Online Fax Services for Mac OS X – Sending, Receiving, and Faxing
With the advent of internet based fax services, integrating faxing with Mac OS X has become much easier. With no extra cables or phone lines, a user can now access their fax number directly to their email or web browser.
Mac based users should be aware, however, that like many software applications for Mac OS X, they have been developed primarily with a focus on Windows users first. We have taken the time to highlight what features and benefits most Mac users will want to focus on, as well as what questions should be asked when looking at an online fax service as a Mac based user.
Table of Contents
- Online Fax Services for Mac Comparison
- Focusing on “Web Only” Services
- File Format Compatibility
- Use of a Windows Based Parallels or Bootcamp Partition
- Review of Each Service from a Mac User Perspective
Online Fax Services Compatible with Mac Comparison
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Service |
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Plan Reviewed |
Fax 500 |
Single User |
Best Value |
eFax Plus |
|
Outgoing Pages / Month |
500 |
500 |
100 |
150 |
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Incoming Pages / Month |
incl. in Outgoing |
incl. in Outgoing |
200 |
150 |
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Overage Page Cost |
5.9c |
3c |
10c |
10c |
|
Customer Support Hours |
24 / 7 |
6-6 MST / PDT |
24 / 7 |
24 / 7 |
|
Fax Authority Rating |
4.5 / 5 |
3.5 / 5 |
4 / 5 |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Mthly Cost |
$7.99 |
$8.95 |
$10 |
$16.95 |
|
Mthly Cost – Annual Plan |
$6.59 |
$4.95 |
$9.17 |
$14.13 |
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Mac Features |
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All Features Available on Mac |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
iWork File Formats Supported |
No |
No |
No |
No |
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Buy Now |
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Free Trial |
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Full Review |
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Mac Review |
RingCentral Mac |
Focusing on “Web Only” Services
For most Mac users, we have found that the true trick in finding a proper online fax service is to look at the providers that offer all their services over a web based and email interface.
For example, Nextiva and MyFax offer everything that their service provides over the web interface – from setup and configuration to selecting cover sheets and sending and receiving faxes. There is nothing that needs to be downloaded or configured on your actual computer, and therefore little that can go wrong between one operating system and the next.
File Format Compatibility
The compatibility of file formats is always an issue for most Mac OS X users – where programs such as the iWork suite look to save in one format, often most service are looking for another format.
For users using the iWork suite, we recommend services that allow transmission in RTF format. All service that we have reviewed will allow sending in a .Doc (Microsoft Word) as well as other Microsoft Suite formats, however from our experience, converting Pages to a .Doc file can at times have some issues when it comes to format translation.
For most Mac users, files will need to be saved in a PDF or (if the service accepts it) RTF format.
Use of a Windows Based Parallels or Bootcamp Partition
For Mac users that already use a Windows based partition through a program such as Parallels or Bootcamp, most of these items will likely not apply. These programs will give you full functionality of the Windows based programs that operate through the various internet faxing services.
Reviews of Each Service from a Mac User Perspective
eFax
We find eFax a feature rich service, providing all the bells and whistles that can come with an online fax service.
We find a major quirk with the eFax service is that the Mac versions of eFax messenger does not offer the full features that the Windows equivalent does, such as custom cover pages and the ability to add a signature stamp.
While users should not discount this service, as there may be a small feature that is valuable to them personally, they may want to consider a service that allows all functions on the Mac OS X platform.
Full eFax Review – Mac – Linux & Open Source – Canada – UK
RingCentral
Full RingCentral Review – Mac – Linux & Open Source – Canada – UK
MyFax
We consider MyFax as a good first choice for many Mac based users. Being a web based service, it offers all of its features and functions over the browser, and therefore is compatible across any platform.
While the service is not perfect for Mac users (we are still waiting for pages and numbers file format support, as well as mac-based print-to-fax driver) MyFax offers the widest range of file formats that Mac users commonly use.
Full MyFax Review – Mac – Linux & Open Source – Canada – UK
Nextiva
In our opinion a close second to MyFax when it comes to serving Mac users, Nextiva excels because it, like MyFax, offers all of its services on a web based platform.
While Nextiva users may not have access to all the file formats available to Mac users, the plan is much more affordable, from both a price and a value standpoint, and is a good option for people who don’t mind having to convert their documents over to PDF or DOC format to fax them.
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