iFax Review

There’s no shortage of online faxing apps on the market, but iFax was the very first. When the app was released in 2008, it was designed solely for iOS. But now everyone can use iFax regardless of their device, with apps available for Windows, Android, and macOS as well. The London-based company allows you to send faxes and emails to fax numbers, add cover letters, and include up to 20MB of attachments. iFax also lets you use your mobile device to scan a document using your camera and then fax it immediately. Plus, it’s HIPAA and GLBA compliant, making it ideal for businesses. The service offers three different subscription tiers, but you can test out iFax first by checking out the free demo or signing up for a free trial.

Features

iFax is an easy-to-use and flexible online fax service that allows you to send faxes and emails to fax numbers through any of its browser versions and apps. Overall, the service is pretty light on features compared to some of its competitors, but what it does do, it does well.

With iFax, you have a set number of monthly faxes that you can send and receive, and the dashboard will remind you of how many you’ve used so far. Your total fax allowance depends on your subscription. For example, Professional subscribers are able to send and receive over 1,000 faxes a month. However, Basic users can only send 200 without being able to receive any faxes at all – not an ideal method of communication. Of course, if you go over the monthly amount, you can still send and receive faxes, but you’ll have to pay an overage fee, which varies for each tier.

Sending and Receiving Faxes

Faxing with iFax is a mixed bag. If you’re sending from fax number to fax number, then the process is easy and exactly what you would expect from an online faxing service. You have the option of including a cover sheet from a choice of five templates, which you can customize with your own logo. Attachments go up to 20MB with the choice of importing files directly or through a file hosting service like Box, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

But when you want to send an email to a fax machine, things are a little different. Some other services have email integrations for this, but with iFax, you have to email your message to iFax first, and they’ll send the fax for you. You’ll then get a confirmation when your fax has been sent. It seems like an unnecessarily complicated method compared to other faxing services.

We really like the scanning option you get on the mobile versions of iFax. Simply point your phone’s camera at the document to quickly scan and send. But if you want to add signatures to your faxes, you’re out of luck as iFax doesn’t let you add digital signatures.

Online Fax Management and Apps

All of iFax’s apps are well designed and simple to use, whether you’re on Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android. The service also works well on desktop and mobile browsers. Everything is accessible, and you don’t have to worry about going through lots of different menus to get what you want. But there are a few things that could be improved upon. For example, when it comes to storing and sorting your received faxes, iFax lags behind. There’s no inbox to speak of at all, so you’re better off downloading your faxes and sorting them out yourself. There are also some configurations that you can access in the browser that aren’t present in the apps.

For businesses using the Professional package, it’s possible to add users with different permissions, access iFax’s API, and get a dedicated account manager.

Getting Started

It’s quick and easy to get started with iFax, and there are no installation fees to worry about. From the user-friendly dashboard, there’s a quick guide on how to send faxes. Next, it’s time to choose your number (or transfer an existing one over). Before you get to sending faxes, you can add contacts manually or import them using a CSV file. Contacts can also be organized into lists if you want to send faxes to a group of people at once.

We always recommend that you use two-factor authentication for your accounts but unfortunately this isn’t possible with iFax. Nonetheless, you can rest assured that all faxes are protected by AES-256 encryption and the service is HIPAA and GLBA compliant.

Fax Numbers

iFax provides fax numbers from just three countries: Canada, the UK, and the U.S – with all 50 states covered. While the fax number list isn’t very international, the number selection process is more customizable. Unlike many other fax services where you select a country and are automatically given a number without any input, iFax lets you craft your own from a list of area codes. It’s also possible to port over your existing fax number by contacting iFax’s customer support team directly.

Pricing

The pricing system for iFax is a little confusing, especially since it changes depending on what platform you use to sign up – subscriptions made through the app are far more expensive than if you sign up on the website. The cheapest way to get iFax is to sign up for the Basic package on the iFax website, which works out at $8.33 per month if you pay an annual fee. However, the Basic package doesn’t give you the ability to receive faxes. To do that, you’ll need to upgrade to the Plus subscription at $16.67 per month paid annually. With Plus, you can send and receive 500 pages a month, and you can choose your own fax number. There’s a Professional tier for larger businesses too, but you’ll need to contact iFax directly for a quote.

Unlike some other online faxing services, iFax doesn’t charge any setup or cancellation fees. Indeed, there’s not much room to maneuver when it comes to cancellations, as iFax only offers refunds under exceptional circumstances. However, it’s possible to test out the software first – although much like the pricing system, things become confusing here as well. Anyone who’s interested in a Professional plan can request a free trial and demo of the product by contacting the iFax sales team directly. Alternatively, when you download one of the apps, you’ll find that you’re offered a 7-day free trial regardless of which subscription you want. Just remember to cancel before the end of the trial to avoid having your credit card charged.

Customer Support

Email is your primary method of contact with iFax, and you’ll find support easy to reach through the dashboard. iFax boasts 24/7 support, although it took about 24 hours for us to receive a response to our question. Besides using email, you can also get in touch through iFax’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Unfortunately, the iFax website isn’t too helpful if you’re looking for solutions. There’s an FAQ section but it’s short and disorganized, so finding an answer to your question isn’t easy if it’s even there at all. But the website does have a regularly updated blog that is full of helpful faxing advice.

Bottom Line

Overall, iFax is an intuitive but flawed faxing solution. At times the service makes some baffling choices, like offering a paid subscription that doesn’t let you receive faxes, not having a conventional inbox, and the fact that how much you pay depends on whether you signed up it using a browser or an app. Having said that, the service has some genuinely helpful features. The HIPAA and GBLA compliance coupled with iFax’s strong encryption makes it ideal for any company handling sensitive data. We also really liked how easy it was to scan and send documents using your phone. So, while there’s certainly room for improvement with iFax, it’s well worth testing the service out first to see if its helpful features will suit your faxing needs.

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