How to Choose a Fax to Gmail Service?

​If you want to be able to receive fax to Gmail, you’ll need the ​help of an online fax service, there's currently no other way to do so.  Today’s market gives us plenty of alternatives to choose from, and ​this can be confusing for someone that is just making the switch to digital faxing.  Not only there are many providers out there, but each of them offer different plans and packages.

​To help you clear up the confusion​, we've written this short guide containing all the things you have to keep in mind when selecting a fax to Gmail service provider.  By keeping these tips in mind you can rest assured you'll pick the service that works best in your office or business.

Keeping in mind your needs

This is the first step toward buying anything, and this case is no exception.  Before you start looking for providers, have a clear image in your mind of what you want to do with online fax.  

​Some people ​just want to send and receive a few pages per month, while others need to take care of hundreds of pages each month.  Some people are just starting out with fax, while others may be looking to migrate their current fax number to an online fax provider.

What type of Fax number you need?

​The first thing a fax to email service gives you at the moment of signing up is a virtual fax number.  Without it there would be no point in moving fax online! This number will act as a common dedicated fax line,  but instead of working through a machine, it will receive fax to your Gmail account.

​Different services offer different types of numbers, the top fax providers are able to offer local and toll-free numbers at no extra cost.  If you need a vanity fax number, you may need to ask your potential provider if they offer these numbers. If you are looking to move your current fax number online, check if the service offers "fax number porting" for free.

​Can I Use It to Fax from My Phone?

Next thing you should check, is how easy the service makes it to ​send and receive fax ​on the go.  ​Even though you can always check incoming faxes by accessing Gmail on your cell phone or tablet, ​this method of faxing doesn't have advanced options.  For example you can't sign a fax and send it back quickly.

​Services that have mobile fax apps are the best alternative in case you want to fax away from your ​office. These apps have come a long way since they first came out, now you can read your faxes in just a couple of taps, compose and send new faxes by attaching files or by taking a photo of the document, schedule faxes and add a digital signature to incoming faxes quickly.

Learn more: How to Fax ​From Gmail Free

​Is the Service Compatible with Cloud Storage Services?

If you are moving fax to a digital platform, chances are you are already using other online tools for your work and projects, like for example a cloud storage service.

Some services offer perfect integration with tools such as Google Drive, Box, DropBox and Microsoft's OneDrive. This allows you to fax from the cloud without wasting time in downloading and saving documents in your hard drive, at the same time it helps the easier flow of documents in a work environment. You need to link both accounts by granting permission on your cloud storage account.

​Before deciding on a service, check what type of integration they offer with these services.  You may find the service only links to two or three of the options above, while others don't offer any tpe of integration at all.  

​How Much Does It Cost?

Cost is​ always a factor when buying a service, but in this case we have to evaluate cost in relation to two other factors:  the amount of pages you can send/receive each month, and the amount of features a given fax to Gmail service has. Otherwise it would be easy to just go with the cheapest alternative.

Services have different plans at your disposition which include a number of pages you can fax per month, but the way they count these pages can vary .  For example some services let you send and receive 150 pages per month.  This means that all incoming and outgoing pages will count.  Other services on the other hand, handle the amount of fax you can send and receive separately.

When you take into account all factors, the price doesn't vary too much.  You can't go over $16 a month for a basic plan, which is very cheap.  That's why we always recommend choosing one of the top providers in the market if you can.

​Test It Out

​Once you have your shortlist of preferred online fax providers, it's time to put ​them to the test.

Luckily almost all ​providers let you create a test drive account.  Either it stays active for a full month, or you have a certain amount of pages you can send and receive.  During the trial period, you are given your own virtual fax number, so it's the perfect chance to see how long it takes to send and receive fax, and to test the different advanced features as well, such as scheduling, broadcasting and the integration with other services.

​Once the trial period is over, and if you like the service, you can​ continue using it.  If not, the best idea is to cancel the account before the trial period has ended and move to the next one.

We hope this guide has been useful, if still have doubts about choosing a fax to Gmail service, drop us a line and we will be happy to help you. We understand there may be more questions that are left unanswered in this quick guide on a case-by-case basis.  We also invite you to check our homepage where you will find the top guides to start faxing from Gmail in no time!