Online fax, fax machine, email or mail?
The same document, four channels: what each one needs, costs and proves.
When the addressee publishes a fax number and you have no fax machine, an online service gets there fastest: with Faxturbo the first page goes out free, a longer document costs €3.99 flat, and it usually reaches the line within 1 to 2 minutes. Email suits recipients who accept it for that procedure; certified mail remains the option when a signed acknowledgement is required.
The four channels at a glance
The Faxturbo column comes straight from the service's own settings. The other columns describe how each channel works; carrier and postal rates vary, so none are quoted here.
| Faxturbo (online) | Fax machine | Certified mail | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you need | A web browser plus the file you want to fax; Faxturbo asks for no login. | A fax device connected to a phone line that still carries fax. | A mailbox, and a recipient who takes email for this procedure. | A printed copy, an envelope and a trip to the post office. |
| Time to arrive | Usually 1 to 2 minutes after you confirm. | A few minutes once the call connects. | Almost instant, if no spam filter intervenes. | One working day or more. |
| What it costs you | 1 page free; any longer document €3.99 flat, VAT included. | The device, the line rental and the price of each call. | Nothing extra. | Postage, plus the fee for a return receipt. |
| Proof you can keep | A delivery receipt if you want one: €2.99, charged only on success. | The transmission report the machine prints. | A read receipt, which the recipient may decline to send. | The return receipt signed on delivery. |
| Who you can reach | Landline fax numbers in 7 countries. | Any fax number your line is able to dial. | Any email address. | Any postal address. |
| Main limits | A single file each time, 100 MB at most. Mobiles and incoming faxes are out of scope. | Paper jams, toner, and a line that copper retirement may switch off. | Attachment size caps set by each mail server. | Post office hours and days in transit. |
Which one to pick
Occasional fax, no machine
Send it online. You pay nothing for a single page and €3.99 for anything longer, with no subscription to cancel afterwards.
You receive faxes every week
Keep a fax line or a receiving service: Faxturbo handles outbound faxes only, without an inbound number.
The office asks for another channel
Follow its instructions. If it wants email or a signed return receipt, a fax will not replace them.
Questions about choosing a channel
- Is an online fax as valid as one sent from a machine?
- The recipient's machine receives the same fax signal either way, so it cannot tell the two apart. What counts as proof is set by the procedure you are following; a delivery receipt (€2.99) records the date, time and number reached.
- Why not simply email the document?
- Many courts, insurers and medical offices still list a fax number and do not process attachments sent to a general inbox. When the recipient accepts email for your request, email is the cheaper choice.
- Does a longer document cost more online?
- No. Beyond the free page, the price is €3.99 whether the file has two pages or fifty, as long as it stays under 100 MB.
Keep exploring
More pages to help you prepare, send or track a fax.