By David Thompson · Published April 8, 2026 · Updated June 8, 2026 · 11 min read
Your Android phone is already in your pocket. So why drive to a UPS store and pay $2–5 per page to send a fax?
The best fax app for Android is mFax — a mobile-first, pay-as-you-go app that is HIPAA compliant and sends from your phone with no fax machine. The runner-up is Fax.Plus, the cheapest paid option at $6.99/mo. The best fax apps let you scan, enter a number, and send in under two minutes.
The problem is that not every Android fax app deserves your time or money. Some have deceptive free tiers, confusing page-counting rules, or billing practices that have earned them 3-star Play Store ratings despite strong marketing.
We compared the five top fax apps for Android across pricing, HIPAA compliance, ease of use, and real-world reliability. Here's what we found.
| App | Best For | Starts At | Free Option | HIPAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mFax | Best overall | Pay-as-you-go | No subscription needed | Yes |
| Fax.Plus | Budget users | $6.99/mo | 10 lifetime pages | Enterprise only |
| iFax | HIPAA on all plans | $12.49/mo | 7-day free trial | Yes (all plans) |
| eFax | Enterprise reliability | $18.99/mo | 7-day trial | Protect plan only |
| FaxBurner | Occasional non-sensitive faxes | Free / $14.95/mo | Permanent free tier | No |
What to Look For in an Android Fax App
Before diving into the reviews, here are the criteria that actually matter:
- Pricing transparency — does the page count include both sent and received? Are there hidden setup fees or per-minute billing traps?
- HIPAA compliance — required if you work in healthcare, legal, or insurance. Not all apps offer it, and some lock it behind expensive tiers.
- Android app quality — a polished web experience doesn't guarantee a good Play Store app. Check actual Google Play ratings and recent reviews.
- Delivery reliability — look for confirmed delivery receipts, not just "sent" status.
- File format support — at minimum: PDF, DOCX, JPG, PNG. Better apps add HTML, TIFF, and cloud imports.
Global fax market: still growing
The online fax service market was valued at $1.13 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $2.34 billion by 2032 — driven largely by healthcare, legal, and insurance industries that still rely on fax for compliance reasons. Android fax apps are a fast-growing slice of that market.
1. mFax — Best Overall for Android
mFax is the top pick for most Android users. The app is built mobile-first — the Android experience isn't an afterthought bolted onto a desktop product. Over 5 million users across iOS and Android rely on it, backed by a 4.8-star App Store rating.
The core workflow is the fastest on this list: open the app, tap to scan a document or upload a PDF, enter the fax number, send. Delivery confirmation lands in your inbox within minutes. For teams and healthcare professionals, mFax Business adds virtual fax numbers, HIPAA compliance, and shared team accounts starting at about $9/mo (billed annually).
mFax does one thing extremely well: it makes faxing from your Android phone feel as natural as sending an email. The built-in document scanner uses AI to auto-correct perspective and crop borders, so even a quick phone-camera scan produces clean, legible faxes.
The pay-as-you-go model is a genuine differentiator — if you only fax a few times a year, you're not locked into a monthly subscription you don't need. If you fax regularly, the subscription plans bring the cost per fax down significantly.
Pros
- Mobile-first Android app — no friction, no unnecessary steps
- Pay-as-you-go option — no forced monthly subscription
- HIPAA compliant with TLS encryption
- 5M+ users, 4.8-star App Store rating
- 98% delivery success rate with confirmed receipts
- Send to 90+ countries, receive from anywhere
- Google Drive, Dropbox, Box integration
- mFax Business adds virtual numbers and team accounts
Cons
- No permanently free tier — pay-as-you-go or subscription
- Business features (virtual numbers, HIPAA BAA) require a Business plan
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go (no subscription) or monthly plans. mFax Business uses usage-based pricing from about $9/mo — you build your own plan, choosing the exact seats (1–35) and pages (200–5,000) you need with a live calculator and paying only for what you use ($3/seat + $4 per 100 pages), instead of being forced into rigid fixed tiers. Every plan includes a dedicated fax number, API access, and HIPAA compliance with a signed BAA.
Best for: Anyone who needs a reliable, polished Android fax app — from occasional personal faxes to high-volume healthcare workflows.
Download: mFax on Google Play | mFax.to
2. Fax.Plus — Best Budget Option
Fax.Plus by Alohi is one of the most feature-rich apps at the lowest entry price point. For Android users on a tight budget who still need reliable faxing, it's the strongest value play on this list.
The free plan is notable but often misunderstood: you get 10 pages total across your account's lifetime — not 10 pages per month. Use them, and they're gone. That said, the paid Basic plan at $6.99/month (annual billing) is among the cheapest recurring options available.
Fax.Plus impresses with its feature set: scheduled sending, bulk faxing, a large cover page library, and integrations with every major cloud storage platform. The Android app is clean and regularly updated, with a 4.1-star rating on Google Play across 1M+ downloads.
The main caveat is HIPAA: if you're in healthcare, legal, or insurance, HIPAA compliance is locked behind the $79.99/month Enterprise plan — a steep jump from the $6.99 base tier. For everyone else, it's excellent.
Pros
- Cheapest paid plan on this list — $6.99/mo (annual)
- Covers 180+ countries — best international reach
- SOC 2 Type 2 certified security
- Scheduled fax sending (send at off-peak hours)
- MFA required on all accounts by default
- Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive integration
- Unlimited encrypted archive on all paid plans
Cons
- HIPAA compliance only on Enterprise plan ($79.99/mo) — a major barrier for healthcare
- 10 'free' pages are a lifetime allowance, not monthly
- Per-minute billing rule: transmissions over 1 minute count as 2 pages
- API access gated behind Enterprise only
Pricing: Free (10 lifetime pages); Basic $6.99/mo (annual, 200 pages); Premium $13.99/mo (500 pages); Business $27.99/mo (1,000 pages); Enterprise $79.99/mo (4,000 pages). Overage from $0.03–$0.10/page.
Best for: Budget-conscious individuals and small teams without strict compliance requirements; international faxers.
3. iFax — Best for HIPAA Compliance on All Plans
iFax earns its spot on this list for one reason: it's the only major Android fax app that includes a full HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) on every paid plan — not just expensive enterprise tiers. For healthcare professionals, that access at $12.49/month is genuinely valuable.
The security credentials are serious: 256-bit AES + TLS encryption, SOC 2 certified AWS servers, and Google Workspace / Microsoft 365 integration. iFax also includes electronic signatures on all plans at no extra cost.
iFax has one of the strongest compliance stories of any fax app, which is why it's the preferred choice for many medical practices and legal firms. The 7-day no-credit-card trial makes it easy to test without commitment.
The important caveat: iFax has a 3.4-star Google Play rating — significantly lower than its 4.7-star App Store score. The gap is largely explained by billing complaints: users report aggressive subscription enrollment after free trials and difficulty cancelling. Go in with eyes open and cancel before the trial ends if it's not for you.
Pros
- HIPAA BAA included on every paid plan — no enterprise tier required
- 256-bit AES + TLS encryption, SOC 2 certified
- 7-day free trial with no credit card required
- Electronic signatures on all plans
- Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 integration
- 50+ countries for local fax numbers
Cons
- Google Play rating: 3.4 stars (billing complaint patterns)
- More expensive than Fax.Plus at every tier
- Users report difficulty cancelling subscriptions
- No phone support — email and chat only
Pricing: Basic $12.49/mo (200 pages); Plus $24.99/mo (500 pages); Professional $49.99/mo (1,000 pages). Annual billing: 20% discount. Overage: $0.10/page.
Best for: Healthcare providers, legal professionals, and anyone who needs HIPAA compliance without paying enterprise prices.
4. eFax — Most Established Service
eFax has been around since 1999 — one of the original online fax services, now part of the j2 Global portfolio with 11 million+ users. If brand pedigree and 24/7 phone support matter to your organization, eFax delivers what newer services can't: decades of proven reliability.
The Android app gives you a traditional inbox-style interface for managing sent and received faxes, with full email integration (Gmail and Outlook) as a secondary sending method.
eFax is the safe, risk-averse choice for enterprises that need a name they can put in a vendor contract. The 24/7 phone support is a genuine differentiator — every other app on this list relies on chat and email support only.
That said, eFax is noticeably more expensive than comparable services. The $18.99/month Plus plan is more than double what Fax.Plus charges for similar volume, and HIPAA compliance requires the $49.99/month Protect upgrade — making it the most expensive HIPAA option on this list.
Pros
- 25+ years of industry reliability, 11M+ users
- 24/7 phone + chat support — rare in this category
- Lifetime fax archive (unlimited storage)
- OCR technology for searchable received faxes
- Strong email integration (Gmail, Outlook)
- E-signature built in
Cons
- Most expensive option on this list
- $10 one-time setup fee (unnecessary friction)
- HIPAA only on Protect plan ($49.99/mo)
- App UX is dated compared to newer competitors
- Users report being frequently logged out
Pricing: Plus $18.99/mo (170 pages in + out); Pro $24.99/mo (275 pages); Protect (HIPAA) $49.99/mo (1,000 pages). $10 one-time setup fee. 7-day free trial included.
Best for: Enterprises, regulated industries, and businesses that need 24/7 phone support and a recognizable brand name in their vendor stack.
5. FaxBurner — Best Free Tier for Casual Use
FaxBurner is the only app on this list with a permanently free plan that never expires. For someone who occasionally needs to send or receive a non-sensitive fax — a lease agreement, a school form, a simple contract — it handles the job without requiring a credit card or monthly commitment.
The critical limitation: FaxBurner is not HIPAA compliant. It uses basic TLS encryption, not AES 256-bit end-to-end. Never use it for medical records, insurance documents, or any data governed by healthcare privacy laws.
FaxBurner's free tier is genuinely useful for light, non-sensitive use cases. The temporary fax number refreshes every 24 hours, which is fine if you just need to receive something once. For a permanent number and higher page limits, the $14.95/month Professional plan is the most affordable paid option on this list.
The deal-breaker for many users: FaxBurner's security model doesn't meet healthcare compliance standards. If there's any chance your fax contains protected health information, choose mFax or iFax instead.
Pros
- Permanently free tier — no credit card, never expires
- 25 inbound pages/month free with a temporary fax number
- Simple, clean interface — minimal learning curve
- Email-to-fax on all plans
- Digital signature support
Cons
- NOT HIPAA compliant — do not use for medical or legal PHI
- Free tier fax number resets every 24 hours (not permanent)
- Only 5 outbound pages total on the free plan
- No annual billing option — costs more long-term
- No live chat or phone support
Pricing: Free (5 outbound pages total, 25 inbound/month, temporary number); Professional $14.95/mo (500 pages, permanent number); Premier $24.95/mo (2,000 pages). No annual billing.
Best for: Individuals who fax rarely, only need to receive faxes, and are working with non-sensitive documents.
How to Choose the Right Android Fax App
The right app depends on how often you fax and what you're sending:
| If you… | Choose… |
|---|---|
| Need the best all-around Android app | mFax |
| Want pay-as-you-go (no monthly fee) | mFax (pay-as-you-go option) |
| Need HIPAA compliance on a budget | mFax or iFax |
| Need HIPAA for a business team | mFax Business |
| Are cost-sensitive without HIPAA requirements | Fax.Plus |
| Fax internationally to many countries | Fax.Plus (180+ countries) |
| Need HIPAA BAA on a base plan | iFax |
| Require 24/7 phone support | eFax |
| Only need to fax occasionally (non-sensitive) | FaxBurner (free) |
| Are in healthcare, legal, or insurance | mFax Business or iFax |
On HIPAA and fax apps
If you handle protected health information (PHI) — medical records, insurance claims, lab results — your fax app must be HIPAA compliant with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA). FaxBurner is NOT compliant. Fax.Plus only provides HIPAA on its $79.99/month Enterprise plan. See our full guide to HIPAA fax requirements to understand what compliance actually requires.
How to Send a Fax from Android (Step-by-Step)
Sending a fax from your Android phone with mFax takes under two minutes:
Download mFax from Google Play
Search "mFax" on Google Play and install the app. Sign in with your existing account or create a new one in under a minute.
Upload or Scan Your Document
Tap Send Fax and either upload a PDF from your files/cloud storage, or tap the camera icon to scan a physical document. The built-in scanner auto-corrects perspective and brightness.
Enter the Recipient's Fax Number
Type the fax number including country code (e.g., +1 for US/Canada). Add a cover page if needed — select from templates or type a custom message.
Send and Get Confirmation
Tap Send Fax. The app transmits your document and sends a delivery confirmation to your email once the recipient's machine accepts it. The whole process takes under 2 minutes.
For more detail on the Android faxing process, see our step-by-step guide to faxing from Android.
Android vs. iPhone: Does It Matter Which Phone You Use?
For most fax apps, the answer is no — the app experience is essentially identical across Android and iOS. All five apps reviewed here have dedicated Android apps on Google Play.
That said, a few nuances apply:
- Scan quality: Android devices vary wildly in camera quality. High-end Pixels and Samsungs produce excellent scans; budget devices may need better lighting or multiple attempts.
- File format access: Android's file system is more open, making it easier to attach documents from any folder or app. On iPhone, attachments are more tightly controlled by the Files app.
- Google Workspace integration: Android users with Google accounts get tighter integration with Google Drive, Docs, and Gmail — particularly useful with Fax.Plus and mFax.
If you also use an iPhone, check out our comparison of top iPhone fax apps — mFax works seamlessly across both platforms with the same account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I receive faxes on my Android phone?
Yes. All paid apps on this list provide a dedicated inbound fax number. Received faxes arrive as PDFs in the app and via email. FaxBurner's free tier provides 25 inbound pages per month with a temporary number that resets every 24 hours.
Do Android fax apps send delivery confirmations?
Yes — every reputable app sends a real-time status update and email confirmation once the fax is accepted by the recipient's machine. mFax reports a 98% delivery success rate.
What file formats can I fax from Android?
Most apps support PDF, DOC/DOCX, JPG, PNG, and TIFF. mFax also handles HTML files. If your document is in a different format (like Apple Pages or Google Docs), export it to PDF first — our free document converter handles the conversion at no charge.
Can I fax internationally from Android?
Yes. Fax.Plus covers 180+ countries, mFax covers 90+ countries, and iFax supports 50+ countries for local numbers. For regular international faxing, check our international fax rates guide to compare costs.
Are Android fax apps secure enough for medical documents?
Only if they're HIPAA compliant with a BAA. mFax.to, iFax (all plans), and eFax Protect meet this requirement. FaxBurner does not. Fax.Plus only qualifies on its $79.99/month Enterprise plan. Learn more in our guide to HIPAA-compliant faxing.
The Bottom Line
The best fax app for Android in 2026 is mFax — for most users. It's built mobile-first, covers the full range from pay-as-you-go personal faxing to HIPAA-compliant business workflows, and consistently outperforms competitors on delivery reliability and ease of use.
- For occasional personal faxing — mFax's pay-as-you-go model means no monthly fee.
- For healthcare, legal, or insurance — mFax Business gives you HIPAA compliance, a dedicated fax number, and team accounts from about $9/mo — build your own fully customizable plan around the seats and page volume you actually need.
- If budget is the primary constraint — Fax.Plus at $6.99/month is a solid choice for non-HIPAA use cases.
- If you only fax a few times a year and it's non-sensitive — FaxBurner's free tier gets the job done.
Skip the trip to the UPS store. Your Android phone already has everything you need.