A financial aid office asks for a signed form. By five o’clock. By fax.

It happens more than most students expect. Some university departments, clinics, landlords, and agencies still run on fax, and none of them will bend because a phone is easier. No machine is needed, though. An iPhone with the right app can scan a page, dial the number, and send it in a couple of minutes.

The five apps below were compared on price, free options, and what they do beyond sending a single page.

Quick Comparison

App

Best for

Free option

Paid plans

Municorn Fax App

Everyday faxing from iPhone and iPad

Free download, free demo fax

Subscription for ongoing service

Fax.Plus

Testing before paying

10 free pages in total

From $6.99/month

iFax

Healthcare and legal paperwork

Limited free plan, 7-day trial on paid plans

Check current pricing in app and on site

eFax

Long-time users who want a familiar name

7-day free trial

From around $18.99/month

FaxBurner

Occasional faxing

Free plan with limited pages

Optional paid plans

What Counts in a Fax App

Most people fax a few times a year, so the details matter more than the feature list. Is the scanner decent? Can the app receive faxes, or only send them? Is the price clear before the trial starts? Does a free option exist at all? Each app was checked against its official pages and App Store listing. Plans change, so current pricing is worth confirming before anyone subscribes.

1. Municorn Fax App: Best Overall

Municorn Fax is the easiest place to start. The Municorn Fax App is one of the more practical iphone fax apps around, and its App Store listing says faxes can go to more than 90 countries. That helps when a document has to reach a school or office abroad.

Sending takes a few taps. After “Add image or document,” the options are scanning with the camera, picking a photo, or opening a file from the Files app or iCloud. PDF, DOC, JPG, PNG, TIFF, and HTML all work. Several documents can be merged into one fax, and a preview shows exactly what will go out. Files can also be imported from Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box.

Receiving works too. The app can issue a dedicated number for incoming faxes, and a Sent tab tracks the status of each transmission, which settles the “did it arrive?” question. AppleInsider’s walkthrough reports 256-bit AES and TLS encryption for faxes sent through the app.

Downloading is free. Documents can be prepared and a demo fax sent without paying, but regular faxing needs a subscription. AppleInsider also notes that retail shops often charge about $2 per fax, so a flat plan can be the cheaper route for anyone faxing more than now and then.

The catch: ongoing use means a subscription.

2. Fax.Plus: Best Free Plan for Testing

The Fax.Plus free plan includes 10 pages in total. Not generous, but enough to find out whether the office on the other end can actually receive a fax before any money changes hands. Apps are available for iOS and Android.

Paid plans start at $6.99 a month for 200 pages, and extra pages cost $0.10 each. The apps support eSignatures, and the service works with Google Drive, Dropbox, and Slack.

There’s one wrinkle. HIPAA compliance with a signed Business Associate Agreement is limited to the Enterprise plan, $79.99 a month. For housing or financial aid paperwork, that’s irrelevant. For medical or legal files, it could decide the choice.

The catch: a small free allowance, and HIPAA/BAA only at the top tier.

3. iFax: Best for Sensitive Documents

iFax arrived early in the iPhone era and built its reputation on privacy. TechRadar lists HIPAA compliance, 256-bit encryption, and two-factor authentication. There’s a built-in scanner, plus a Chrome extension that faxes straight from Google Docs, Drive, and Gmail.

A limited free plan exists, and paid plans start with a 7-day trial. Billing is where some users run into trouble. GetApp reviewers mention unexpected charges and difficulty canceling, mostly on trials started through an app store. Writing down the cancellation date on day one avoids most of that.

The catch: billing and cancellation complaints.

4. eFax: Best for Established Users

eFax has been in online faxing for a long time. It offers iOS and Android apps, a desktop app, annotation and signing tools, and a choice of local or toll-free numbers. The free trial runs seven days.

Cost is the sticking point. Reviewers report plans starting around $18.99 a month, with extra U.S. pages at $0.10 apiece. For a busy office, fine. For a student who faxes once a semester, it’s overkill.

The catch: pricier than most rivals.

5. FaxBurner: Best for Occasional Faxing

FaxBurner is for the one-off fax. The free plan comes with a free number, but it’s disposable and expires after 24 hours. Reviewers put the free allowance at about 5 pages to send and 25 to receive each month, though limits shift, so the app should be checked. Email works as well: attach a PDF and put the recipient’s fax number in the subject line.

Keeping a number permanently requires a paid plan. For a single form, nobody will miss it.

The catch: a disposable number and a tight page limit.

Which One Fits?

Regular faxing, with sending, receiving, and tracking in one place, points to Municorn Fax App. Not sure the other side takes faxes? Fax.Plus on the free plan is a cheap way to find out. Medical and legal paperwork leans toward iFax, or Fax.Plus Enterprise. eFax suits people who want a long-standing name and a desktop app. A single fax with no strings attached? FaxBurner.

Before Hitting Send

  1. Call the recipient and confirm the number. Ask if e-faxes are accepted.
  2. Scan on a flat surface in good light, then flip through the preview.
  3. Count the pages. Plans often bill per page, and cover sheets count.
  4. Keep the delivery confirmation. It’s the only proof the fax went through.
  5. Read the trial terms first, and set a reminder for the cancellation date.

Bottom Line

Faxing is outdated, but it still shows up in real paperwork, and a phone handles it in minutes. One-time need? A free option does the job. Paperwork piling up? An app with a receiving number and delivery tracking saves effort. Either way, current prices come first.