Introduction
While email and digital documentation have largely replaced physical fax machines, the need to securely send and receive sensitive documents like healthcare records, legal documents and contracts still requires reliable faxing capabilities. This has led to the rise of online fax and cloud fax software that allows users to send and receive faxes directly from their computers or mobile devices without needing dedicated fax lines or hardware. In this blog post, we evaluate 15 of the top fax software providers across a variety of criteria to help businesses determine the best solution for their faxing needs.
Methods of Evaluation
To evaluate and rank the top fax software providers, we considered the following factors: features and functionality, pricing and plans, security and compliance, ease of use, customer support, integrations, and market presence factors like number of reviews, ratings, backlinks and traffic. Specifically, we looked at things like calling, faxing, collaboration and workflow capabilities; pricing for individual, business and enterprise users; security certifications and practices; how intuitive the user interface is; quality of support; available APIs and integration options. We also factored in more subjective metrics like online reviews, awards/recognitions, backlink profile, traffic and keyword trend data to help determine the most popular and authoritative providers.
1. RingCentral
RingCentral is a leading unified communications platform providing businesses with messaging, video and phone capabilities through a single platform. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Belmont, California, RingCentral has over 5 million subscribers worldwide and serves all business sizes from SMBs to large enterprises.
Pros: Some key advantages of RingCentral include:
– Industry leading cloud communications platform
– Extensive integration ecosystem with major CRM and business applications
– Advanced call management, routing and recording capabilities
– Highly scalable solution that can grow with your business needs
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that as a cloud-based solution, RingCentral requires an internet connection to function fully. This means phone calls cannot be made if the internet is down.
Pricing: RingCentral offers flexible pricing plans starting from $19.99 per user per month. Pricing is tiered based on number of users and required features/capabilities. They also offer free trials for all plans.
Some key stats about RingCentral include:
– Used by over 5 million subscribers worldwide
– Servers over 400,000 businesses globally
– Integrates with over 250+ third party applications via open APIs
– Over 100 data center locations for maximum reliability and security
2. AVAYA
Avaya is a global leader in cloud-based communications solutions. For over 30 years, Avaya has helped businesses communicate more efficiently through both on-premise and cloud-based phone systems, contact center solutions, and more recently, fax services. Avaya’s fax software allows users to send and receive faxes directly from their computers or mobile devices without needing a physical fax machine.
Pros: Some key advantages of Avaya’s fax software include:
– Reliable global delivery of faxes
– Enterprise-grade security and reliability
– Customizable solutions for large businesses with complex workflows
Cons: The main potential disadvantage is the higher pricing compared to some other fax software options. However, for large enterprises that require robust security, reliability, and scalability – the pricing is more than offset by the capabilities.
Pricing: Pricing for Avaya’s fax software is customized to business needs. Generally there is a monthly per-user fee that covers unlimited inbound and outbound fax pages. Additional services like custom branding, onboarding support, and advanced analytics are priced separately.
Some key stats about Avaya’s fax software include:
– Over 30 million users across 180 countries
– 99.999% uptime service level agreement (SLA)
– Integrations with over 1000 business applications
– HIPAA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 certified security
3. Nextiva
Nextiva is a leading cloud-based business communications platform that provides businesses with a full suite of unified communications and collaboration tools. Founded in 2006 and based in Phoenix, Arizona, Nextiva aims to simplify business communications and make them more productive through one central application.
Pros: Some key advantages of Nextiva include:
– All-in-one unified communications platform that integrates voice, video, chat, SMS and fax services
– Comprehensive set of calling, faxing and collaboration features like online meetings, file sharing, and more
– Strong API support that allows for flexible custom integrations
– Professional 24/7/365 customer support
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that Nextiva plans and pricing may not be as affordable for some very small businesses on a tight budget.
Pricing: Nextiva offers several flexible pricing plans tailored for businesses of all sizes. Basic plans start from $19.95 per user per month for essential calling and collaboration tools. Premium plans with advanced features are available from $24.95 per user per month.
Some key stats about Nextiva include:
– Over 100,000 customers worldwide
– Services available in over 50 countries
– Supports over 20 integrations through open APIs
4. eFax
eFax is one of the original and longest-standing online fax providers, established in 1995. As the world’s #1 online fax service, eFax allows users to send and receive faxes digitally via email. Users can get a local, toll-free or international fax number to utilize eFax’s services.
Pros: Key advantages of using eFax include:
– Affordable pricing starting at only $9.95 per month
– Intuitive web and mobile apps to send faxes from anywhere
– Toll-free fax number included with plans
– Features like reminder notifications, spam filtering, and activity reports
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that the free trial period is only 14 days, which may not provide enough time for evaluation of all features compared to some competitors offering 30 day trials.
Pricing: eFax offers several affordable pricing plans starting at $9.95 per month for individuals and small businesses. Larger businesses can contact an eFax representative for custom enterprise plans suited to their needs.
Some key stats about eFax include:
– Over 5 million users worldwide
– Processed over 2 billion pages sent and received
– Compatible with all major fax machines
– HIPAA compliant for use in the healthcare industry
5. Bandwidth
Bandwidth is a cloud-based communications platform that provides fax, voice, and messaging services via their APIs. Founded in 2000, Bandwidth has grown to serve over 1 million business customers worldwide. They aim to solve real communications challenges through their full-featured yet easy to integrate platform.
Pros: Some key advantages of Bandwidth’s fax software include:
– Complete cloud communications platform with fax, voice, and SMS together in one solution
– Large global network footprint allowing users to send and receive faxes worldwide
– Advanced APIs that make integration into various software systems quick and seamless
– Enterprise-grade security, reliability, and scalability
Cons: One potential downside is that Bandwidth’s fax service requires other voice or messaging services to be utilized alongside fax for full functionality. It is not a standalone fax solution.
Pricing: Bandwidth offers competitive per-minute pricing for outbound fax and charges for inbound fax pages received. They also have standard APIs, premium APIs, pre-configured product packages, and enterprise plans available depending on business needs and usage amounts.
Some key stats about Bandwidth’s fax capabilities include:
– Over 30 billion minutes of inbound and outbound fax usage annually
– Integrated fax service available in over 80 countries
– 99.999% uptime SLA on their core network
6. CallHippo
CallHippo is a leading virtual phone system for businesses. Founded in 2015, CallHippo offers an all-in-one platform for calling, messaging, and fax services to help businesses communicate better. With CallHippo, users get local and toll-free phone numbers in over 50 countries that can be used to make and receive phone calls as well as send and receive faxes through their existing internet connection.
Pros: Some key advantages of CallHippo include:
– Affordable pricing plans for small businesses starting at $10 per month
– All-in-one platform for calling, messaging, and fax capabilities
– Customizable applications and APIs for integration into other tools
– Active development of new features like call recording and transcription
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that the free trial only includes limited features and phone minutes. However, this allows new users to test core functionality before committing to a paid plan.
Pricing: CallHippo offers flexible pricing plans starting from $10 per month for the Essentials plan. This includes basic calling and messaging features. For enterprise needs, they have customizable Enterprise plans as well. All plans include 24/7 support, seamless updates, and a 99.99% SLA.
Some key stats about CallHippo include:
– Over 150,000 users in more than 100 countries worldwide
– Ability to add up to 500 users on a single account
– Supports over 50 international phone numbers and global coverage
– 99.99% uptime service level agreement
7. MyFax
MyFax is a leading online fax service that has been in business since 1995. They make it easy to send and receive faxes directly from your computer or mobile device without needing a physical fax machine. With affordable pricing plans starting at just $10/month and a convenient freemium tier that allows for basic faxing for free, MyFax is a top choice for individuals and businesses seeking a reliable fax solution.
Pros: Some key advantages of MyFax include:
– Freemium plan allows basic faxing for free
– Integrates with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
– Easy to send faxes directly from Gmail or Outlook
– Archiving for all incoming/outgoing faxes
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that the freemium plan has limited functionality, so you need a paid subscription to access all features.
Pricing: MyFax offers flexible pricing plans starting at just $10/month for individuals and small businesses. Larger enterprises can contact them for custom quote. Additional storage and advanced features are available as upgrades within each paid tier.
Some key stats about MyFax include:
– Over 15 million users worldwide
– Supports faxing to over 180 countries
– Integrates with all major CRM/email platforms like Gmail, Outlook, and Salesforce
– 99.9% uptime reliability guarantee
8. CallFire
CallFire is a phone communications platform that allows businesses to use phone systems, automate workflows, and run voice broadcasting, texting and faxing campaigns. Founded in 2006 and based in Seattle, CallFire provides critical communication tools through an intuitive platform.
Pros: Some key advantages of CallFire include:
– Customizable workflows for automating repetitive processes and tasks
– Integrates SMS, voice, fax and other communication channels on a single platform
– Advanced analytics and reporting to track campaign performance and ROI
– Toll-free phone numbers and virtual extensions with geographic independence
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that certain advanced features like predictive dialing require paid subscription plans which may not fit all budgets.
Pricing: CallFire offers four pricing tiers to fit different business needs:
– Free Plan: Offers basic calling, SMS and faxing capabilities. Good for getting started.
– Pro Plan: Starts at $49/month and adds more minutes and features like call recording.
– Business Plan: Starts at $99/month and is suitable for growing businesses. Adds predictive dialing.
– Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for the most demanding workflows and largest teams.
Some key stats about CallFire include:
– Over 100,000 customers worldwide across industries like real estate, insurance, healthcare and more
– Ability to broadcast to over 50,000 phone lines simultaneously
– Integrates with over 200 third party business applications like CRMs, email marketing tools and more
– Named a leader in G2’s Grid Report for VoIP Softphones
9. FAX.PLUS
FAX.PLUS is a leading online fax service that enables users to send and receive faxes securely from anywhere via computer, mobile, or email. Founded in 2013, the company provides innovative cloud fax solutions for both individual and enterprise users.
Pros: Some key advantages of FAX.PLUS include:
– Advanced analytics and reporting capabilities
– Customizable fax cover sheets and templates
– HIPAA and PCI DSS compliance
– Intuitive web and mobile apps
– Affordable pricing plans for all business sizes
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that it requires an internet connection to send and receive faxes digitally rather than through analog phone lines.
Pricing: FAX.PLUS offers several affordable pricing plans ranging from $8.99/month for individuals up to enterprise plans with customized pricing. All plans include unlimited inbound and outbound faxes as well as24/7 support.
Some key stats about FAX.PLUS include:
– Over 1 million users worldwide
– Processes over 500,000 faxes daily
– 99.999% uptime SLA
– Integrations with over 50+ applications
10. InterFAX
InterFAX is a leading cloud-based fax solution provided by Upland Software. The company has been providing fax server solutions since 1992 and their InterFAX product is focused on offering robust and secure faxing capabilities for both individuals and large enterprises. InterFAX allows users to send and receive faxes online without needing additional fax hardware or phone lines.
Pros: Some of the key advantages of InterFAX include:
– Robust fax server solution for IT managers with centralized administration console.
– Integrates seamlessly with many major CRM and ERP systems via its extensive REST API.
– Allows for customizable inbound and outbound routing rules to manage fax workflows.
– Offers strong security features like SSL encryption, dual factor authentication and archival storage.
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that it is more expensive than some basic online fax services due to targeting large businesses and offering more advanced features.
Pricing: InterFAX offers a range of pricing plans depending on business needs. Basic plans start from $15 per user/month and offer 100 inbound/outbound pages. Mid-tier and advanced plans catered towards large enterprises start from $25 per user/month with unlimited pages and additional features like custom routing rules. Volume-based plans are also available.
Some key stats about InterFAX include:
– Processes over 5 million faxes per month securely across its global network.
– Supports over 3000+ applications through its REST API integrations including Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce and more.
– Has over 20,000 customers globally spanning many industries like healthcare, legal and finance.
11. Biscom
Biscom is a leading provider of secure messaging solutions for enterprises. Founded in 1990, Biscom pioneered enterprise fax server technology and continues to innovate with its intelligent and secure messaging platforms. Based in San Jose, California, Biscom powers fax and secure communications for thousands of organizations worldwide.
Pros: Key advantages of Biscom include:
– Leading provider of enterprise fax server solutions
– On-premise, hybrid and pure cloud deployment options
– Strong API for integration with legacy applications
– Custom workflow automation and integration tools
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that the on-premise deployment requires hardware to be installed and maintained on-site.
Pricing: Biscom offers flexible pricing models depending on deployment options and required functionality. Basic fax server capabilities start at $1,500 per year. Enterprise plans with additional users and features are priced starting at $3,000 annually.
Some key facts about Biscom include:
– Over 30 years of experience in secure messaging
– Protects over 1.5 billion secure messages annually
– Supports fax, email, SMS and more
– Deployable on-premise, in the cloud or in hybrid environments
12. CallTower
CallTower delivers cloud-based fax solutions for businesses of all sizes. Founded in 2002, they have become a leading provider of unified communications, contact center and collaboration solutions. Their fax software is easy to set up and use, with intuitive interfaces for sending and receiving faxes online.
Pros: The main advantages of CallTower’s fax software include:
– Powerful cloud fax servers that scale easily as needs grow
– Advanced analytics and reporting to track fax activity
– Expert implementation and support from their in-house teams
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that as a subscription-based software, there are ongoing monthly costs compared to a one-time purchase of an on-premise fax server solution.
Pricing: Pricing starts at $20 per user per month for Unlimited fax pages, and additional plans are available depending on volume needs. Custom pricing is available for large enterprises.
Some key stats about CallTower’s fax software:
– Supports over 500 file formats for faxing
– Handles over 250 million pages sent and received monthly
– Enterprise-grade security with ISO 27001 certification
– 99.999% uptime SLA
13. eFax Developer
eFax Developer is a cloud fax API that allows developers to easily integrate fax capabilities into their existing applications and workflows. With eFax Developer’s API-first architecture, developers have full control and flexibility to send, receive and manage faxes programmatically.
Pros: Some key advantages of eFax Developer include:
– API-first architecture allows for building custom faxing applications easily
– Send, receive and manage faxes programmatically right from your code
– Flexible pricing tiers including a free package for development and testing
– Robust documentation and SDKs for common programming languages and platforms
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that the integration of a new API takes development time and resources. However, eFax Developer aims to minimize this with their extensive documentation and tools.
Pricing: eFax Developer offers flexible pricing plans to fit different business needs. A free package is available for development and testing. Paid packages start at $0.005 per page for Professional and $0.003 per page for Enterprise tiers with volume discounts available.
Some key stats about eFax Developer include:
– Over 30,000 developers have used the eFax API.
– Processes over 1 million faxes per month for customers.
– Built-in security and compliance features meet HIPAA, PCI and other industry standards.
14. Concord
Concord is a leading provider of cloud fax, workflow and document management software. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, Concord helps thousands of organizations improve processes around faxing, document workflows and business automation.
Pros: Some key advantages of Concord include:
– Secure LDAP integration for single sign-on
– HIPAA compliant with BAA agreement available
– Detailed usage reports and analytics
– Customizable outbound fax notifications
Cons: Integration with some legacy systems may require additional development due to Concord being cloud-based.
Pricing: Concord offers flexible pricing plans including perpetual licenses and annual subscriptions. Pricing is based on the number of monthly pages sent/received as well as available features and support options. Contact Concord for an affordable quote customized to your business needs.
Some key stats about Concord include:
– Processes over 1 billion pages annually
– Supports over 1 million users globally
– Ensures 99.999% uptime with data centers in US, Europe and Asia
15. FaxCore
FaxCore is a leading provider of cloud faxing solutions. Since 1999, FaxCore has helped thousands of businesses securely send and receive faxes via the cloud or on-premise server solutions. Their products allow users to send and receive faxes directly from within popular applications like Microsoft Word and Outlook.
Pros: Some key advantages of FaxCore include:
– Self-hosted on-premise or hybrid cloud faxing options
– Robust API for integrations and custom workflows
– Advanced call routing, management and reporting tools
– Dedicated support from faxing experts
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that the on-premise server solutions require upfront infrastructure costs and ongoing maintenance compared to a pure cloud faxing solution.
Pricing: FaxCore offers flexible pricing plans to meet different business needs. Basic cloud faxing starts at $15 per user per month. On-premise solutions vary based on infrastructure but support is included. They also offer customized enterprise plans for large scale deployments.
Some key stats about FaxCore include:
– Over 20 years of experience in fax technology
– Protect millions of faxes sent annually
– Support over 35,000 users worldwide
– Integrations available for over 250 applications
Conclusion
While many providers offer solid basic faxing capabilities, the top solutions provide advanced features, robust integrations, workflow automation tools and enterprise-grade security, reliability and support tailored for both small/medium businesses as well as large enterprises. The market leaders like RingCentral, Avaya, Nextiva and eFax have withstood the test of time by continuously innovating and expanding their offerings. Newer competitors like FAX.PLUS and Bandwidth are also worth considering thanks to their modern architectures, flexible APIs and competitive pricing. Overall, the right choice depends on your specific business needs, scale, budget and technical requirements. We hope this evaluation of the top 15 providers helps you select the best cloud fax software solution for your organization.