computer, phone or tablet. No more wasted paper, ink or hassling with an outdated fax machine. With online faxing, you can save time and money while improving productivity.

In this guide, we‘ll explain the benefits of online fax services and review 10 top options to consider.

How Online Fax Services Work

Online fax services function similarly to traditional fax machines. However, instead of sending documents over telephone lines, they utilize the internet and cloud technology.

To send a fax, you upload a document from your computer to the fax service‘s website or app. You enter the recipient‘s fax number, any cover letter notes, and hit send.

The fax service then converts your document to a fax format and transmits it to the recipient‘s fax machine over telephone lines on your behalf.

To receive faxes, you‘re assigned a unique virtual fax number. When someone sends a fax to your number, the fax service receives it and forwards a digital copy to your email as a PDF attachment. Some services also let you access received faxes via a web portal or mobile app.

Overall, the process is quick, easy, and more efficient than traditional faxing. Plus, it‘s more secure, since faxes are never printed and handled in paper form.

Benefits of Online Fax Services

Compared to old-school physical fax machines, online fax services offer many advantages:

• Cost savings – No need to pay for expensive equipment, supplies, and dedicated phone lines. Online fax plans are very affordable.

• Convenience – Send and receive faxes 24/7 from anywhere via computer, smartphone or tablet. No bulky equipment required.

• Security – Faxes are transmitted and stored digitally, avoiding the risks of printed paper copies being misplaced. Reputable services use encryption to keep faxes private.

• Efficiency – Send faxes to multiple recipients at once. Integrate with productivity apps to streamline workflow. Receive faxes as searchable PDFs.

• Simplicity – Intuitive web and mobile interfaces make online faxing fast and hassle-free.

• Eco-friendly – No wasted paper, ink or electricity like traditional fax machines. You help reduce paper waste and your carbon footprint.

• Storage – Online archives provide easy access your sent and received faxes anytime. No more rummaging through filing cabinets for faxes.

With all of these excellent benefits, it‘s easy to see why millions of users are switching to online fax services for their business and personal needs. Next let‘s review the top fax service providers available today.

1. Fax.Plus

One of the most full-featured and reliable online fax services available is Fax.Plus. Fax.Plus has over 2 million satisfied customers worldwide, so you know it‘s a proven solution.

Key features include:

• Send and receive faxes via web, desktop apps, and mobile apps (iOS and Android)
• Unlimited faxing with no per-page charges
• Local or toll-free numbers available in 47 countries
• 256-bit SSL and TLS security
• Receive faxes as PDFs and forward to email or cloud storage
• View fax history and status in real-time
• Schedule faxes to send at specified dates and times
• Integrate with business apps like G-Suite, Slack, Trello and more
• HIPAA compliant to handle protected health data

Fax.Plus offers competitive pricing with individual plans starting at $7/month. Enterprise-level plans are also available if you need to provision multiple fax numbers and users.

Overall, Fax.Plus hits the sweet spot of reliability, security, features and affordability. It‘s our top pick for most small business online faxing needs.

2. HelloFax

HelloFax is another highly-rated fax solution from the same company behind the HelloSign eSignature service.

With HelloFax, you get a robust set of online fax capabilities including:

• Custom branding on cover sheets
• Fax forwarding to email or cloud storage
• Receive faxes as searchable PDFs
• API integrations with business apps
• Dedicated local or toll-free fax numbers
• HIPAA compliance for health data
• 256-bit SSL encrypted transmission

While HelloFax is easy to use for casual users, it also has more advanced tools to suit larger businesses. For example, you can provision multiple fax numbers with custom extensions and users.

HelloFax pricing starts at $10/month for individuals. Volume discounts are available if you need provision additional fax numbers and users.

Overall, HelloFax strikes a great balance of usability and security. It‘s a smart choice for solopreneurs, small teams, and enterprise organizations alike.

3. MetroFax

In business since 1995, MetroFax is one of the pioneers and leaders in online fax services. They make faxing fast, easy and reliable.

With MetroFax, highlights include:

• Unlimited faxing to anywhere in the US and Canada
• Toll-free or local fax numbers
• Receive faxes via email as PDFs
• iOS and Android apps for faxing on the go
• Encrypted secure document transmission
• Integrations with Google Workspace, Office 365, Dropbox and more
• HIPAA compliant options available

An entry-level online fax plan starts at $7.95/month. Volume discounts are available for multiple fax numbers and users. MetroFax also offers integrations with CRM, EHR and accounting systems.

Overall, MetroFax is a great choice for unlimited faxing across North America. The service is mature, reliable and cost-effective.

4. Nextiva vFAX

Designed for high-volume business users, Nextiva vFAX offers enterprise-grade capabilities.

Features include:

• Mass faxing to thousands of recipients
• Dedicated or toll-free fax numbers
• Drag-and-drop editor to build fax merges
• Receive faxes by email or forward to cloud storage
• Fax portal with real-time analytics
• CRM integrations
• 256-bit SSL encrypted transmission

Nextiva vFAX provides the flexibility to scale up high-volume faxing operations as your needs grow. Advanced tools like fax broadcasting, custom cover sheets, sender ID masking and fax portal analytics give you robust options.

Pricing starts at $12/month per fax number. Volume discounts available for multiple numbers and heavy usage.

For large enterprises that need to send tens of thousands of faxes per month, Nextiva vFAX is a leading solution. But advanced capabilities also make Nextiva a great choice for growing small businesses.

5. FaxBetter

FaxBetter makes online faxing incredibly easy. Their web interface is intuitive and straightforward to use.

Key features include:

• Send unlimited faxes from web browser
• Receive faxes by email as PDF attachments
• Create contacts list for frequent recipients
• Get SMS or email notifications when faxes are sent
• View fax logs and receipts
• Share received faxes easily from mobile app
• 256-bit SSL encrypted transmission

FaxBetter is one of the most user-friendly online fax services. Their desktop and mobile experience is smooth and hassle-free. Everything is designed to get your faxes sent and received with minimal effort.

Pricing starts at $5/month for the occasional user plan. More active user plans are $10/month. FaxBetter keeps costs low while providing a quality fax solution.

For straightforward online faxing needs, FaxBetter is a top choice that gets the job done right.

6. SRFax

Based in Texas, SRFax has specialized in online fax solutions since 1989. They offer a robust service packed with convenient features.

These include:

• Simple web interface to send and manage faxes
• Receive faxes via email as PDFs
• Digital signature for legal documents
• Toll-free or local fax numbers
• HIPAA compliant accounts
• Integrations with Office 365, Google Workspace, Evernote and more
• Real-time fax status tracking
• Highest level 256-bit encryption

SRFax caters well to law firms and healthcare providers that handle confidential client data. But the service is versatile enough for any type of business or personal user.

Pricing starts at $6.95/month and volume discounts are available. For legal, medical and other regulated industries, SRfax is a secure and compliant fax solution.

7. RingCentral Fax

As part of their VoIP phone system, RingCentral Office offers integrated online fax capabilities.

Benefits include:

• Web and mobile apps to send faxes on any device
• Receive faxes as PDF attachments in email
• Add legally binding e-signatures to faxes
• Create custom cover pages with logo and sender info
• Get notifications when faxes are sent and received
• View detailed fax logs and reports in your account
• Integrates with RingCentral VoIP phone system

RingCentral also stands out with its top-notch customer support and 99.999% uptime service level agreement.

Packages start at $20/month and include toll-free fax numbers. As your needs grow, RingCentral makes it easy to add additional fax numbers and users. The integrated phone and fax system works seamlessly together.

For a unified business communications solution, RingCentral delivers exceptional value and capabilities for the money.

8. MyFax

In business since 1998, MyFax is one of the longest running and most trusted online fax services. They make faxing extremely easy and reliable.

MyFax is part of the j2 Global family of brands focused on cloud services and online security. Key features include:

• Unlimited faxing from web or mobile apps
• Toll-free and local fax numbers
• Custom cover sheets and sender ID
• Receive faxes via email or MyFax portal
• Integrations with Office 365, Gmail, Dropbox and more
• 256-bit SSL encryption for security
• Digitally sign documents before faxing

MyFax pricing starts at $10/month for individuals. Volume discounts available for multiple fax numbers and users.

The company has reputable Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot ratings after 20+ years in business. For basic online faxing needs, MyFax is a dependable choice.

9. FaxZero

FaxZero stands out with its incredibly simple free faxing option. You don‘t need to register an account or provide any personal details.

Just visit the FaxZero website, enter your fax‘s recipient details, upload your file and hit send. The fax will be delivered quickly and easily.

The free plan allows you to send:

• 2 faxes per day
• Maximum of 3 pages per fax
• Only available for faxes sent within the US and Canada

FaxZero also has affordable paid plans with more features:

• Send up to 25 pages per fax
• Unlimited faxes per day
• International fax capability
• Receive faxes and view online history

If all you need is occasional faxing, FaxZero‘s free tier is unbeatable. But the paid plans are cost-effective if you need to send more pages or faxes regularly.

10. GotFreeFax

Similar to FaxZero, GotFreeFax provides a straightforward free fax option.

It‘s only available for US and Canada, but the process is very quick and easy:

• No registration required
• Send up to 2 faxes daily
• Maximum 3 pages per fax
• Faxes delivered within minutes

For power users who need to send unlimited faxes internationally, GotFreeFax has paid plans starting at $5.99/month.

The premier plan at $9.99/month includes unlimited faxes, 10 MB attachment limit, dedicated fax number, and multi-user capability.

For occasional faxing needs, it‘s hard to beat the convenience of GotFreeFax‘s hassle-free free tier. But they have scalable paid plans when your requirements expand.

Which Online Fax Service Is Right For You?

When choosing the best online fax service for your needs, consider factors like:

• Usage volume – Occasional, moderate or high faxing needs? Free and low-cost plans work for light usage. Unlimited enterprise plans are better for high volumes.

• Features – Do you just need basic send/receive fax capability? Or advanced tools for mass faxing, custom cover pages, CRM integrations, etc?

• Security – Are you transmitting sensitive data? If so, opt for a service with encrypted fax transmission and HIPAA compliance.

• Budget – Free and low-cost options work for individuals and small businesses. For unlimited enterprise fax services, expect to pay $20-50/month.

Take some time to evaluate these key criteria to select the best online fax provider for your specific requirements.

Get Sending Faxes Online Today!

Now that you know the benefits of online fax services and top providers, you can ditch your old fax machine for good!

Sign up for one of these secure, convenient online fax platforms to save time and money. Soon you‘ll be sending and receiving faxes in mere minutes right from your computer or smartphone.

Many services offer free trials so you can test them out risk-free. Find the right fax solution for your needs and start reaping the rewards of easy online faxing today. Your productivity will get a boost!