| Price per page | HIPAA Compliance | eSignature | Fax Broadcasting | Fax API | |
| WestFax | 3¢ | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| FaxZero | 8¢ | No | No | No | No |
FaxZero is a low-cost option if you want to send faxes quickly. You don’t even have to create an account to start sending faxes. However, the free plan is limited to sending only 5 faxes daily. If you add a cover page, expect it to come with a FaxZero branding. To remove this, you must pay $2.09 for the premium fax. Paying also increases the fax page limit to 25. You can also send unlimited premium faxes daily since you’re paying for each fax.
Meanwhile, WestFax has 4 HIPAA-compliant plans:
At first glance, you may think FaxZero isn’t secure. However, its website states that all submitted information is encrypted and transmitted using HTTPS protocol. It uses TLS or SSL to secure all outbound communications. Also, it periodically upgrades its security features to prevent any possible breaches. Moreover, the free fax service protects your privacy by not sharing any provided information. It also deletes all records of your fax transmissions within three days of delivery.
Meanwhile, WestFax offers secure TLS 1.2 encryption for transmitted data and AES 256 encryption for stored data. Their systems are deployed on servers following HITRUST & SOC 2 compliance with strictly controlled access. They support SSO (single-sign-on) and meet privacy protocols and standards.
FaxZero is straightforward to use. Once you open its website, you can fax instantly from its homepage. You can also choose to send a free or premium fax and attach one or more supported files. After submitting the fax, you’ll receive a confirmation email, and your fax will be transmitted once you confirm. You’ll also receive an email stating that the fax has been delivered. To support its free fax, FaxZero displays ads across its website.
As an alternative to FaxZero, WestFax offers a more robust faxing interface that works across several devices. To start sending faxes, you need to subscribe to a plan and create an account. You can then send a fax using their intuitive web interface or attach your fax document to an email. You can also install a Windows driver and use its print-to-fax option.
WestFax is built for the healthcare industry and comes out of the box with HIPAA compliance. It has different HIPAA-compliant faxing plans that scale with your needs. They’ll sign a BAA (Business Associate Agreement) with their clients and provide various levels of access control to manage users and prevent breaches. They also have automatic log-off, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and audit logs.
FaxZero isn’t HIPAA-compliant. While it offers secure faxing, it won’t sign a BAA. Also, there are no audit logs or user access controls to ensure data confidentiality. This free fax service is best for sending non-HIPAA sensitive documents.
Neither WestFax nor FaxZero has a built-in digital signing capability. If you want to sign and annotate faxes, you could either print them or use a third-party eSignature tool like Fill.
WestFax’s enterprise fax API integrates its faxing solution into multiple hospital software and clinic management systems. It allows you to send faxes within your EHR or EMR, helping streamline communication. Plus, it minimizes the risk of errors and document discrepancies.
FaxZero offers no API support since it’s not intended to be integrated into any system.
WestFax assigns you a local or toll-free number, which you must choose upon signing in. The number is activated after at least 10 minutes. You can also port an existing number for free.
FaxZero is focused on sending faxes without fax machines. They don’t allow you to receive faxes and, as such, don’t offer any fax numbers.
FaxZero doesn’t support fax scheduling. You have to queue each fax and send them manually. There’s also no option to send fax broadcasts. You can also fax to one recipient at a time.
Meanwhile, WestFax lets you manage multiple faxes per hour. You can schedule faxes before distribution and review their contents. You can also broadcast faxes to multiple recipients without manually merging multiple data. This helps you reach more people in a short period.
FaxZero alerts you via email of a successful or failed fax. Unfortunately, as per the warning on their site, some email clients flag their notifications as spam, causing users to miss the notice. If you’re using this service, remember to whitelist its email so you don’t miss any alerts.
WestFax, on the other hand, has a user dashboard where you can view the status of every fax. You can see if it’s scheduled, in transit, successfully delivered, or failed.
When looking at WestFax vs FaxZero, WestFax immediately stands out as the better solution. HIPAA compliance is crucial for handling sensitive faxes, and only WestFax offers that, along with other helpful features.
However, if you need to send a non-sensitive fax, then FaxZero works for you. It’s also the best option if you’re looking for a reliable fax service that you can use occasionally.
Why businesses choose iFax over
FaxZero and WestFax
iFax features a pay-per-fax option for sending faxes without paying for a monthly or annual plan.
iFax is 100% HIPAA compliant and implements military-grade encryption for your faxes at rest and in transit.
Enjoy features like broadcasting, eSignatures, team management, and customizable cover sheets.
“Cloud-Based Faxing”
“It was cheaper compared to other providers, the ease of use and very intuitive design and the reliability of the faxes being sent. My team and I always get great support from the team whenever an issue needs to be dealt with.”
“I compared the most popular online fax services iFax is overall the best value and feature rich!”
“Great customer service! The Google Workspace integration has been great for our organization. Everyone likes it compared to our previous service.”
