What Is eFax — Explained Simply

By David Thompson · Published December 5, 2025 · Updated March 26, 2026 · 5 min read

You need to send a fax, but you don't have a fax machine. Someone mentions "eFax" — but what is eFax, exactly? Is it a service? A technology? And do you actually need it?

eFax is simply faxing over the internet. No machine, no phone line, no paper. You send a file from your phone or computer; it arrives at the recipient's fax machine (or inbox) just like any other fax. This article explains how it works, when to use it, and whether eFax.com specifically is worth paying for.

What Is eFax?

eFax — short for electronic fax — is the umbrella term for any fax service that uses the internet instead of a traditional analog phone line. You may also hear it called internet fax, online fax, or digital fax. They all mean the same thing: faxing without hardware.

You need two things to use eFax:

1. A virtual fax number — a real phone number assigned to you by the service
2. An internet connection — your phone, laptop, or tablet is the "fax machine"

The virtual fax number is what makes it compatible with traditional fax machines. The person on the other end dials a normal number; they never know it's routed through the internet.

How Does eFax Work?

The process is straightforward, even if the technology behind it isn't.

Sending a fax via eFax:

1. Open the app or web portal and upload your document (PDF, Word, image, etc.)
2. Enter the recipient's fax number
3. The eFax server converts your file to a fax-compatible format
4. It transmits the signal over the internet to the recipient's fax machine or virtual number
5. You receive a delivery confirmation

Receiving a fax via eFax:

1. Someone dials your virtual fax number from any fax machine
2. The eFax server intercepts the analog signal
3. It converts the fax to a PDF file
4. The PDF lands in your email inbox or online portal

The entire chain — document → internet → fax signal → PDF — happens in seconds. From the recipient's perspective, it looks exactly like any other fax.

eFax vs. Traditional Fax: Key Differences

The core capability is identical — you send a document that arrives as a fax. Everything else is better with eFax.

The eFax.com Service — What You Should Know

eFax.com is one of the oldest online fax services, founded in 1995. It's well known, widely used in healthcare and legal industries, and owned by a publicly traded company (Consensus Cloud Solutions, NASDAQ: CCSI). That said, "well known" doesn't always mean "best value."

eFax.com Pricing

Overage charges run $0.10 per page beyond your monthly limit. A 7-day free trial is available, but billing starts automatically after it ends.

For detailed pricing analysis, see our eFax Pricing breakdown.

eFax.com Pros and Cons

Pros:

• 30 years in business — established, reliable
• HITRUST certified; HIPAA compliance available (Protect plan)
• Works with email, web browser, or mobile app
• Cloud storage with searchable fax history
• Electronic signature built in
• Fax broadcasting (send to multiple recipients at once)

Cons:

• Expensive for what you get — $18.99/mo for only 170 pages puts it at the high end
• HIPAA compliance requires the most expensive plan ($49.99/mo)
• UI is dated compared to modern alternatives
• Customer complaints about difficult cancellation and surprise billing
• Overage charges can add up quickly for high-volume users

For a full evaluation, read our eFax Review 2026.

Who Uses eFax — and Why?

Faxing may seem outdated, but certain industries never stopped using it:

• Healthcare: 79% of medical facilities still use fax for document exchange. Hospitals, clinics, and insurers exchange patient records, referrals, and prescriptions this way. HIPAA regulations require secure, auditable delivery — and fax (with proper encryption) provides that.
• Legal: 89% of law firms use fax for contracts, court filings, and confidential correspondence. Courts in many jurisdictions still require or prefer fax.
• Financial services: Banks, mortgage companies, and insurance providers rely on fax for compliance documentation.
• Government: Many government agencies only accept faxed submissions for certain forms (including some IRS forms).

eFax lets all of these industries keep their fax workflows without maintaining physical fax machines.

Is eFax Safe?

Yes — reputable eFax services are more secure than traditional faxing, not less. Here's why:

• Traditional fax: The document prints and sits on a shared machine tray. Anyone walking by can read it.
• eFax: The document goes directly to a private email inbox or secure portal. Only you see it.

Modern eFax services also encrypt your faxes:

• In transit: TLS 1.2+ encryption (same as online banking)
• At rest: 256-bit AES encryption for stored faxes

For HIPAA-regulated environments (healthcare, insurance), look specifically for services that offer a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) — this is a legal requirement, not optional. See our HIPAA eFax comparison for details.

A Cheaper eFax Alternative

eFax.com is not your only option — and for most people, it's not the best one either. If you're comparing, here's what to look for:

mFax covers all of these. Send a fax from your phone in under 2 minutes — no monthly fee required for occasional use, or subscribe for regular volume. Over 5 million users have switched from store faxing and traditional services.

For a direct comparison, see mFax vs. eFax or browse the best eFax alternatives if you want a wider list.

Bottom Line

eFax — as a concept — is simply the modern way to fax. It's cheaper to run, more portable, more secure, and requires no hardware. The question isn't whether to use eFax; the question is which eFax service to use.

eFax.com is a solid, well-established choice for large organizations that need brand recognition and HITRUST certification. For individuals and small businesses, cheaper and more modern alternatives offer better value per page.

Ready to send your first eFax? Try mFax.to — upload a document, enter a fax number, and send in under 2 minutes. No fax machine required.