eFax review

Fax machines are no longer a cost-effective purchase for most businesses, but you may still need to send and receive some faxes. Online fax software platforms are a convenient and affordable option for small and large businesses that want access to fax capabilities without investing in a fax machine.

In our eFax online fax review, we’ll take a look at the application’s features and consider whether it’s worth using over another one of the best online fax services.

eFax: Plans and pricing

eFax offers three subscription tiers: Plus ($18.99 per month), Pro ($29.99 per month), and Corporate (custom pricing based on your volume). You get a 17% discount if you pay upfront for a full year.

Plus users can send up to 170 pages per month and receive the same number of pages. Pro raises the limit to 375 pages each, but it’s identical to Plus in every other way, including a required $10 setup fee. 

The Corporate plan allows you to send more pages and is HIPAA compliant, offers an optional Business Associate Agreement, and comes with an API to integrate eFax with other apps. You have to request a quote directly from the company if you need this plan. 

Upgrading from Plus to Pro increases the monthly page limits from 150 to 200.

eFax: Features and utilities

You can exchange faxes in multiple ways using eFax. The primary way to do that is to access your eFax dashboard on the official website and send a fax directly. You can also create contacts to keep track of ongoing recipients.

It also supports email-to-fax, allowing users to send faxes using their email client. Additional options include the mobile app (available on iOS and Android) and the desktop app (eFax Messenger) on the Windows or macOS operating systems.

The desktop app offers other helpful features along with the ability to edit and send faxes. For example, you can use the Print Driver feature to quickly convert any document on your computer into a fax. The app can also import contacts from your email client to streamline the process of sending documents.

eFax Messenger is the easiest way to access eFax on Windows 10.

eFax: Setup

When you sign up for eFax, you’ll have the opportunity to select a fax number and connect your email address. The service requires a credit card number to create an account, even if you’re signing up for a free trial.

You can send and view faxes immediately after creating an account, with little setup needed.

If you want to send faxes from your computer without using the website, you can install the desktop app.

You’ll be taken to My Account Home after signing up and logging in.

eFax: Interface and performance

The eFax website has a relatively basic design, but both eFax Messenger and the mobile app look more modern. That said, it’s easy to view and manage faxes regardless of how you’re accessing the platform.

eFax streamlines the process of sending faxes, so you can usually send documents within a few seconds to up to 50 people at a time. However, we observed a pattern of user complaints that faxes often take a long time to reach the recipient. You should receive a confirmation email once your fax reaches its intended destination.

eFax: Security

eFax offers robust security measures, and Corporate users gain access to enough protection to comply with a variety of standards including HIPAA, GLBA, and 256-bit TLS. While Plus and Pro users don’t get the same security options, faxes sent online or through the mobile app are still encrypted in transit.

Plus and Pro users can add more protection by contacting customer support to activate eFax Enhanced Security. Users with Enhanced Security won’t receive faxes in their inboxes. Instead, eFax will email you when faxes are available and link you to view them on the website, which is secured by a TLS connection.

Enhanced Security is available as a free add-on for eFax Plus and Pro users.

eFax: Support

The eFax Help Center is the first place to look if you run into any issues while using the service. It contains guides for setting up and using eFax, adjusting preferences, and more.

While there aren’t any help forums, you can contact eFax support directly if the Help Center doesn’t have the answer you’re looking for. Live support is available via chat or telephone 24/7, according to the official website.

The eFax Help Center has comprehensive information about the application’s features and settings.

eFax: The competition

Fax.plus is a popular alternative to eFax. It’s a more affordable option, costing $19.99 per month to send and receive 800 fax pages, compared to eFax, which costs $29.99 monthly to send and receive 750 pages. 

SRFax is another notable competitor to eFax. It costs $19 monthly to send and receive 800 pages, making it a more cost-effective option.  

eFax: Final verdict

While it doesn’t have the best presentation and pricing, eFax provides everything small and large businesses need to send and receive faxes without a fax machine. You can send faxes through the website, mobile app, eFax Messenger app, or your existing email client.

Unfortunately, eFax tracks sent and received faxes separately. While this won’t affect businesses that do both equally, it adds unnecessary costs for companies that primarily send or receive faxes.

Overall, eFax is a great faxing tool for businesses but not the most cost-effective option.

• We've also featured the best printers here.