Online fax services continue to thrive in the age of file sharing and emails. Their demand grows as more industries shift to online paperless faxing as their main solution for safe document exchange. [1]
Yet, it takes work to choose the best solution for you in a world with thousands of solutions to meet every business need.
Don’t worry. You’re not alone. We understand it’s difficult to schedule demos, read through page after page of features, and see the product pages to find the right product.
It’s overwhelming.
That’s why we’ve done the hard work to provide you with our unbiased comparison of two popular faxing tools today – eFax and RingCentral – so you don’t have to do the research alone.
Here’s everything you need to know about these two competing service providers.
eFax vs RingCentral: Summary
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- Both eFax and RingCentral are good options for beginners in online faxing.
- If you’re looking for the most affordable online faxing tool between the two, eFax is the service to go for. eFax Plus paid tier costs $16.95 per month, including 150 pages of incoming/ receiving faxes and 150 outbound faxes. Compare that to RingCentral’s $27.99 standard pricing tier for unlimited internet fax.
- eFax is limited to online faxing, while RingCentral is a complete business communications suite.
- RingCentral is superior to eFax in terms of features because it can do so much more than just online faxing. As a VoIP service provider, it offers cloud-based solutions, ranging from high-definition video calls to all-in-one team messaging.
- eFax focuses on online faxing, making it the optimal choice for users who fax regularly or industries with continuous fax storage obligations.
- Both eFax and RingCentral allow users to send and receive faxes from different devices, such as computers, tablets, and smartphones. You only need to have an active internet connection to use the platforms.
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eFax vs. RingCentral Online Faxing: The Ultimate Comparison
What is eFax?
Website: efax.com
eFax is an online fax management software that allows users to send and receive faxes from their computer, tablet, or smartphone anywhere at any time. eFax clients can sign, organize, and edit faxes digitally.
It eliminates the use of a fax machine and paper ink to send and receive important faxed documents. This is because it attaches a unique fax number to clients’ email addresses.
With eFax’s integration with iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud storage services, it’s quicker and easier to attach even large files (videos and high-resolution photos) to the virtual fax.
Additionally, suppose clients need enhanced security for their files. In that case, eFax allows them to store their faxes in a password-protected folder that they can view and download. There’ll be a secure site that hosts the encrypted inbound fax.
Users can likewise tag their faxes with keywords to make searching and retrieving files easier. An eFax mobile app allows users to sign, return, and annotate faxes without leaving the app.
Pros
- Limitless storage
- Multiple users are allowed
- 24/7 support options for all customers regardless of membership tier
- Economical; lowest monthly fax limit
- Uses TLS and 256-bit encryption to protect sensitive material
Cons
- Limited amount of monthly pages in basic subscriptions.
Best For: Small to medium-sized organizations looking for a reliable and secure online faxing service. It’s also ideal for medical physicians, healthcare administrators, insurance providers, and nurses. After all, over 90% of healthcare workers still rely on fax machines for privacy. [2]
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What is RingCentral?
Website: ringcentral.com
RingCentral is a complete communications suite that combines text, phone, team communications, voicemail, and document sharing in one platform. It works with physical Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) too.
VoIP is a technology that enables users to make voice calls using an internet connection rather than a regular phone line. At a glance, VoIP phones are handsets that look like traditional landline phones.
Yet, when integrated with RingCentral, VoIP offers other services. These services include video calls and messaging.
RingCentral Fax
One of the communications packages that RingCentral provides comparable to eFax is the RingCentral Fax. It’s an online fax solution that allows companies to avoid phone line charges, fax machine maintenance costs, and paperwork.
This cloud-based fax software uses telephone lines to transfer data electronically. Whenever a user sends a document, RingCentral scans it as an image, converts it into bits, and transfers the file over to your telephone machine. The simplicity of its phone system is its top selling point.
Pros
- Cloud integration
- With advanced fax spam blocking feature
- Increased fax pages on the basic plan
- Multi-device faxing
- Good customer support
- Cloud phone system in a single app
- Simultaneously transmits outgoing faxes for up to 50 recipients
- You can schedule your in advance to speed up productivity
Cons
- You may end up paying for features you don’t need
- Its most basic plan does not include phone support.
Best For: The IT and Services industry. RingCentral Fax’s features are ideal for companies with about 50 to 200 employees. It’s also suited for enterprises needing additional communication and collaboration tools besides fax capabilities.
What Are the Differences Between eFax and RingCentral?
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Both eFax and Ringcentral promise to help their customers eliminate the need for fax lines, fax machines, and tons of paper. Yet, they have significant differences that can help you make an informed decision as a potential customer.
Dedicated focus:
eFax focuses on online faxing, so it remains on the leading edge of faxing technology rather than RingCentral.
On the other hand, RingCentral offers several communication products to its clients. Its faxing services may be purchased as part of its available packages or alone. But because it has a broad focus doesn’t mean it provides less robust faxing capabilities.
RingCentral users can even send a fax directly from their email. They simply have to add a fax cover sheet, attach files, and they’re good to go.
Storage:
eFax online fax service allows users to keep faxes in encrypted file types and has limitless fax storage, so long as the account is active.
RingCentral offers 5GB storage for free and unlimited storage for its Ultimate plan.
Electronic signing and management:
RingCentral Fax users can edit, sign, and send faxes electronically. eFax users are given access to a digital signature tech. This feature allows them to comment and sign on faxes.
With eFax, you can hand-write your signature on paper, scan a picture with your phone’s camera, and save the file to eFax. You can then use that electronic signature anytime you need to sign or send an online fax.
This electronic signing capability eliminates the long process of printing, signing, scanning, and storing physical paper.
Customer support:
All eFax users have access to the same level of technical assistance. At the same time, RingCentral’s support depends on the package available to the customers. Those who pay more get superior-tech assistance.
Security:
Both services have different features to ensure the security of users' data. For instance, eFax hosts encrypted inbound fax for download. Even its online storage is accessible and secure anywhere. Files that contain sensitive information remain confidential.
RingCentral, meanwhile, stops unwanted faxes from coming through with its user-level blocking capabilities. When users transmit faxes, it’ll be over an encrypted connection.
RingCentral allows users to preview, annotate, and print faxes right from their computer to ensure maximum security and control. Meanwhile, all incoming faxes are stored securely in the user’s account and can be sent later as email attachments.
Now, let’s highlight their similarities.
What Are the Similarities of eFax and RingCentral?
Both eFax and RingCentral provide customer support and technical assistance available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Neither provides payment for activation or installation. Additionally, the two tools provide VoIP PBX solutions. VoIP PBX, also called IP PBX, is a business telephone system that place and receives phone calls over the internet. It also allows businesses to set up virtual call management systems in their office.
eFax offers a 30-day trial period, wherein users may use all electronic faxing capabilities that are usually available for paying clients. Similarly, RingCentral provides a free trial of 30 faxes or seven days, whichever occurs first.
Both tools have mobile applications, above-average ratings in their app stores, and good reviews.
How To Choose an Online Fax Service: A Buyer’s Guide
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1. Evaluate your needs
The key to finding the right service provider is considering the volume of faxes you realistically send and receive. Some online faxing plans may be inexpensive but have a lower monthly fax limit.
2. Speak with several vendors
Contact various vendors to evaluate both their products and their customer service. How do their customer service representatives discuss company offerings?
3. Know the fee structures
Unexpected costs and hidden fees make budgeting difficult. Although most online fax service providers list their pricing on their websites, it may take additional research to know about their extra charges – long-distance fees, set-up fees, and overage costs.
4. Request free demos
Take advantage of the online fax provider offering a free product demonstration. Doing so allows you to test the service beforehand, as some services are more user-friendly than others.
So, eFax or RingCentral?
The right online fax tool can save you money and time while providing secure transmissions.
eFax is the definition of focus and simplicity. If you need online faxing features alone, eFax may be your best choice. It’s a trusted service and has a large storage capacity.
On the other hand, RingCentral is ideal if you prefer a multi-platform besides online faxing. RingCentral has integration options for cloud storage, has a wide range of acceptable file formats, and makes advanced faxing simple.
Yet, if you’re still undecided about which online fax service best suits your business needs, consider this third option: Thatch. It’s a platform that scales with you.
With Thatch, you can send and receive faxes like a pro. It turns your email into a fax machine, plus you get a digital mailbox for all your offline communications. Simple, quick, and secure.
Create a free account today to start faxing.
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