eFax Review: Overview

As the costs of maintaining a fax machine rise, most users are turning to cheaper alternatives. Online faxing has increased in popularity over the past years. eFax is a name most of us know and trust very well. They provide reliable web-based faxing without the need of a fax machine. Their fax service is very popular, but that does not mean it is the best. We encourage you to read this eFax review before deciding on any fax service.

eFax Online Fax Service Scorcard

Primary Features Overview

Each online fax service is unique in its own way and most of them do a pretty good job in terms of features. eFax gives you an easy to use fax service, along with quality features that will come in handy.

• Fax Number Options – eFax allows you to choose a local, toll-free, or international number. You have plenty of flexibility when choosing a fax number.
• Sending and Receiving Faxes – Send and receive faxes using the web-based dashboard, email, and Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, etc.). Send faxes from 5 different email addresses.
• Fax Preview – View your fax before it is send. This feature allows you to see what your recipient will receive.
• Fax Archives – All of your faxes that you have sent and received are stored for the life of your account.
• Search Faxes – All of your faxes can be found by entering a simple keyword that matches anything on your fax.
• Address Book – Enter all of your contacts into your address book for easy faxing. You can also import and export all of your contacts.
• Expanded Coverage – Since their client base is growing, eFax has expanded its coverage so that more clients have access to local numbers.
• Security – All of your faxes are securely stored on their servers. Every fax that is sent and received, it is encrypted with added security and confidentiality.
• Fax Alerts – Receive alerts every time you receive or successfully send a fax.
• File Formats and Sharing – EFax allows you to fax large files that regular email doesn’t. They support over 30 file formats including PDF, JPEG, DOC, and XLS.
• Digitized Signature – This cool feature lets you electronically sign your signature on faxes. You simply drag and drop your signature stamps onto the document.
• Mobile Capability – Send and receive faxes using an iPhone and/or Android mobile devices.

Our eFax review went over most of the features associated with their faxing service; a complete feature list can be found on their website.

eFax Review

Plans and Pricing

While doing our eFax review, we found that they make online faxing affordable – giving you two plan options to fit most budgets. You are allowed to fully test out their service by signing up for their 30 day free trail. The free trail is absolutely free and you can cancel anytime and you will not be charged. If you decide to keep the service, you will be charged the full amount of the plan you select on the 31^st day of your service.

• eFax Plus – This plan costs $16.95 per month (or $14.13 for annual prepayments) and entitles you to all of their primary features and the ability to send and receive a total of 300 pages per month (150 send pages and 150 received pages). The eFax Plus plan has a one-time setup fee of $10.
• eFax Pro – This plan costs $19.95 per month (or $16.63 for annual prepayments) and entitles you to all of their primary features and the ability to send and receive a total of 400 pages per month (200 send pages and 200 received pages). The eFax Plus plan has a one-time setup fee of $19.95.

Q: Which is the better plan?
A: The question above can be answered using both plans as it all depends on the amount of faxing you do. Unless you are planning on sending more than 150 pages per month, I would recommend the eFax Plus plan. The eFax Plus plan will end up saving you over $40 per year.

eFax Review – Plans & Pricing

Extra Costs

The next part of our eFax review is extra features – which is usually a small fee if you go over your monthly page limits. As mentioned above, the setup fee of your online faxing account will range from $10 to $19.95. Although, it is a one-time fee, it is still a fee to take into consideration. eFax charges ten cents for every page that you go over your monthly page limit. However, if you stay within your monthly limits, you do not have to worry about their overage page fees. Additionally, there are no contracts fees of any sort.

Ease of Use

eFax makes it easy for anyone to send and receive faxes without the need of a fax machine. Their web-based account allows you to send, view, and print your faxes. Integration with other services is extremely smooth. If you do not understand something or need help, their guides will explain the process for you.

Help and Support

Customer support is available 24/7 via phone, email, and live chat. However, some of the contact methods might be limited throughout the day. Additionally, eFax gives you tons of resources including FAQs, guides, and troubleshooting documentation. Most of your questions can be answered by browsing through one of their available resources.

Pros

• Receive fax alerts on incoming faxes and each successful fax delivery to your recipient.
• Strong mobile interface allows you to send and receive faxes on the go.
• Does not require you to own an actual fax machine. Although, you can integrate one.

Cons

• eFax has one-time account setup fees between $10 to $19.95.
• Each time you go over monthly page limit, you will be charged ten cents per page.

eFax Review: Summary

eFax is simplifying the way faxes are being sent and received without the need of a fax machine. Their primary features make online faxing more convenient and easier to use. They are one of the first online fax services that allow you to sign documents electronically.

With plans starting as low as $16.95 per month, you will not have a problem dumping your expensive fax machine. It might not be considered the best online fax service, however, it is somewhere in the top five. Additionally, you do not have anything to lose by starting your 30 day free trail.

As always, be sure to leave us a comment below if you have any additions to our eFax review or if you simply want to share your experience with us.