eFax Review

EFAX FEATURES

eFax Design

Cover Letter: The message of your email will be attached to the fax as a cover letter. You cannot, however, customize your cover letter beyond that message.
Fax Preview: Preview the entire faxed document prior to sending.
Digitized Signature: Easily add a digital signature to all sent faxes.
International Characters: Send and receive faxes with international characters.
Fax Rotation: You can use the online account fax viewer to rotate the orientation of faxes.
Multiple File Attachment Types: eFax accepts MS Word documents (.DOC, .DOCX), .PDF, .TXT, Excel/CSV files, .HTML, .RTF, .PNG, .JPEG, and many more file types and formats.

eFax Management

Local Download: Download faxes to a local machine from your online account.
Security: eFax uses SSL encryption when sending, receiving, and transmitting faxes.
Fax Search and Tagging: Tag your faxes with critical information and search for faxes when needed.
View Faxes Online: You don’t need to download faxes in order to view them – you can easily see fax previews online.
No Digital Signature Authentication: You can add digital signatures to faxes, but there are no authentication or verification systems in place.
No Fax Scheduling: You cannot schedule faxes to be sent at a later time or date.
No Junk Fax Screening: eFax will not filter junk faxes for you.

eFax Sending and Receiving Faxes

Send and Receive Faxes Via Email: All online faxing can be done directly over your email account or online eFax account.
Simultaneous Faxing: eFax lets you receive multiple faxes from multiple people without worrying about busy signals.
Bulk Faxing: Send faxes to multiple recipients at the same time.
International Faxing: eFax supports international faxing and international fax numbers.
Multi-User Support: Choose up to 5 email addresses that can also send faxes via your eFax account.
Receipt Confirmation: You receive a receipt of transmission message when your fax has been successfully received.
No SMS Alerts: You cannot sign up to receive an SMS message whenever your account receives a fax.
Fax Forwarding: Forward faxes to email addresses and other recipients.

eFax Additional Features

Excellent Tech Support: You can contact eFax tech support over live chat, telephone, and social media.
Online Education Center: The eFax website features a comprehensive user guide, knowledge base, and FAQs section.
Android and iOS Apps: eFax has developed apps for Android devices and the iPhone.
Mobile Photo Upload: Easily take a picture of a document with your mobile device and fax that document in seconds over your mobile phone.
Easy Contact Management: Import and export contact lists, edit existing contacts, and create new contact groups and lists over your eFax account.
No Microsoft Office or Cloud Integration: eFax lets you send MS Word and Excel documents, but it doesn’t directly integrate with Microsoft Office or other cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive.
No Vanity Numbers: Vanity fax numbers are not available with eFax. You can, however, choose your number from a list of available numbers according to your selected city, region, and country.

eFax Pricing Packages

THE GOOD ABOUT EFAX

Clean and Intuitive Design

eFax’s online faxing screen is unparalleled in its simplicity and intuitive design. Your electronic faxing window looks like a normal email inbox. If you have ever sent an email before, then you’ll have no trouble using eFax to send your faxes. Just type in your contact (or add from the contact book), attach a document to your email, type in an optional message and subject, and you’re good to go. At every step of the way, the eFax UI feels polished, professional, and intuitive.

Add Digital Signatures

eFax makes adding signatures to faxes as easy as possible. To create your own digitized signature, you first need to send a fax to yourself. Then, crop and copy the signature to create your own customized stamp. Any time you receive a faxed document that requires a signature, you simply drag and drop that stamp onto the document. This is a huge benefit for any business or individual that signs multiple items per day.

Toll-Free, Local, and International Numbers Available

No matter how large your business may be, eFax has a number for you. You can pick a new toll-free, local, or international number for your business. During the signup process, eFax lets you pick your country and identify your city, province, or state before viewing a list of numbers available. Whether you’re picking a local number in a developing country or a toll-free number in the United States, eFax has plenty of numbers available all over the world.

Multi-user support

Unlike other online fax providers, eFax supports multiple users. eFax lets you fax from up to five email addresses, for example, and is compatible with multiple types of email accounts and systems. You can also fax multiple recipients simultaneously without worrying about busy signals. And, there are mobile apps available for both iPhone and Android. If you’re looking for a single eFax provider that suits the needs of your business and your employees, eFax could be the right choice for you.

More than Just Online Faxing

Many of the features above are available from other computer faxing providers for a cheaper price. eFax separates itself from the competition with its large number of add-ons. Those add-ons include a large file sharing tool that lets you send files up to 1GB in size over an email interface – which is great for businesses that are frequently sharing large data files between employees. Other features include enhanced security, lifetime access to sent/received faxes, and an excellent address book.

Efficient Menu System

When you login to your eFax account, you’ll be greeted with a simple and efficient menu system. This system includes four main menu items: View Faxes, Send Faxes, Update Account, and Help. Everything you’ll ever need to use is available through this menu system.

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THE BAD ABOUT EFAX

Higher Pricing than Competitors

All of the advantages listed here don’t come cheap: eFax is a relatively expensive virtual fax provider. Basic plans start at $16.95 per month, which is almost triple that of its cheapest competitors. The cost per fax if you exceed your plan is also high – 10 cents per fax. However, since eFax continues to be one of the most popular online fax providers in the world today, they clearly have a dedicated user base willing to pay a higher price for premium service.

No Customizable Cover Page

This is the only major fax design feature lacking with eFax. eFax does not let you add a customizable cover page to your faxes. It does, however, let you add a subject line and message to your faxes. If you’re the type of person who likes to add an introductory cover page to your faxes, then this could be a deal breaker. Please note, however, that you can manually add a cover page simply by sending it as an attached document. The body of your email message will also be delivered with the fax as a cover letter, although you cannot customize this email message for format, font, etc.

Lower Monthly Limits

You get a bunch of extra features with eFax. One thing you don’t get, however, is high monthly fax limits. Each plan includes 150 or 200 faxes per month, with additional faxes costing 10 cents per page. If your business needs to send more than 200 faxes per month, you need to factor those costs into the equation. Overage charges aren’t necessarily a bad thing: if you send 100 extra faxes per month, for example, then that only adds $10 per month to your plan, which may still be cheaper than other online fax plans.

eFax Frequenty Asked Questions

How do I choose a number with eFax?

Like many online fax providers, eFax lets you pick a number during the signup process. You cannot pick a vanity number, but you can pick just about any other type of number you want. Toll-free, local, and international numbers are all available. You can pick from a handful of pre-chosen numbers during the signup process.

Does eFax charge setup fees?

eFax is the only major online fax provider that charges setup fees. Most providers have waived the setup fee and eFax may choose to do so in the near future. However, as it stands today, eFax charges a $10 setup fee on its ‘eFax Plus’ account (which includes 150 monthly faxes) and a $19.95 setup fee on its ‘eFax Pro’ account (which includes 200 monthly faxes).

How are eFax and MyFax related?

eFax and MyFax are two separate online faxing providers which offer different services to different types of users. However, eFax and MyFax are both owned by the same company: J2 Global. MyFax offers similar pricing and monthly allowances compared to eFax, but caters to those who require more international faxing (MyFax offers inclusive international faxing to 48 countries around the world while eFax does not).

Which file formats are supported by eFax?

eFax supports all of the following file formats:

PDF, PS, PSD, IFF, DXF, CSV, GIF, SHW, WPD, P5, WP6, EFX, JFX, EPS, HTML, JPG, JPEG, 123, WK1, WK3, WK4, LWP, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, PUB, WRI, DOC, DOCX, DOT, DOTX, WPS, ODG, ODP, ODS, ODT, PCX, TXT, DOC, LOG, ERR, C, CPP, H, PNG, QPW, WB1, WB2, WB3, RTF, SXD, SXI, SXC, TIF, TIFF, TGA, VSD, BMP, WPG.

Why are eFax’s monthly fax limits so low?

eFax has the lowest monthly fax limits out of all the major online fax providers. eFax’s smallest plan includes 150 sent or received faxes, while the largest plan increases that limit to 200. In spite of these low limits, eFax has some of the priciest subscription fees. There’s no easy way to answer the question above, but it’s fair to say that eFax is catering to low-volume online fax users who appreciate inclusive premium features.

Which eFax mobile apps are available?

Mobile eFax apps are available for the iPad and iPhone as well as all Android smartphones and tablets. Apps are not available on Blackberry or Windows Phone. Users can send and receive faxes over these apps. Additionally, eFax has released desktop software for Windows and a small add-on app designed specifically for Microsoft Word.

What kind of tech support is offered by eFax?

eFax’s tech support is highly-reviewed online and most customers seem to have had good experiences when dealing with errors and problems with their online faxing accounts. Tech support is available over online live chat, telephone, and social media 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What kinds of users does eFax cater to?

There are all sorts of different online faxing providers out there and each one caters to a different type of user. eFax caters to users who send or receive fewer than 150 to 200 faxes every month. It caters to users who require multi-user support and those who appreciate solid tech support and well-designed mobile apps. If your small business sends or receives over 150 to 200 faxes each month, then eFax isn’t the right choice. However, if you receive fewer than that number of faxes, then eFax may be the right choice for your business.

Does eFax have an unlimited faxing plan?

eFax does not currently offer an unlimited faxing plan. Its highest level plan is called ‘eFax Pro’ and includes 200 monthly faxes (sent or received). Users will be charged 10 cents for every additional fax sent or received.

Do I need to purchase any special hardware or equipment when signing up for eFax?

Like all popular online fax providers, eFax does not force you to install hardware or any specialized equipment on-site. You don’t even have to install any software if you don’t want to: everything is available over your simplified online faxing interface.

Where can I buy eFax numbers?

eFax numbers are available in 49 countries and six continents around the world. For many countries, users can narrow their fax number selection down to a specific region or city. There are no restrictions on where your fax number comes from – there’s nothing stopping an American business from purchasing a local fax number in London, for example.

Can I send and receive faxes from multiple accounts?

One advantage of eFax is its multi-user support. Users can designate 5 email accounts with send/receive privileges. These email accounts will receive all incoming faxes into their email inbox. The email accounts will also be permitted to send faxes which are deducted from your monthly limits. This can be useful for households with diverse faxing needs or, more likely, businesses with multiple departments and employees.

Is eFax the best online fax provider available today?

eFax is not the best choice for most single users or businesses – especially if you’re concerned about pricing. eFax charges a higher monthly subscription price than most of its competitors. In spite of its high monthly pricing, eFax still charges setup fees and has low monthly faxing limits. This can be frustrating to users with diverse faxing needs, which is why eFax will cater to a small niche of customers.

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eFax Single User

eFax is a feature-rich online faxing provider. It costs more than other services and includes smaller fax allowances, but it makes up for these flaws with a superb faxing experience, an easy-to-use interface, and extensive multi-user support.

These are just a few of the reasons why eFax is a good option for single users. In fact, if you’re just an individual user with minimal monthly faxing needs, then the lower monthly allowances may not affect you at all.

eFax Single User Features

Great mobile app functionality: Not all online faxing providers offer mobile apps, and some don’t offer mobile apps for anything more than the iPhone. eFax is the total opposite and has the best app functionality of any fax provider on the market today. eFax has apps for the iPad and iPhone as well as all Android devices. Apps are also available for Microsoft Office programs and you can download software to your Windows PC. Unless you’re using Blackberry or Windows Phone, single users should find more than enough apps for their needs. If mobile use is important to you, then the extensive mobile app functionality may be worth the extra cost of eFax.

Digital signature tool: Digital signatures are another feature offered by eFax. Some providers offer digital signature functionality, but most don’t. That doesn’t make a lot of sense, since signing documents is one reason why faxing continues to be popular. eFax lets you attach signatures to your account and then crop and paste those  signatures onto any incoming fax without printing it off and re-scanning it. That’s a huge advantage for any single users who sign a lot of legal documents or paperwork.

Local, toll-free, and international numbers available: eFax makes it easy to pick a fax number in any part of the world. You can pick a local fax number specific to nearly any city in the United States, or you can choose a customized toll-free number or international number. International numbers are available in 49 countries and users can narrow down their number to a specific region or city even when selecting an international number.

Multi-user support: Multi-user support isn’t important to most single users. After all, that’s why they’re called single users. That being said, some single users subscribe to online faxing providers for their family or household, in which case having multi-user support can be helpful. eFax lets you setup multiple email accounts with full send/receive privileges. Maybe you have a spouse or kids that require online faxing. In that case, eFax is a good choice.

eFax comes with a bunch of valuable benefits for single users. However, eFax isn’t a perfect choice for all single users. If you compare eFax to providers like RingCentral, there aren’t many unique benefits to eFax – despite the considerably higher eFax pricing and lower monthly limits.

If you enjoy using the eFax apps and require extensive multi-user support, then eFax is a good option for single online fax users.

If, however, you require features like a customized cover page or need to send/receive over 200 faxes each month, then there are better – cheaper – options out there.

Don’t mind paying a little more money for extensive mobile apps and great faxing functionality over multiple devices? eFax is a solid choice. If, however, you’re on a tight budget and don’t require unique features like digital signature support, then eFax has little to offer single users in comparison to more popular providers like RingCentral.

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eFax Small Business

eFax is a popular online fax provider for small businesses and it offers a few unique features over the competition.

Small business users will particularly appreciate the multi-user support, for example, which lets account admins select up to 5 additional email addresses which can send and receive faxes. Small business users may also be interested in the extensive array of eFax mobile apps, which are available for all popular mobile devices and make faxing ridiculously easy.

All of this comes at a slightly higher price tag than eFax’s competitors and some small businesses may decide the higher price isn’t worth it.

eFax Small Business Features

Digital signature tool: Document signing is a major reason why faxing is still popular to this day. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, most of eFax’s competitors don’t offer a digital signature tool. That means you have to manually add your signature to each and every fax. eFax makes digital signatures a breeze – you can add signatures to your account and quickly crop and paste them onto any incoming fax without printing out that fax or editing it outside the faxing apps. That’s a huge advantage for small businesses which sign a lot of documents every month.

Multi-user support: Does your small business have multiple employees or departments? Then you may need multi-user support. This is another feature that is not included with many other online fax providers. Multi-user support lets you designate an account admin and select 5 additional users who have the authority to send and receive faxes. All incoming faxes are sent to all 5 email inboxes, while each individual user can send faxes of their own.

Local, toll-free, and international numbers are available: No matter where your small business does business, you’ll be able to pick a number that suits your needs with eFax. eFax lets users easily choose the local, toll-free, and international number they want. You can add multiple numbers to each account (for an additional cost), which is helpful if you want to accept international faxes through an international number and domestic faxes through a local number.

Mobile apps for every major operating system: eFax has apps for Android smartphones and tablets as well as the iPhone and iPad. Apps are not available for Windows Phone or Blackberry, but virtually all online fax providers have ignored those two OSes anyway. eFax also offers apps for Microsoft Word and desktop software for Windows. The Microsoft Word ‘app’ attaches to your Word software and adds a simple one-click faxing interface to your program, making it easy to instantly send out a fax.

Unfortunately, eFax is far from perfect and its plans are relatively expensive. Users are forced to pay pricey overage fees of 10 cents per additional fax. If your business’s faxing needs change on a regular basis, then this could be a big issue. You might end up paying a significant amount in overage fees every month.

Remember: the monthly limit includes both incoming and outgoing faxes, which means you can exceed your monthly allowance even if you don’t send out a lot of faxes.

If you can get past the high price and low monthly allowances, then eFax is one of the top 3 best online fax providers out there today. Unfortunately, many small business owners can’t afford to look past the high pricing.

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Our Verdict On eFax

eFax is priced higher than other online faxing plans. However, users seem willing to pay that price for the ease of use and additional features provided by eFax. As one of the longest-running companies in the online faxing industry, eFax has spent years polishing its interface and services.

eFax makes it easy to send and receive faxes. You can fax internationally and pick a toll-free, local, or international fax number for nearly any country in the world. The service also features comprehensive tech support options and accepts a diverse range of file formats. eFax has also taken the time to develop apps for Android and iOS: something that many other online fax providers do not have.

I recommend eFax for individual users as well as small, medium, and large businesses. The extra features and added conveniences are worth a few extra dollars per month and the “Pro” plan is relatively affordable even if you go over your included limit.

Don’t need to send and receive more than 200 faxes per month? Don’t mind paying a few dollars more per month for exceptional service and features? eFax could be the right option for you.