By David Thompson · Published December 10, 2024 · Updated June 8, 2026 · 9 min read
Quick Verdict: mFax wins on price and HIPAA accessibility — HIPAA compliance is included on every plan from about $9/mo. eFax wins on features like built-in e-signatures, 200+ file formats, and stronger international coverage. If you're in healthcare or on a tight budget, mFax Business is the clearer choice. If you need advanced features or send faxes internationally at high volume, eFax may justify the premium.
Choosing between mFax vs. eFax comes down to one core question: what do you actually need from a fax service?
eFax is one of the oldest names in online faxing — established, feature-rich, and trusted by large enterprises. mFax is a modern challenger built for teams that want straightforward, HIPAA-compliant faxing without paying enterprise prices.
Both send and receive faxes reliably. But they differ significantly in pricing structure, compliance approach, mobile experience, and the kind of team they're built for. This comparison breaks it all down so you can make a confident decision.
Note on mFax
mFax is a product by Octagon Lab, available at mFax.to. The mFax consumer app (iOS & Android) handles personal faxing; mFax Business is the team and enterprise product reviewed here.
Quick Comparison: mFax vs. eFax at a Glance
| Feature | mFax Business | eFax |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $9/mo | $18.99/mo |
| HIPAA compliance | All plans ✓ | Protect plan only ($49.99/mo) |
| BAA included | Yes (all plans) | Protect/Corporate only |
| Pages (entry plan) | 250/mo | 170 in + 170 out/mo |
| Overage per page | $0.04–0.05 | $0.10 |
| Mobile app | iOS & Android (consumer) | iOS & Android |
| Built-in e-signature | No | Yes |
| File formats | PDF, Office, images, HTML | 200+ formats |
| Max file size | 25 MB / 25 attachments | 20 MB / 10 attachments |
| International faxing | Available | 40+ countries, local numbers |
| API access | REST API (all plans) | Corporate plan only |
| Free trial | Available | 7 days |
| Contract required | No | Annual discount available |
Pricing: mFax vs. eFax
mFax Business Pricing
mFax Business uses usage-based pricing — $3 per seat/month plus $4 per 100 pages/month, with 20% off annual billing. There are no fixed tiers, no setup fees, and no long-term contracts required. You build your own plan: choose the exact seats and pages you need with a live calculator and pay only for what you use.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Pages | Users | HIPAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | From $11/mo | From ~$9/mo | Pay per page | 1+ (per seat) | ✓ |
Key point: HIPAA compliance and a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) are included on every plan — not locked behind a premium tier.
eFax Pricing
eFax has more plan tiers but a significant catch: HIPAA compliance is only available on the Protect plan.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Pages | HIPAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eFax Plus | $18.99/mo | ~$15.83/mo | 170 in/170 out | ✗ |
| eFax Pro | $24.99/mo | ~$20.83/mo | 275 in/275 out | ✗ |
| eFax Protect | $49.99/mo | ~$41.66/mo | Custom | ✓ |
| eFax Corporate | Custom | Custom | Custom | ✓ |
Critical detail: If you're in healthcare, legal, insurance, or any field requiring HIPAA compliance, you must use the $49.99/mo Protect plan — the cheaper plans offer no HIPAA coverage.
Real Cost Comparison: Healthcare Scenario
A small medical practice needs HIPAA-compliant faxing for a team of 3:
- mFax Business (usage-based): from about $9/mo — HIPAA included
- eFax (Protect): $49.99/mo — cheapest HIPAA option
Annual savings with mFax: roughly $468/year — just for the privilege of HIPAA compliance that should come standard.
eFax Overage Charges Add Up
eFax charges $0.10 per page over your monthly allowance. mFax charges $0.04–0.05/page. If you regularly exceed your plan by 200 pages/month, you're paying an extra $20 on eFax vs. $8–10 on mFax — a $120–$144 annual difference from overages alone.
Features: Head-to-Head
HIPAA Compliance & Security
Winner: mFax
mFax includes HIPAA compliance and a signed BAA on every plan. The platform uses 256-bit AES encryption, TLS 1.2 for transmission, two-factor authentication, role-based access controls, audit trails, and automated session timeouts.
eFax's entry-level plans (Plus and Pro) do not offer HIPAA compliance. To get a BAA from eFax, you must subscribe to the Protect plan at $49.99/mo or contact sales for a Corporate quote. Even then, eFax's HIPAA configuration documentation is not publicly available — you're expected to figure it out after subscribing.
For a deep dive into what HIPAA faxing actually requires, see our guide to HIPAA-compliant faxing.
Sending & Receiving Faxes
Winner: Tie (different strengths)
Both services let you send and receive faxes via email, web dashboard, or mobile. Both support confirmation receipts and cloud storage for fax history.
Where they differ:
- mFax allows up to 25 attachments per fax (25 MB total). Useful for multi-document transmissions.
- eFax allows up to 10 attachments per fax (20 MB total), but supports large file sharing up to 3 GB via a secure download link — a unique feature with no mFax equivalent.
- eFax also supports fax broadcasting to multiple recipients simultaneously — a feature more important for high-volume enterprise use.
Mobile Experience
Winner: eFax (marginally)
eFax offers a dedicated mobile app on iOS and Android for all plan types, including business plans.
mFax has a strong consumer mobile app (iOS & Android) for individuals sending personal faxes. For team/business accounts, mFax is primarily web-based via app.mfax.to, though it's mobile-responsive. If your team needs to send faxes on the go from the business account, eFax's native business app experience is smoother.
That said, for consumer faxing — snapping a document and sending it in under 2 minutes — the mFax app is excellent. Over 5 million users and a 4.8 App Store rating speak to its polish.
File Format Support
Winner: eFax
eFax supports over 200 file formats for inbound conversion. mFax handles the core formats you'll actually use — PDF, Microsoft Office documents, Google Workspace files, images, and HTML — but doesn't come close to eFax's breadth.
If your team regularly receives faxes in obscure formats, eFax has the edge here.
Electronic Signatures
Winner: eFax
eFax includes a built-in e-signature tool. You can annotate, sign, and return a received fax without leaving the platform.
mFax does not have a native e-signature feature. You'd need to sign documents using a third-party tool (DocuSign, Adobe Sign, etc.) before uploading. For legal firms and real estate agents who regularly sign and return documents, this is a meaningful gap.
International Faxing
Winner: eFax
eFax offers local fax numbers in 40+ countries and strong international delivery infrastructure — a significant advantage for businesses with global operations.
mFax supports international faxing but doesn't publish the same depth of country coverage. If you regularly fax to partners in Europe, Asia, or Latin America, eFax is more established for international use. See our complete guide to international faxing for more on what to look for.
API Access
Winner: mFax
mFax offers a REST API on all plans — useful for embedding faxing into your own apps, EHR systems, or workflows without upgrading to an enterprise tier. The full API reference lives at developers.mfax.to, and API access is included on every mFax Business plan.
eFax API access is limited to Corporate customers (custom pricing, sales contact required). For developers and technical teams who want to automate faxing without paying enterprise prices, mFax is the clear choice.
mFax Business: In-Depth Review
mFax Business (mfax.to/business) is purpose-built for teams that need reliable, compliant faxing without the enterprise price tag. The standout feature is HIPAA compliance baked into every plan — the kind of thing eFax charges a separate premium for.
The platform is clean and fast. Sending a fax takes three steps: upload, enter number, send. Admins get centralized billing, team user management, and a full audit trail. It's not flashy, but it handles the core job well.
The main gaps are the lack of a native business mobile app and no built-in e-signature — two features that matter a lot for field-based workers and legal teams. For everyone else, mFax delivers solid value.
Pros
- HIPAA compliance + BAA on all plans
- Lower cost for healthcare/regulated businesses
- REST API included — no enterprise tier required
- No long-term contracts or setup fees
- 25 attachments per fax (more than eFax)
- 4.8-star rated consumer mobile app
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- No built-in e-signature tool
- Business accounts are web-only (no native mobile app)
- Fewer supported file formats than eFax
- Smaller brand recognition than eFax
- International coverage less extensive than eFax
eFax: In-Depth Review
eFax is one of the best-known fax services on the market — and for large enterprises with complex document workflows, it earns that reputation. The e-signature tool, 200+ format support, and 40-country coverage are genuine advantages that smaller services can't match.
But eFax has a serious problem for small and mid-size businesses: HIPAA compliance is locked behind the $49.99/mo Protect plan. If you're a therapist, clinic, pharmacy, or insurance broker, you're paying nearly $50/mo before you've sent a single fax — while mFax gives you HIPAA compliance from about $9/mo.
The cancellation process is also a known pain point. eFax requires a phone call to cancel, and users frequently report long hold times and aggressive retention tactics. Read the reviews on G2 or Capterra before committing to an annual plan.
For our full breakdown, see the eFax review.
Pros
- Built-in e-signature tool
- 200+ supported file formats
- Local fax numbers in 40+ countries
- Large File Sharing up to 3 GB
- Dedicated mobile app for business accounts
- Established brand (25+ years, 5M+ users)
- Fax broadcasting for bulk sends
Cons
- HIPAA only on $49.99/mo Protect plan — not standard
- Cancellation requires a phone call (no online cancellation)
- Overage charges at $0.10/page add up quickly
- Customer support widely reported as slow and unhelpful
- API restricted to Corporate plan (custom pricing)
- HIPAA configuration documentation not publicly available
- Some users report UI friction after recent redesign
Which Is Better For Your Use Case?
Healthcare Providers (Clinics, Therapists, Pharmacies)
Choose mFax Business. HIPAA compliance and a BAA are included from about $9/mo. You don't need to spend $49.99/mo for a feature that should be table stakes. For more options, see our comparison of HIPAA-compliant fax services.
Small Businesses (1–10 people)
Choose mFax Business. Better pricing, no contract required, and REST API access if you ever need to automate. eFax's entry-level plans are cheaper, but you get less for the money — and risk hitting overage charges faster.
Enterprises with Global Operations
Consider eFax. If you need local fax numbers in multiple countries, fax broadcasting to hundreds of recipients, and deep EHR/CRM integrations, eFax Corporate has infrastructure that mFax doesn't currently match. Get quotes from both before committing.
Legal Professionals
eFax has an edge — the built-in e-signature tool is genuinely useful for firms that sign, annotate, and return documents regularly. That said, mFax + a standalone e-signature tool (many are free) closes the gap quickly.
Developers & Technical Teams
Choose mFax. REST API access on every plan, no need to negotiate enterprise pricing to automate fax workflows. Check out our guide to virtual fax numbers if you need to set up fax infrastructure for an application.
Individual / Occasional Faxing
Download the mFax app. The consumer app is pay-per-fax, takes 2 minutes to set up, and works from your phone. No monthly subscription needed. For more options, see our best pay-as-you-go fax services.
The Bottom Line
mFax vs. eFax is not a close race for most business buyers in 2026:
- If you need HIPAA compliance, mFax wins on price by a significant margin.
- If you need e-signatures or massive international coverage, eFax has features mFax doesn't.
- For the majority of small and mid-size businesses, mFax offers a better package at a lower price.
eFax is an excellent product for enterprise teams with complex, multi-country workflows who can justify the premium. But for healthcare providers, small teams, and anyone tired of paying for HIPAA as an "add-on," mFax is the smarter buy.
If you're still exploring, see our full list of eFax alternatives and our roundup of the best online fax services for a broader view of the market.
Start Faxing with mFax
For personal faxing, download the mFax app on iOS or Android — upload a document, enter a fax number, and send. Done in under 2 minutes.
For business teams, visit mFax.to/business to get a virtual fax number, HIPAA compliance, team accounts, and a full audit trail — starting at about $9/mo, with no long-term contracts and a plan you build yourself from the exact seats and pages you need.