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Short answer: Fax.Plus was the strongest all-purpose value in 2022, HelloFax was the simplest choice for occasional cloud-based faxing, eFax offered the broadest familiar app ecosystem, SRFax was the most compelling security-conscious healthcare candidate, MetroFax was a good mobile and North American value, and RingCentral Fax made the most sense for high-volume businesses already using RingCentral communications.
This is a historical 2022 buyer’s guide with a current-status update. The prices and feature comparisons in the main ranking come from provider reviews updated in July and August 2022. Provider plans have changed since then: the current snapshot below is dated August 9, 2026, and should not be confused with the 2022 pricing.
Historical 2022 pricing and features, with a current-status update for readers comparing these providers today.
Quick comparison
There is no single best online fax service for every workload. A person sending five pages once a year should not choose the same plan as a medical office receiving hundreds of protected documents each month. The table below summarizes the editorial conclusions from the 2022 reviews, while the current-status column explains where the old comparison needs qualification.
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| Service | 2022 starting plan | 2022 page model | Best for | Main drawback | Current-status note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fax.Plus | Basic: $6.99/month for 200 pages | Monthly allowance; overages from $0.10/page | Best value, modern interface, mobile and cloud workflows | The free plan is outbound-only and limited | Still lists Basic at $6.99/month for 200 pages; HIPAA/BAA is Enterprise-only |
| HelloFax | Home Office: $9.99/month for 300 pages | Sent and received pages combined | Occasional faxing, Dropbox and Google-oriented workflows, e-signatures | No dedicated mobile app in the 2022 review; current product identity has changed | Current Dropbox documentation calls it Dropbox Fax, although email-to-fax still uses @hellofax.com |
| eFax | Plus: $18.99/month for 170 sent and 170 received pages | Sent and received allowances counted separately | Recognizable brand, mobile and desktop apps, searchable archives | Expensive compared with lower-cost competitors | Public pricing pages currently show different entry prices and page allocations |
| SRFax | Basic Plus: $11.45/month | Varies by plan | Healthcare-oriented and security-conscious users | Older interface and no dedicated mobile app | Verify current healthcare plan and BAA terms before sending regulated data |
| MetroFax | Essential: $11.95/month for 550 pages | Sent and received pages combined | Mobile use, North American faxing, support | Security documentation and two-factor authentication were weak in the 2022 review | Confirm current availability, pricing, security, and geography |
| RingCentral Fax | Fax 1500: $22.99/month monthly or $17.99/month annually | 1,500 pages; $0.05/page overage | High-volume teams and RingCentral phone, video, and messaging customers | Overkill for occasional faxing; international faxing was not included in the reviewed product | Check the current product edition and international coverage before subscribing |
The historical recommendations are editorial judgments based on the contemporaneous TechRadar provider reviews, not the results of one controlled benchmark.
What an online fax service actually does
An online fax service turns a document into a digital transmission handled by the provider’s fax infrastructure. You do not need to maintain a fax machine or a dedicated telephone line. Depending on the provider, you can send through a web dashboard, email-to-fax, a mobile app, a Windows print driver, a desktop application, a browser extension, a cloud-storage integration, or an API.
For incoming faxes, the provider assigns or ports a fax number. It receives the transmission and converts it into a PDF or another digital file, then places it in your account, sends it to an inbox, or delivers it through an app or business workflow.
That convenience does not automatically make online faxing more secure than a physical fax machine. The risk depends on the provider’s controls, your email account, account permissions, recipient-number accuracy, document retention, and who can access the resulting file. A misdialed fax can still disclose sensitive information, whether it was sent from a machine or a browser.
Who still needs faxing?
Fax remains practical when the other party requires it or has not modernized its intake process. Common examples include:
- Healthcare offices, insurers, pharmacies, referrals, and medical-record workflows.
- Law firms, courts, and agencies that still accept or request faxed filings.
- Real-estate, mortgage, and title transactions.
- Government agencies and public-sector suppliers.
- Accounting, tax, and payroll offices.
- Businesses whose customers, vendors, or suppliers still operate fax systems.
It is not universally necessary. A secure customer portal, encrypted email, electronic-signature platform, document-management system, or electronic-health-record integration may be a better option when both sides support it. Before paying for fax, ask whether the recipient truly requires fax or merely has it available.
The features that determine the real value
Sending and receiving are different products
A free or inexpensive plan may let you send outbound faxes but not receive them. Receiving normally requires a paid plan with a dedicated local or toll-free number.
- In the 2022 review, HelloFax’s Free plan allowed five outbound pages per month but did not allow receiving.
- The current Fax.Plus free plan provides 10 total pages for limited use; it is not a permanent free inbound fax number.
- A service may support international sending without offering a local number in the destination country.
Before subscribing, verify whether the plan includes sending, receiving, a dedicated number, local or toll-free numbering, number porting, and retention of the number after cancellation.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| Requirement | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Send faxes | Whether outbound faxing is included and whether a free plan is limited to a certain number of pages |
| Receive faxes | Whether inbound faxing is enabled and whether it requires a paid plan |
| Dedicated number | Whether the number is included, rented, local, toll-free, vanity, or international |
| Existing-number porting | Eligibility, geography, paperwork, timing, cost, and port-out rights |
| Page accounting | Whether incoming pages count, and whether sent and received pages are separate or pooled |
| Cancellation | Whether the number and archived faxes remain available after the subscription ends |
Page allowances are not interchangeable
Do not compare two plans simply because each advertises 300 pages. Providers use several accounting models:
- Sent and received pages may be counted separately.
- Sent and received pages may draw from one combined pool.
- International destinations may consume credits at a different rate.
- Overage charges may apply after the allowance.
- Long transmissions or provider-specific billing increments may count as multiple pages.
Historical examples make the difference clear. eFax Plus allowed 170 sent and 170 received pages separately in the 2022 review. HelloFax and MetroFax used combined sent-and-received allowances in their reviewed plans. Fax.Plus presented a monthly page allowance with tiered overage rates. Sources: eFax, HelloFax, MetroFax, and Fax.Plus.
For example, a plan offering 200 sent plus 200 received pages could be a poor fit for a business that receives 350 pages and sends 50. A plan with 500 pooled pages may be cheaper and simpler, even if its headline allowance looks less generous.
Total cost is more than the monthly price
Calculate the cost for your actual pattern, including:
- Monthly versus annual billing.
- Introductory pricing and the normal renewal price.
- Free-trial conversion and whether a credit card is required.
- Overage charges.
- Additional users, fax numbers, or API access.
- International transmission charges.
- Number-porting and setup fees.
- Compliance or enterprise surcharges.
- Cancellation, refund, and number-retention policies.
- Whether unused pages roll over.
In the 2022 comparisons, HelloFax charged $0.05 per page over its allowance and offered a 17% annual-billing discount. MetroFax charged $0.03 per extra page. RingCentral Fax charged $0.05 per page over 1,500 pages. The 2022 Fax.Plus review listed overage rates of $0.10, $0.07, $0.05, and $0.03 by tier. These are historical figures and should not be treated as current quotes.
Mobile, desktop, and email workflows
Mobile support can mean a genuine iOS or Android app, a mobile-optimized website, or simply email-to-fax from a phone. Desktop support can mean a Windows print driver, a Mac application, a browser extension, or a full desktop client. Those are materially different experiences.
- eFax: The 2022 review listed iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS support.
- Fax.Plus: Supported web, mobile, email-to-fax, Chrome, Google Drive, and Microsoft Word workflows, although the 2022 review criticized the lack of a traditional desktop application.
- HelloFax: Had no dedicated mobile app in the 2022 review, but offered email and cloud workflows.
- MetroFax: Included a mobile app.
- SRFax: Had no dedicated mobile app in the 2022 review.
- RingCentral Fax: Offered desktop and mobile access.
These historical feature descriptions are linked to the relevant eFax, Fax.Plus, HelloFax, MetroFax, SRFax, and RingCentral Fax reviews. Check the provider’s current app listings before relying on an old feature.
The six leading choices in the 2022 comparison
Fax.Plus — best value and best general recommendation
2022 verdict: Fax.Plus offered the strongest combination of price, usability, and workflow flexibility for most individuals and small teams.
The 2022 review listed Basic at $6.99 per month for 200 pages, Premium at $13.99 for 500, Business at $27.99 for 1,000, and Enterprise at $79.99 for 5,000. Listed overage rates were $0.10, $0.07, $0.05, and $0.03 per page respectively. The free tier was limited to 10 pages and outbound faxing.
Its strengths included web, mobile, and email-to-fax access; Chrome, Google Drive, and Microsoft Word workflows; unlimited storage; electronic signatures; two-factor authentication; and stronger administration and SSO at the enterprise level. The result was a more modern and approachable service than many older fax brands.
Best for: occasional users, low-volume businesses, people who want a mobile and email workflow, and small teams that do not need a traditional desktop application.
Important current qualification: The current Fax.Plus pricing page still lists Basic at $6.99/month for 200 pages, Premium at $13.99 for 500, Business at $27.99 for 1,000, and Enterprise at $79.99 with 1,000-plus pages. It now lists per-fax limits ranging from 60 to 250 pages by tier, along with email-to-fax, mobile access, unlimited storage, cloud integrations, and two-factor authentication. HIPAA compliance with a signed BAA is limited to Enterprise. Do not describe the free plan as a full free fax number.
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2022 verdict: HelloFax was especially attractive to people who already stored documents in Dropbox or Google services and wanted an uncomplicated interface.
The 2022 plans were Free with five outbound faxes per month, Home Office at $9.99/month for 300 pages, Professional at $19.99 for 500 pages, and Small Business at $39.99 for 1,000 pages. Sent and received pages were combined, overages were $0.05 per page, paid plans had a 30-day trial, and annual billing offered a 17% discount. The paid tiers included up to five, ten, or 20 sender accounts depending on the plan.
HelloFax integrated with Dropbox, Google Docs, Gmail, Salesforce, Slack, and Oracle. It also supported email-to-fax, e-signature, and PDF workflows. The main 2022 weakness was the lack of a dedicated mobile app, although email-to-fax remained usable from a phone.
Best for: occasional faxing, Dropbox and Google-oriented document workflows, small teams with multiple senders, and users who value signatures and cloud storage more than advanced fax administration.
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Rank #2
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Current Dropbox documentation lists a 40 MB per-document limit and a 250-page maximum for the Dropbox Fax end-user product. It supports DOC, DOCX, PDF, PPSX, PPT, PPTX, JPG, JPEG, PNG, XLS, XLSX, TXT, HTML, and GIF files. See the supported-file documentation before uploading unusual or large files.
eFax — best-known full-featured option, but expensive
2022 verdict: eFax was a sensible choice for readers who valued a recognizable provider, mobile and desktop applications, searchable archives, and a business or corporate path. It was not the value leader.
The 2022 Plus plan cost $18.99/month and included 170 sent and 170 received pages. Pro cost $29.99/month and included 375 sent and 375 received pages. Corporate pricing was custom. The review listed a 14-day free trial, email-to-fax, editable faxes, iOS and Android apps, and Windows and macOS support. Business-oriented plans added stronger regulatory and integration features.
The chief weakness was price. The 2022 review characterized eFax as functional but expensive, with a dated web interface and reports of slower transmission in some tests and user complaints. That does not establish a universal reliability failure, but it is a reason to compare the delivery workflow and support experience before committing.
Best for: users who want mobile and desktop applications, searchable storage, e-signature or large-file features, and a recognizable brand with business-grade options.
Current pricing warning: Current public eFax pages do not present one perfectly consistent entry-level quote. The main pricing page advertises plans starting at $14.99 and describes a Personal plan with 200 pages to the United States and Canada. A separate eFax offer page lists eFax Plus at $18.99/month with 170 sent and 170 received pages and eFax Pro at $24.99/month. Confirm the exact country, plan, billing term, and promotional status at checkout rather than presenting one of these figures as the universal current price.
SRFax — strongest 2022 security/value candidate for healthcare-oriented users
2022 verdict: SRFax was a compelling candidate for healthcare offices and security-conscious users who preferred email-to-fax and administrative controls over a polished mobile experience.
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Best for: healthcare offices and organizations that need to investigate security controls, email-to-fax, and healthcare contract terms.
Compliance qualification: A provider’s use of the phrase HIPAA-compliant does not make every account configuration compliant with a customer’s legal and operational obligations. Confirm the current healthcare plan, obtain a signed BAA if required, review retention and access controls, and train users. The 2022 review is evidence of the historical offering, not a current contract.
MetroFax — best mobile/value option in the 2022 review
2022 verdict: MetroFax was attractive for North American users who wanted a mobile app, combined send-and-receive allowances, and around-the-clock support.
Recommended Free Tools
The 2022 plans were Essential at $11.95/month for 550 pages, Best Value at $14.95 for 1,050 pages, and Professional at $37.95 for 3,000 pages. An annual offer was shown at $9.95/month. Extra pages cost $0.03 each. Plans included local or toll-free numbers, free number porting, up to five users, 24/7 phone, email, and live-chat support, US and Canada availability, a mobile app, and unlimited storage.
MetroFax did not include electronic signatures. More importantly for sensitive work, the 2022 review found that security practices were weakly documented and that the service lacked two-factor authentication. That is not a finding that every transmission was insecure, but it is a meaningful limitation for healthcare, legal, financial, or other confidential documents.
Best for: mobile faxing, US and Canadian users, and businesses that value live support and a combined page allowance.
Avoid choosing it by price alone: Verify current geography, security documentation, authentication controls, retention terms, and compliance support before using it for regulated or highly sensitive material.
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RingCentral Fax — best for high volume and unified communications
2022 verdict: RingCentral Fax made the most sense for an organization already using RingCentral or one that needed faxing alongside phone, video, messaging, and cloud communications.
The 2022 Fax 1500 plan cost $22.99/month when billed monthly or $17.99/month annually and included 1,500 pages. Overage was $0.05/page. A Fax + Phone + Video bundle cost $27.99/month monthly or $20.99/month annually. The review listed a 15-day free trial, fax scheduling, group faxing, cloud integrations, desktop and mobile access, and encrypted transmission. It did not include electronic signatures, and the reviewed product did not offer international faxing.
Best for: high-volume teams and businesses that want fax inside an existing RingCentral communications ecosystem.
Main drawback: It is unnecessarily expensive and complex for someone sending a few faxes a year. Confirm the current product edition, page allocation, international destinations, and bundle terms before signing up.
eFax versus HelloFax, now Dropbox Fax
These services served different priorities in the 2022 comparison.
| Consideration | eFax | HelloFax / Dropbox Fax |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Higher historical starting price; current public pages show inconsistent entry pricing | Lower historical entry price, with a five-page outbound free tier in the 2022 review |
| Receiving | Paid plans included a receiving allowance, counted separately from sending | 2022 free plan did not receive; paid plan allowances were combined |
| Apps | iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS support in the 2022 review | No dedicated mobile app in the 2022 review; email and cloud workflows were central |
| Cloud workflow | Strong storage, editing, sharing, and business features | Particularly convenient for Dropbox, Google Docs, Gmail, Salesforce, Slack, and Oracle users |
| Signatures | Available features depend on product and plan | E-signature and PDF workflows were prominent in the 2022 review |
| Teams | Business and corporate options | Up to five, ten, or 20 sender accounts on the reviewed paid tiers |
| Number porting | Check current eligibility and fees | 2022 porting was limited to Professional and Small Business; current Dropbox Fax eligibility and fees differ |
| Best choice | Choose eFax for broader apps, brand familiarity, searchable archives, and business options | Choose Dropbox Fax for a simple cloud-document workflow and occasional use |
If low price is the primary concern, neither is automatically the best choice. Fax.Plus generally offered a lower entry price in 2022 and continues to list a low-cost Basic tier in the current snapshot.
Illustrative cost comparisons
The following table shows how the historical plans could fit common workloads. These are not current quotes, and they exclude taxes, international charges, additional numbers, porting, and other fees. They also do not pretend that separate sent and received allowances are equivalent to pooled pages.
| Workload | Fax.Plus | HelloFax | MetroFax | eFax | RingCentral Fax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 outbound pages | 2022/current free tier: 10 total pages, outbound-limited | 2022 free tier covers five; paid Home Office was $9.99 | Paid plan required: $11.95 Essential | Paid plan required: $18.99 Plus | Paid plan required: $22.99 Fax 1500 |
| 50 pooled pages | Basic: $6.99 | Home Office: $9.99 | Essential: $11.95 | Plus: $18.99, although its allowances were separate | Fax 1500: $22.99 |
| 200 pooled pages | Basic: $6.99 | Home Office: $9.99 | Essential: $11.95 | Plus did not provide 200 sent pages; Pro at $29.99 was the safer fit | Fax 1500: $22.99 |
| 500 pooled pages | Premium: $13.99 | Professional: $19.99 | Essential: $11.95 for 550 pages | Pro: $29.99 for 375 sent and 375 received pages | Fax 1500: $22.99 |
| 1,000 pooled pages | Business: $27.99 | Small Business: $39.99 | Best Value: $14.95 for 1,050 pages | Pro’s separate 375/375 allowances did not clearly fit; corporate pricing was custom | Fax 1500: $22.99 |
| 200 sent plus 200 received | Basic would use 200 included pages plus 200 overage pages, or about $26.99 at the listed $0.10 overage rate, if all pages draw from one allowance | Home Office’s 300 pooled pages plus 100 overage pages: about $14.99 at $0.05/page | Essential’s combined 550-page allowance: $11.95 | Plus did not fit its 170/170 split; Pro at $29.99 did | Fax 1500: $22.99 |
The lesson is more important than the exact figures: at 200 sent and 200 received, a 400-page workload can exceed a plan advertising 200 pages, while a provider with 500 pooled pages may fit comfortably. Always model both directions separately before choosing a plan.
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Fax.Plus
As of the supplied August 9, 2026 snapshot, the official Fax.Plus pricing page lists Basic at $6.99/month for 200 pages, Premium at $13.99 for 500, Business at $27.99 for 1,000, and Enterprise at $79.99 with 1,000-plus pages. The same page lists email-to-fax, mobile access, unlimited fax storage, cloud integrations, two-factor authentication, and tiered per-fax limits. It identifies HIPAA and BAA availability as Enterprise features.
eFax
eFax remains feature-rich, but its public pages should be read carefully. The main pricing page advertises plans starting at $14.99 and describes a Personal plan with 200 pages to the US and Canada. A separate offer page lists Plus at $18.99/month with 170 sent and 170 received pages and Pro at $24.99/month. These pages may reflect different editions or promotions. Quote the exact page, geography, billing term, and date whenever publishing a price.
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HelloFax and Dropbox Fax
Do not describe HelloFax as an unchanged standalone service. Current Dropbox support pages call the product Dropbox Fax, while the email-to-fax address still uses @hellofax.com. Current documentation lists a 40 MB per-document limit and a 250-page product maximum. Current plan pricing, free allowances, number availability, and compliance terms should be confirmed directly with Dropbox before purchase.
MetroFax, RingCentral Fax, and SRFax
The supplied research does not establish a complete current 2026 plan comparison for these three services. Their descriptions and prices above are historical 2022 evidence. Check current availability in your country, current page accounting, trial conversion, cancellation, security controls, international coverage, and number-porting rules before treating any of them as a present-day recommendation.
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The exact address format varies by provider, but the process is usually:
- Create an account and verify the email address authorized to send.
- Open a new email message.
- Enter the recipient’s fax number in the provider’s required address format.
- Attach the document and add a cover page or message if required.
- Send the message.
- Wait for the final delivery-confirmation email.
- If it fails, verify the number, file type, page count, line status, and provider status page before trying again.
For current Dropbox Fax, the provider’s documentation says paid users can email a fax to the recipient number followed by @hellofax.com. US numbers require a leading 1, and the sending address must match the email on the HelloFax account rather than an unsupported alias. See the Dropbox Fax email-to-fax instructions for the current format.
Do not resend immediately if the dashboard is slow to update. Check the delivery-confirmation email first; otherwise, you may transmit the same sensitive document twice.
Files, size limits, and failed transmissions
PDF is usually the safest format, but many services also accept office documents and image files. Password-protected files, unusual fonts, very large scans, and files with excessive image resolution can fail or produce an unreadable fax.
Current Dropbox Fax documentation lists DOC, DOCX, PDF, PPSX, PPT, PPTX, JPG, JPEG, PNG, XLS, XLSX, TXT, HTML, and GIF support, with a 40 MB per-document limit and a 250-page product limit. Current Fax.Plus limits vary by plan, with the pricing page listing per-fax limits from 60 to 250 pages.
If a transmission fails or appears delayed:
- Verify every digit of the destination number and confirm that the recipient has a fax-capable line rather than a voice-only number.
- Check whether the line is busy or repeatedly rejecting calls.
- Convert the document to a standard PDF and reduce oversized scans.
- Remove password protection and test a short document.
- Check whether the provider counted the failed attempt against your allowance.
- Wait for a final status or delivery confirmation before resending.
- If the status says complete but the recipient cannot find the fax, ask the recipient to check its fax queue and confirm the number.
Security, privacy, and HIPAA considerations
Evaluate more than a provider’s claim that it is secure. Relevant controls include encryption in transit, encryption at rest, TLS-secured delivery, two-factor authentication, SSO, audit logs, role-based access, retention and deletion settings, secure portal delivery, data residency, independent certifications, and a clear contract governing access to stored documents.
| Provider evidence | What it does and does not establish |
|---|---|
| eFax security materials | eFax advertises AES-256 encryption, TLS, audit trails, and HIPAA-oriented products. Confirm that the specific business plan includes the BAA and controls your organization needs. |
| Fax.Plus pricing and compliance | Fax.Plus identifies HIPAA compliance with a BAA as an Enterprise feature, not a benefit of its free or ordinary consumer tiers. |
| SRFax 2022 review | The reviewed plans included two-factor authentication, SSO, and optional PGP encryption, but current plan and contract terms must be checked. |
| MetroFax 2022 review | The review said security practices were not clearly documented and that two-factor authentication was absent at that time. Verify whether this has changed. |
Do not equate encryption with HIPAA compliance. A covered entity should confirm the applicable plan, obtain a signed Business Associate Agreement, review retention and access controls, restrict account access, and ensure employees follow the organization’s own HIPAA procedures. A consumer free plan should not be used for protected health information merely because a provider encrypts transmissions.
Email-to-fax also creates endpoint risks. The document may remain in the sender’s mailbox, sent-mail archive, email backup, provider logs, or recipient’s inbox. For sensitive material, use MFA, restricted accounts, secure-portal delivery when available, careful recipient verification, and a documented retention policy.
Numbers, geography, and porting
Number availability is geographic. A provider may let you send internationally without offering a local number in that country. Local, toll-free, vanity, and international numbers may be separate products. Also check per-page international rates, destination coverage, page-credit rules, and whether international sending is available on the entry plan.
Historical examples include MetroFax offering local or toll-free numbers and free porting in its reviewed plans, RingCentral offering local, toll-free, vanity, and porting options, and HelloFax limiting porting to Professional and Small Business in the 2022 review. The current Dropbox Fax porting documentation says eligible users in the United States and Canada can port numbers and lists a $60 charge per line.
Do not cancel the old service until porting is complete. Gather the exact billing name, service address, account number, billing telephone number, current provider, and Letter of Authorization. Ask how long the port will take and what happens if the request fails. For a business, the fax number may be more valuable than the software subscription.
Which service fits each workload?
| Your situation | Best starting point | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One to five pages once | Fax.Plus free tier, if the current destination and page rules fit | It provides a limited outbound allowance without requiring a full paid subscription according to its official free-fax page |
| Under 200 pages/month, mostly sending | Fax.Plus Basic | Current listed price is $6.99/month for 200 pages; compare overages and whether receiving is needed |
| 200–500 pages/month | Compare Fax.Plus Premium, HelloFax/Dropbox Fax, MetroFax, and eFax by page accounting | Pooled versus separate sent/received allowances can change the winner |
| 500–1,500 pages/month | Fax.Plus Business, RingCentral Fax, eFax Pro or business plans, and SRFax | Compare overages, users, numbers, support, integrations, and compliance instead of headline pages alone |
| Protected health information | eFax business offerings, Fax.Plus Enterprise, SRFax healthcare plans, or another documented healthcare fax provider | Require the correct plan, contractual documentation, a signed BAA where applicable, and suitable administrative controls |
| Already using RingCentral phone and video | RingCentral Fax | Integration may justify the price and complexity |
| Dropbox-centered document workflow | Dropbox Fax, formerly associated with HelloFax | Convenient cloud workflow, but confirm current plans, limits, number terms, and compliance |
Trial, billing, and cancellation traps
Free trials deserve the same scrutiny as paid plans:
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →- A credit card may be required even when the first period is described as a trial. The 2022 eFax and SRFax reviews noted card requirements during signup or trial.
- A trial may convert automatically at the standard monthly or annual price.
- An annual billing option can be selected accidentally and may not be refundable.
- A first-month promotional price may not be the continuing price.
- Canceling billing may not immediately delete stored faxes or release a number.
- Number porting and number retention may have separate rules from subscription cancellation.
HelloFax’s paid plans had 30-day trials in the 2022 review, while eFax listed 14 days, MetroFax 14 days, and RingCentral Fax 15 days. These are historical periods; read the current checkout terms and set a calendar reminder before the conversion date.
How the 2022 winners were selected
The comparison weighs cost at realistic volumes, pooled versus separate page accounting, ease of sending and receiving, web/email/mobile/desktop access, cloud integrations, storage, number management, support, security controls, compliance documentation, and scalability. It does not award a single star rating because those criteria conflict.
- Value: price at low and medium page counts, overages, and billing discounts.
- Usability: whether a first-time user can send a fax without assistance.
- Accessibility: web, email, mobile, Windows, Mac, cloud, and API options.
- Security: MFA, encryption, audit logs, secure delivery, retention, and administrative access.
- Compliance: whether the required BAA and plan-level controls are actually available.
- Scalability: users, numbers, page limits, SSO, integrations, and support.
That framework explains why Fax.Plus could be the overall value winner while SRFax was more appropriate for a security-conscious healthcare shortlist and RingCentral was more appropriate for a communications-heavy business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best online fax service today?
For a low-cost general-purpose starting point, the supplied current snapshot identifies Fax.Plus as the clearest option, with Basic listed at $6.99/month for 200 pages. eFax may be preferable for broader mobile and desktop features, while Dropbox Fax may suit cloud-document users. Confirm current prices, page accounting, geography, and compliance terms before subscribing.
Is HelloFax still a separate service?
Current Dropbox support documentation presents the product as Dropbox Fax, although the email-to-fax workflow still uses the @hellofax.com domain. Treat older HelloFax reviews as historical and verify current Dropbox Fax plans, limits, number terms, and security documentation.
Can I receive faxes for free?
Usually not. Free tiers commonly support only limited outbound faxing. HelloFax’s 2022 free plan did not receive faxes, and Fax.Plus’s current free plan is a limited 10-page allowance rather than a permanent free inbound number. Receiving generally requires a paid plan and dedicated fax number.
Are online fax services HIPAA compliant?
Some providers offer healthcare-oriented plans and a Business Associate Agreement, but encryption alone is not enough. Confirm the exact plan, obtain a signed BAA where required, review retention and access controls, and train users. Fax.Plus identifies HIPAA/BAA availability as Enterprise-only, while eFax describes BAA availability for applicable business offerings.
How are fax pages counted?
It depends on the provider. Some plans count sent and received pages separately, while others pool them. International pages and overages may be charged differently. For example, historical eFax Plus used separate 170-page sent and received allowances, while HelloFax and MetroFax used combined allowances in the reviewed plans.
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One-click scans. No signup required.
Can I keep my existing fax number?
Often, but eligibility, cost, geography, timing, and paperwork vary. Current Dropbox Fax documentation lists a $60 charge per line for eligible US and Canadian users. Do not cancel the old provider until the port is complete, and gather your exact billing and account information before submitting the request.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: For the historical 2022 market, choose Fax.Plus for the best balance of price and modern workflows; HelloFax for simple cloud-based occasional faxing; eFax for recognizable-brand apps, archives, and business options; SRFax for a security-conscious healthcare shortlist; MetroFax for mobile and North American value; and RingCentral Fax for high-volume organizations already using RingCentral.
For a current purchase, do not reuse the 2022 numbers without checking them. Fax.Plus still presents the clearest low-cost entry point in the supplied 2026 snapshot, eFax’s public prices need reconciliation, and HelloFax is now presented through Dropbox Fax. The right choice ultimately depends on whether you need sending, receiving, or both; how pages are counted; whether you need a number ported; and whether your documents require a signed BAA and stronger administrative controls.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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