eFax has grown into one of the largest vendors of online fax services with service to more than 2000 cities worldwide and toll-free numbers in North American and Europe. Originally independent, eFax is now owned by j2 Global Communications, who also own the online fax service RapidFAX.
Callwave is a publicly traded company based in Santa Barbara, California. Founded in 1998, Callwave uses its wholly owned competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), Liberty Telecom, to provide a wide variety of business services for both mobile and electronic communications.
eFax Pros:
International service including North American and Europe
Free monthly service plan available with restrictions
Multiple service plans available
30-day free trial period
Callwave Pros:
Unlimited e-mail accounts permitted
30-day free trial period
eFax Cons:
Complex per-page billing rates difficult to understand and anticipate
Least number of pages included in plan
Toll-free numbers incur additional charges
Callwave Cons:
Limited customer service times
Toll-free numbers not available
eFax Conclusion
eFax offers above-average service and service options but also has an above-average price and some service restrictions that may be problematic for some customers. Because they are owned by a larger parent company, seeking out another service owned by the same company may provide similar options and customer service for a less expensive price.
Callwave Conclusion
In 2007, Callwave undertook an entire restructuring of their online fax services, so the commercial packages now offered are still very new. Their pricing schedule and standard of service is close to par for most similar vendors but their limits on availability of customer service could prove problematic for some.
