EFax is the world’s #1 online fax service. More than 11 million customers use eFax every day to send and receive faxes from their computer, smartphone and email. Online fax services are growing as more companies divest from conventional fax machines in favor of an automated, scalable and cost-effective option. Here's a look at some of the best online fax services.
Even though many offices still use fax machines, you don't have to invest in one just to send a fax or even receive faxes. Instead, use one of these free services to send faxes from your computer to a fax machine over the internet or receive faxes to your email.
You can also send faxes from your smartphone with the right apps.
For fax sending, the services below allow you to enter in text to be faxed or upload a document (like a DOCX file from MS Word or a PDF file) that are already stored on your computer. You could also use a portable or desktop scanner to convert your paper files to digital documents for faxing.
The free fax receiving services give you a fax number to hand out to others and will convert faxes sent to that number to a digital document delivered to your email address.
Some of these services offer only limited free faxing from email and vice-versa. Read carefully before choosing one.
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FaxZero
What We Like
- Great for very limited faxing needs.
- Faxes straight from Word files.
What We Don't Like
- Limited free offering.
- Inclusion of ads on the cover page.
Send a fax for free anywhere in the US and Canada (or many international destinations). You can upload a document or PDF file or enter text to fax.
The free service places an ad on the cover page and is limited to a maximum of 3 pages per fax, up to 5 free faxes per day. If you need to send more than 3 pages, you can send a fax of up to 25 pages with priority delivery and no ad on the cover page for $1.99. The service is accredited with the Better Business Bureau.
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GotFreeFax
What We Like
- No branding or ads.
- Reasonable fee structure.
What We Don't Like
- Very limited number of free faxes.
If you'd rather not have an ad on the cover page, consider GotFreeFax, which uses no-ad free fax cover pages and also doesn't add any GotFreeFax branding to your fax. You can send faxes online to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.
You can send up to 3 pages per fax with 2 free faxes allowed per day. If you need to send more than 3 pages, GotFreeFax allows you to fax up to 10 pages for $0.98, 20 pages for $1.98, and 30 pages for $2.98. The premium pay-per-fax service also uses an encrypted connection and provides priority delivery.
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FaxBetter Free
What We Like
- Great for people with consistent but low-volume fax needs.
- OCR and document-search capability.
- Online storage.
What We Don't Like
- Weekly fax receipts to keep your number.
FaxBetter Free offers you a dedicated toll free fax number for receiving up to 50 pages per month, plus email notifications every time you receive a fax. The catch is that you cannot send faxes using free fax number, and the fax-to-email service as well as the OCR/searchable fax feature is only a 30-day trial.
FaxBetter Free stores up to 1,000 pages on its site for you to access your faxes online. If you expect to receive faxes and/or would like the fax-to-email, to send faxes, have searchable faxes, and up to 500 pages per month options, the FaxBetter account starts at $5.95 per month.
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eFax Free
What We Don't Like
- Tied to the eFax software.
- Subscription model is pricey.
The eFax Free trial gives you a free fax number for incoming faxes which are delivered to you by email. You'll need the eFax document viewing software and will be limited to 150 incoming pages a month, but if you have light fax receiving needs, the eFax Free trial gives you 30 days of helpful service.
After 30 days, you'll be subscribed to one of the eFax packages (of your choosing). To change the area code for your fax number and send and receive up to 150 pages/mo, you'll need to upgrade to the eFax Plus plan, which is a bit more costly than average, starting at $16.95 per month.
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PamFax
What We Like
- Reasonable pricing plans.
- Skype integration.
Pamfax is free to join, and new users get three free fax pages. Support for Dropbox, Box.net and Google Documents is built into the service. If you decide to upgrade, PamFax will provide you with your own personal fax number.
PamFax is available for the internet, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, iPhone/iPad, Android and Blackberry 10. Once you're beyond your three free fax pages, you'll can choose between On Demand ($0.10 per page), and Professional ($6.91 per month and $0.07 per page) or Basic Plans ($4.59 per month and $0.10 per page). Both the Basic and Professional plans include a personal fax number and allow you to send multiple documents in a single fax. What's nice about this fax service is that you can even use PamFax with Skype.
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MyFax - Free Trial
What We Like
- Good overseas coverage.
- Subscription plan good for people with moderate-to-heavy fax needs.
What We Don't Like
- Free trial means you'll be charged if you forget to cancel.
MyFax Free supports fax sending to over 40 countries and supports many more types of files than other fax services: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and image files. There are also apps for your or smartphone.
Unfortunately, MyFax changed its free account to a free trial. So, you have 30 days in which you can send and receive faxes for free. After that time, accounts start at $10 per month. Before you sign up for the free trial, be sure to read the company's Terms & Conditions.
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Send a Free Fax From MS Word, Excel, Outlook, or PowerPoint
What We Don't Like
- Requires a modem and phone line.
One of the most overlooked features in man Microsoft Office programs is the ability to send a fax.
The Microsoft Office suite includes a feature that allows you to send internet faxes via Outlook, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. This feature relies on having the Windows Fax Printer Driver or Fax Services installed on the computer you want to send faxes from.
If your edition of Windows includes the driver or service, you must install it before you can send Internet faxes. If it doesn't, you'll need that download above.
Specific directions depend on which version of Windows you are using, but if you need to send a fax to someone and you would rather not sign up for one of the above-mentioned free online services, this could be a viable option.
Send and receiving fax is old school. You might not see many fax machines these days, but they’re still in operation in certain workplaces. Insurance companies, banks, and realtors all use fax machines to quickly and securely exchange important documents.
Nothing else has managed to beat the fax machine at its own game—not even email. How can you send a fax without a fax machine, though? Thanks to online email to fax services, all you need is a PC with an internet connection.
These online fax services are functional, and best of all, they’re free to use. Let’s run through them and see how to send a fax from an email.
1. GotFreeFax
Using GotFreeFax is about as easy as it gets. Just enter your information as the sender, enter your recipient’s information and fax number, and then either upload a PDF, DOC, or JPG file. You can also add text to your fax in the text box provided (with formatting).
The main service is restricted to U.S. and Canadian fax recipients, but if you click the “Send an International Fax” button at the top of the page, you’re given the option to fax documents to various other countries.
No ads or watermarks are added to any free faxes you send. GotFreeFax is one of the few free services that allow this option. The only limitations are that your faxes can’t be more than 3 pages, and you can only send 2 free faxes per day.
For casual users, this free fax service is a good option.
2. FaxZero
FaxZero is, as the name implies, a zero-cost solution to sending fax online. You type the sender and receiver information into the provided form, including the recipient’s fax number. You can either attach a document, type a text message in the provided text box, or do both. The service supports DOC, DOCX, and PDF file formats for sending. It’s one of the fastest and easiest ways to send what is effectively an email to a fax machine.
The free version of this online app will insert an ad onto the cover page, and you’re only allowed a maximum of 3 pages, plus the cover page. With the ad, FaxZero might not be the best option for legal documents. You can send up to 5 free faxes a day, so it’s a good option for most users.
For a $1.99 fee (payable by PayPal) you can send up to 25 pages per document without ads. Like GotFreeFax, clicking “Send an International Fax” at the top of the page allows you to send fax abroad via email.
3. eFax
eFax claims to be the “number one online fax service” for millions of customers. It’s got a strong claim to that title, with a professional website and service that any consumer would be happy to use.
If you came across the eFax website, you wouldn’t think it offered a free service. It’s hidden away, but it’s there, although the downside is that its free service is only to receive faxes, not send them. To be able to send a fax through email, you’ll need to register for a 30-day free trial.
This’ll give you an allowance of 150 pages each of inbound and outbound fax pages. Additional pages will cost you $0.10 a page. You’ll have to provide your credit card details and sign up for a post-trial subscription costing $16.95, which you can cancel before your trial ends without paying anything.
eFax claims to support up to 46 different countries for international faxes, so if you need to send faxes abroad, you can.
You’re able to send a fax through the website, the eFax iOS or Android app, or you can send a fax by email. This is a perfect, inexpensive online fax service for anyone who doesn’t own a fax machine and doesn’t need to send or receive a high volume of faxes.
4. MyFax
MyFax is an interesting service with a slightly different setup than the other email-to-fax free services mentioned here. The free service acts as an advertisement to encourage users to sign up for its premium service with no fax-send limits and a dedicated fax number. The free service is pretty good for users who need to send one or two faxes in an emergency.
You can only send two faxes in a 24-hour period with MyFax’s free service. It isn’t clear how many pages you can send per fax, or whether there will be an ad cover page, so it’s probably safe to assume that there will be until you give it a test run.
You can only send to U.S. or Canadian fax numbers using this free service.
If you’re just looking for a quick way to send an email to fax, just fill out the form, type your message and attach a document. Then click “Send Fax”—it doesn’t get much easier than that.
5. FAX.PLUS
There’s not just one “number one rated fax service” here—there’s two! The second so-called top service is from FAX.PLUS, a rather professional looking outfit which claims to have corporate users ranging from Uber to Harvard University.
It’s clear that this service is targeting commercial users first, but it’s the free service we’re interested in. You get 10 free pages to send, with additional pages costing you $0.20 per page. The free service is solely for sending faxes via their website or using their email to fax service, and you aren’t able to receive faxes without upgrading.
Special mentions do go to their more advanced, premium packages. How many online fax services include slack integration, electronic signatures, and unlimited cloud storage? You can get some, or all, of these features from $4.99 to $49.99 a month.
You can send a wider range of documents using FAX.PLUS, including DOCX, XLSX, PDF, and various image file formats. You’re able to send to international fax numbers but FAX.PLUS may use more of your page allowance, depending on the destination. To send a fax, just type in the fax number, attach your document, add a message, and then click send.
One word of warning, however—you will need to verify your account by providing your cell number first before you can use the service.
Send Free Faxes Online by Email With Ease
Fax machines might be rare these days, but if you need to send important faxes on occasion, these online fax services can help you do it without hunting down some old-school tech. You’re only limited by page numbers, destination countries, and how often you want to send faxes during a 24-hour or monthly period. You might also have to accept watermarks or ads on any documents you send.
But do explore better (and faster) options like cloud printing and cloud sharing too.
You’re not limited to these free fax services, though. If you’d prefer, you can send faxes using your Android smartphoneSend Free Faxes From Your Android Phone or TabletSend Free Faxes From Your Android Phone or TabletNo one actually owns a fax machine anymore, but every once in a while you still need to send a fax. That's where your Android device comes in handy.Read More for free. These are great in a pinch. By the way, you can also send email to any cell phone for freeHow to Send Email to Any Cell Phone (for Free)How to Send Email to Any Cell Phone (for Free)Did you know that you can send email to phones for free? Try this with any SMS-capable feature phone and reap the benefits.Read More.
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Explore more about: Digital Document, Email Tips, Fax, .
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- Online faxing really achieves a dramatic reduction of costs when faxes are sent overseas or to distant offices. Sadly, a lot of 'free' online faxes don't provide faxing to many countries. I have found one outstading online fax service, called WiseFax, that is very easy to use, it is reliable and you don't need any subscription.
- + 1 Wisefax fan! It is very easy to use and it also allows you to edit document before faxing (fill it in by inserting text, add signature etc.). Pay-as-you-go service, no subscription. Also has option of sending fax directly from email.
- Dear All,
It would be wonderful if yourselves had Articles about how to e-mail from UK to UK Fax number for free.All the very best.Ray. - It feels like everyone on the list paid to be there, they are all big time fax services, i'd add some smaller players in the game like app.afax.com but that is just my opinion.
- app.afax.com worked for me, while none of the others could/would accept a 2 digit country code (61) plus a single digit area code (8) plus an 8 digit phone number (12345678).
- app.afax.com does require you to log in to a google account.
- Grumble.Can't seem to send to a 1300 fax number such as some large organisations have.International services sending to within Australia either assume the international prefix +61 and 0 for area code prefix (MyFax), or format the number in 3-digit blocks and say 'invalid data' when you spread a 1300 fax number through the boxes (TopFreeFax).
John A
Melbourne Australia - MyFax does have a limitation of 10MB and 10 pages.
- None of these fax websites are encrypted.
- Faxes, for the most part, aren't encrypted in transit anyway.
- Myfax seems to be on https for me.
- I use lineadefax.com to send and receive faxes online! I pay only for those that I send and I can receive an unlimited amount of faxes!
- I use popfax for a long period of time, and I am as happy about using this service as I was from the very beginning. Somebody told here this service is free, never knew about it. And I have never heard about a free service with good reviews either. So, think about free stuff twice before using it, especialy if you are a serious company and you want your information to be safe and sent in the time frame. I think it deserves all money I paid popfax, althou I have never considered them expensive.
- I use Online Fax from Popfax, I found it cheaper and highly professional. And with their fax mobile applications i send/receive faxes directly from my smartphone.
- Hey Folks,
I have used HelloFax and Faxbetter for sending document. I did receive success notification from these site. The challenge is that the quality of fax sent is bad, basically it was black paper which the recipient got. Any comment on the quality of the fax. I will try K7 and gotfreefax as well. - Thanks all for the very great information about fax services. I have been wanting one and I just setup the K7.net in less than 2 minutes and it works great. Will also use gotfreefax.com to send faxes.
- What does it show in the Caller ID for these services?
- I use Faxaway.com My inbound faxes are free and outbound email-to-fax is reasonably priced.
- Interenet faxing is the trend today. The most important thing then is to hire a service provider that will understand your faxing needs. Inorder to get the perfect one, you can visit online reviews so that you can compare the pricing plans and features of different providers.
- Here is my free fax solution:http://www.gotfreefax.com for sending. It is the only free fax service that does not added ads to your faxeshttp://www.k7.net for receiving. Make sure you send a fax or just call your k7 number once a month to keep it activated.
- Thanks James,I forgot to mention to call it at leasy once every 30 days so they won't recycle your number for non use.
- Try k7.net
You get a free number that people can send faxes to you and you get them in your email inbox as a .pdf file.
And it is 100% free. You can also use the number for voicemail as well.BK - Popfax seems to have a free trial but not exactly free ( from UK )
- RE: EFAX.
I had a terrible experience with efax.co.uk in England and they conned me out of 1 month subscription, even though I cancelled before the end. (they offered me 2 months extra free when I was going to cancel.......)
They still took the money and 'charley' the ultimately useless, customer support rep could only blah blah blah, I have told US head office etc..Fortunately, it was only 1 month, but their stonewall efforts were legendary and halifax my bank did nothing to protect me but issue a request to them to pay me back, which surprisingly they ignored......I can't speak for the other fax co's that take card details, unfortunately.Thanks for this article, I think it will come in handy. - I like your list of fax services. I use efax (the free version) for getting faxes and box.net for sending. You can send virtually anything through box.net. It's free, too. You just have to poke around a little in the settings and apps to find the efax send capability.
- i tried popfax from denmark. i sent the same fax two times, but was not able to get any information of what happened to it.
- I have always used fax1.com for sending faxes. It is not free (12 cents per page), but it is about as good as it gets for sending faxes online. You can send by email, web-to-fax, or their printer driver. I have been using them for almost 6 years now. You can also blast faxes to multiple numbers all at once.
- Drop.io continues to rock my world with their diverse functionality combined with the simplicity factor, plus it's free!There's not much more to say...Drop.io does all of the talking!Great article! Thanks for the tips!
- this one for me
- Are you sure popfax is free?
Thanks for article anyway,didn't know about these services at all. - Did you personally test all of these services yourself? I've never been able to use TPC Fax to send anything, as it fails each and every time, even in the U.S. where they say they have fax servers located.I even called the domain registrant and he wouldn't even admit to knowing anything about the site at all, even though he's always been listed as the Admin and Technical contact for it. I'd say it's a shady, unreliable service, and that's being charitable.
- I have just tried the email to fax machine service from TPC, to US without any success...(+ limited cover outside US)I'm in Italy, on http://drop.io/fax, it says 'To send a fax from your drop to a recipient (premium drops only)'... so that would be for paid subscribers, no ?
Popfax is not a free service, at least not from here as far as I can see.For my very limited fax needs, I use messagenet.com. I can receive faxes on my private freefax number for free (max 3 a month with new numbers) I must pay to send faxes.Christine
- TPC FAX has been around for many years (the web page was last updated in 1999). Wish I could have remembered it last week when I got asked by Air France to send a fax with details of my lost luggage contents.