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Online Faxing vs Fax Machines

Online Faxing vs Fax Machines


Why would anyone still use a fax in the internet age? For most people today, fax is as relevant as carrier pigeons. But for many companies, faxing is still a necessity. There are various reasons for this, but it usually boils down to security. Since faxes are transmitted directly through a phone line, they’re far more secure than emails. Hackers are unable to intercept faxed messages, which is why faxing is still popular with law firms and the healthcare industry. Many regulatory bodies approve only faxing as a method of communication thanks to its ability to transmit signatures, which can turn faxes into official documents. Online faxing allows people to ditch their fax machine and still have all the benefits while keeping everything digital. But how does it compare to the real thing?

Fax machine

Ease of use

Fax machines can be awkward pieces of equipment to use, especially because a lot of younger people may have never used one before in their lives. Each machine works differently, but generally you feed your document into the fax machine, check for a dial tone, type in your contact’s number, and finally hit send. You then have to listen to the fax machine’s noise, which is equal parts annoying and nostalgic. Meanwhile, sending a fax using an online faxing service is incredibly simple, and is no different than sending an email. Online faxing allows you to send faxes to multiple contacts at the same time and easily add attachments to your document – all without hearing a dial tone or any other unwelcome noises.

Convenience

When it comes to which is the least hassle, there’s no contest: online faxing is far more convenient than traditional analog faxing. With machine faxing, everything centers around the location of the machine itself, which normally has to be close to a phone line. All your faxes need to be stored in files or folders, potentially taking up a huge amount of space, and anything you decide to discard becomes a waste of paper. There are files and folders for a digital fax inbox too, but as they don’t take up any physical space, it’s easy to organize all your faxes. The lack of paper also makes online faxing a far greener option. Finally, when you fax online you can do it from anywhere in the word, at any time – all you need is to be connected to the internet.

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Cost

Online faxing isn’t free of course, but when you compare it with old-fashioned faxing it’s by far the cheaper option. Fax machines can cost hundreds of dollars, and if your business needs multiple machines that price will only go higher. On top of that, you have to factor in the cost of paper and toner for each machine, not to mention any potential repair costs. However, when it comes to digital faxes you just have to choose between paying a monthly subscription fee (dependent on how many faxes you need to send) or simply purchasing credits for each fax.

Security

Perhaps the most important aspect for businesses is how secure faxing is. We know that faxing is much safer than email, but is that still true of online faxing as well? As mentioned, faxing is very secure, and unless you’re being wiretapped by the NSA, there’s no way anyone can intercept your faxes remotely. Of course, there’s nothing to stop anyone who has access to your fax machine from reading your incoming messages, but with online faxes this isn’t an issue. Only you will be able to access your fax, and a good service will provide two-factor authentication for added security. All your faxes will be encrypted end-to-end, so there’s no need to worry about them being intercepted.

Verdict

If we take all of these criteria into consideration, it’s pretty obvious that the future lies with digital faxing – a perfect solution for any business’s needs. Online faxing has all the features you need while still keeping all the essential security and legality. In addition, online faxing is simply a much cheaper and far greener alternative, so if your business hasn’t caught up yet – now’s the time to do so.


Best online fax services of 2025

Editors' choice

eFax

Editor's rating:
Send/receive faxes anywhere
Easily send big documents
Access faxes anytime
Fax on any device
International faxing

Fax.Plus

Editor's rating:
Great for all skill levels
Smooth, intuitive experience
Safe and legally compliant
Keep all faxes securely saved
Local faxing

MetroFax

Editor's rating:
Easy for anyone to use
Store all your faxes safely
Send and receive anywhere
Fair prices
Small businesses

MyFax

Editor's rating:
Easily manage incoming faxes
Send globally without hassle
Professional contact option
Keep all faxes securely
Secure faxing

SRFax

Editor's rating:
Ideal for healthcare industry
Protects sensitive documents
Affordable
Flexible for all needs
Free faxing

iFax

Editor's rating:
User-friendly design
Suitable for sensitive data
Fax directly from your phone
Keeps data private and safe

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