eFax vs a fax machine: the real costs

What it costs to keep a fax machine

Pull last year's invoices and add up the items below. Prices vary widely by carrier, region and model, so use your actual figures.

• Phone line: a fax machine needs its own line, billed monthly by your phone company, plus any long-distance charges.
• Hardware: the price of the machine or multifunction printer, spread over the years you expect it to last.
• Supplies: paper, toner or ink cartridges, and drums on some laser models.
• Repairs and service: paper jams, worn rollers, a technician visit or a service contract.
• Power and space: a machine that stays on all day, in a spot that has to be near a phone jack.
• Junk faxes: unsolicited faxes still print, using your paper and toner.

What an eFax plan costs

With an online fax service, those costs collapse into one subscription. Here is how pricing works on FaxToFax.com, the service onlineefaxservices.com recommends.

• Personal: $4.99 for the first month, then $18.99 a month. Includes 200 pages a month (sent and received combined), 1 user and 1 fax number. Extra pages are $0.10 each.
• Business: $14.99 for the first month, then $39.99 a month. Includes 500 pages a month, 5 users (more at $10 a month each), a shared inbox and a Business Associate Agreement for HIPAA. Extra pages are $0.07 each.
• Enterprise: custom pricing for larger organizations.
• Annual billing saves about 17%. Extra fax numbers are $5 for the first month, then $10 a month.

When a fax machine still makes sense

If you have no reliable internet, or you fax so rarely that the machine is paid off and the line doubles as a voice line, keeping the machine may be reasonable. Also note that number porting is not available yet, so switching to an online service means a new fax number. Plan to tell regular contacts and update your letterhead, forms and website.