EtherFax vs Phaxio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, EtherFax grades higher than Phaxio: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
EtherFax grades higher on features and ease of use. Phaxio grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick EtherFax if
- Fits if you are a hospital or clinic swapping faxes with Epic or OnBase
- Works for agencies that need a FedRAMP-listed fax service
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price before you talk to anyone, because none is published
- Skip it if you are one person who wants to sign up and send a fax today
- Watch out: email faxing is described for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace users only
- Watch out: it is pitched at organizations and workflows, so a small office may find it more than it needs
Pick Phaxio if
- Fits if you're a developer who needs to send faxes from your own software
- Works for low-volume senders who don't want a monthly plan
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't write code, because the main way in is the API
- Skip it if you want a free trial, as there isn't one
- Watch out: the API allows one request per second per account unless Phaxio raises it
- Pricey if you send a lot: volume rates only start at 50,000 pages a month
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAEtherFaxFair | 1.8GPAPhaxioWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published, so it sits in the middle of online fax tools, which start at $6.99 a month for the cheaper quarter. | B7 cents a page in the US and Canada with a $10 minimum top-up and no monthly fee. A receiving number is $2 a month. Light senders pay far less than a plan; volume rates start at 50,000 pages. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free is listed: no free plan and no trial, only a contact-the-company route. | FNo free plan and no trial. You start by topping up $10. |
| Features | BEngage for sending and tracking, Flow for AI routing, a REST API and printer firmware integrations cover the job. The listing names no gap in it. | CA JSON fax API with batching, retries, callbacks and metadata, plus numbers for receiving. It does that job fully, and it is a smaller job than a full fax service. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record and it is sold to organizations, so setup means talking to the company and connecting your records system. | DNo store rating on record. You need to write code to send a fax, and a person with no developer won't get far. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but with Epic, OnBase, Teams, Slack, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Canon and Ricoh integrations, plus an API. | BWeb console plus the API, which is the product. Phaxio says it can serve HIPAA workloads if its guidelines are followed. No phone or desktop app. |
| Best for | cloud faxing for hospitals and government | adding fax to an app by API |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: EtherFax and Phaxio. How we grade
Where they differ
- EtherFax also covers workflow automation.
In commonWebPublic APIOnline fax
At a glance
| EtherFax | Phaxio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $10 minimum top-up, then 7 cents per page in the US and Canada |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | ETHERFAX, LLC | Phaxio |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | phaxio.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
EtherFax
- No prices are published; the site directs visitors to contact the company.
- Aimed at organizations, with no self-serve plan for individuals.
- Email faxing is described for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace users.
Phaxio
- Pricing is per page only: 7 cents in the US and Canada, 10 cents international, and 1 cent per fax received for the caller name add-on.
- Volume rates start at 50,000 pages a month: 5 cents, then 4 cents at 100,000.
- The API allows one request per second per account unless Phaxio raises it.
- Phaxio says it can be used for HIPAA workloads if its guidelines are followed, and it supports docx, pdf, tif, jpg, txt, html and png.
Key features
EtherFax
- Engage fax application
- A web-based client for sending, receiving and tracking faxes, with shared workspaces so incoming faxes go to teams rather than individuals.
- Flow document routing
- Flow acts as a digital mailroom that uses AI to open, sort and route incoming documents into a system of record.
- Secure Exchange Network
- Faxes sent between endpoints on the EtherFax network travel over its own cloud network instead of phone lines.
- Scanner and printer integrations
- Cloud faxing is built into Xerox and Lexmark firmware and integrates with Canon and Ricoh devices.
- REST API
- A developer API lets third-party applications send and receive faxes through the network.
- Compliance claims
- The site says its commercial environment complies with HIPAA and SOC 2 and is HITRUST and PCI DSS certified, and that its government service meets FedRAMP High.
Phaxio
- JSON fax API
- Send a fax with one call that takes a number and a file, or post a URL or a string of HTML to be rendered and sent.
- Batching and retries
- Batching and collision avoidance keep faxes from hitting a busy number, and retries for busy lines and other errors are configurable.
- Callbacks and metadata
- Failed callbacks are retried for three days, and each outgoing fax can carry metadata such as an order number or patient record number.
- Numbers for receiving
- Receive faxes on a US or Canadian number at $2 a month, or use the shared Phaxio number with a PhaxCode on the document.
- Dashboard
- A web console lists faxes, provisions numbers and lets you trigger a callback by hand.
Plans
EtherFax
Pricing could not be confirmed. See etherfax.net.
Phaxio
Pay as you go$10
one-time top-up, used as you go
No monthly fee. 7 cents a page in the US and Canada, 10 cents elsewhere; funds can recharge automatically.
Ways to pay less
EtherFax
No public discounts listed.
Phaxio
- Other savings
Volume discounts above 50,000 pages a month
US and Canada pages drop to 5 cents at 50,000 a month and 4 cents at 100,000; international drops to 8 and then 7 cents.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EtherFax or Phaxio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, EtherFax has no price we could confirm, and Phaxio starts at $10 minimum top-up, then 7 cents per page in the US and Canada.
Which has a free plan, EtherFax or Phaxio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither EtherFax nor Phaxio has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.