RingCentral vs. Callwave vs. eFax Online Fax Comparison
RingCentral Online Fax
Founded in 1998 and based out of Redwood Shores, California, RingCentral has been an industry leader in online communication services for years. RingCentral is a privately owned company that provides businesses with a wide variety of telephone and fax services including PSTN, VoIP, cellular, voicemail, Internet access and SMS.
Pros
Send/receive monthly page totals are combined
Multiple service plans available
No long-term contract required
30-day free trial period
Cons
Only 30 days of archived fax messages
Conclusion RingCentral proves to be one of the least expensive online fax services available. It offers a professional level of technology and reliability but is accessible and affordable for even individuals with minimal fax requirements.
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.
Pros
Unlimited e-mail accounts permitted
30-day free trial period
Cons
Limited customer service times
Toll-free numbers not available
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.
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.
Pros
International service including North American and Europe
Free monthly service plan available with restrictions
Multiple service plans available
30-day free trial period
Cons
Complex per-page billing rates difficult to understand and anticipate
Least number of pages included in plan
Toll-free numbers incur additional charges
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.
