Menu
 

BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details

Best Fax Machines

Updated August 2023
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Brother FAX-2840 Fax Machine
Brother
FAX-2840 Fax Machine
Check Price
Trusted Brand
Bottom Line

This machine from Brother uses a laser printing system.

Pros

It has a 250-sheet-capacity tray and can transmit at a rate of 2.5 seconds per page. It also has up to 272 broadcast locations and 222 station auto dialing. It’s equipped with a 33.6Kbps modem.

Cons

It’s large and heavy, making it difficult to find a good spot for it.

Best Bang for the Buck
HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e
HP
OfficeJet Pro 9025e
Check Price

More stores

Best for Small Businesses
Bottom Line

A highly capable printer for offices with fast copy, print, and fax speeds.

Pros

Allows for remote printing from mobile devices. Can scan documents directly to the cloud. Dual 250-sheet paper trays. Supports high-yield ink cartridges.

Cons

The initial setup process can be frustrating.

HP Color LaserJet Pro M283fdw
HP
Color LaserJet Pro M283fdw
Check Price

More stores

Feature-packed
Bottom Line

A highly-versatile machine for offices that is designed to print up to 2,500 pages a month.

Pros

Large input and output trays. Customizable shortcuts to improve workplace efficiency. Auto-on and auto-off to conserve energy. Allows for voice-activated printing.

Cons

Sometimes experiences WiFi connectivity issues.

Canon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer
Canon
PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer
Check Price
Easiest to Use
Bottom Line

This all-in-1 device is great for small businesses or home offices.

Pros

It has 4 functions: printing, scanning, copying, and faxing. It has a 100-sheet capacity and it’s easy to replace ink cartridges. You can use the Canon Print app to print things right from your phone.

Cons

It burns through ink at a fast rate. Some had issues getting it to connect to WiFi.

Epson Workforce WF-2960 Wireless All-in-One Printer
Epson
Workforce WF-2960 Wireless All-in-One Printer
Check Price
Most Versatile
Bottom Line

An all-in-1 device best suited to bigger businesses.

Pros

It has a 2.4-inch touchscreen display and a 150-sheet paper tray. It can automatically do double-sided printing and can connect to the internet wirelessly or with an Ethernet cord.

Cons

It’s complicated and can take time to learn how to use it properly.

Why trust BestReviews?
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

40
Models
Considered
117
Consumers
Consulted
8
Hours
Researched
Category cover

Buying guide for best fax machines

While pagers, eight-track players, and CRT monitors have all long since been replaced by newer, smaller, and more powerful technologies, one tech relic has survived the years: the fax machine. Even in the age of the smartphone, people still transmit copies of pages across phone lines and count on their fax machines for critical business. Faxing is simple, reliable, and a widely accepted standard.

If you need to send faxes on a regular basis, buying a fax machine is the most cost-efficient way to send pages, so long as you find the right model. Because fax capabilities are often bundled with similar technologies like scanning and printing, it can be easy to spend a lot of money on features you don’t need.

Read our shopping guide to fax machines and get to know the must-have features and the gimmicks to avoid so you can find the model that suits you best.

Content Image
While it’s not required, most fax transmissions include a cover page to let the recipient know what the document being sent is, who it’s from, and how many pages long it is.

Key fax machine features

All fax machines perform the same basic function: sending one or more printed pages to other fax machines. But modern fax machines can do a lot more, making them much more useful in your home or office. Here are the features we consider essential.

“All-in-one” functionality: While you can buy a machine that’s only a fax machine, it’s a better idea to buy an all-in-one printer/scanner/fax machine. You’ll save money and space by consolidating these functions.

WiFi: Many fax machines have built-in WiFi, so you can send documents directly from your smartphone, tablet, or computer to be faxed to a specific number. Much like wireless printing, wireless faxing is an incredible convenience that will leave you wondering how you ever lived without it.

Speed dial and memory: Faxing documents takes a while – even the fastest fax machines go one page at a time. Many models cut down on the time required to fax by having local storage for frequently used phone numbers, and offering speed dial for them. If you primarily send faxes to the same numbers, save yourself the hassle of redialing and pick up a fax machine with memory and speed dial.

Caller ID: Surprisingly, caller ID isn’t available on every fax machine, although it probably should be. Caller ID makes it easy to see who’s sending you a fax. If you’ll be using your fax machine to receive a lot of faxes, make sure the model you buy supports caller ID.

Physical fax machines vs. internet faxing services

As you’re shopping online for a fax machine, you’re bound to encounter internet faxing services, which can send documents from the web directly to a fax machine. While that may sound great, there are pros and cons to both traditional fax machines and web-based fax services. Here’s what you need to know.

  • Fax machines use traditional phone lines to establish a one-to-one connection with other fax machines. They’re loud, bulky, and boxy, as well as secure, reliable, and the best solution for anyone who sends faxes on a regular basis. If you buy a fax machine, you’ll be responsible for supplying paper, ink, and a phone line, but your cost per page will be lower over the long term than it would be with a web faxing service.

  • Internet faxing services charge a per-use fee for sending electronic documents to physical fax machines. While using an internet faxing service is more convenient, it’s both less secure and much more expensive. Most online faxing services also typically ask you to sign a user agreement that gives them the right to read the documents you fax, which is a major concern for those who prefer privacy.

Fax machine prices

Fax machines can get expensive, mainly because most do several things other than send faxes. You can expect to pay between $30 and $700 for a fax machine. Here’s what you’ll get for your money, depending on how much you want to spend.

Inexpensive: You’ll find fax machines that are only fax machines (and don’t include scanning or printing) or low-quality all-in-ones for between $30 and $99. If you just need a fax machine on a limited basis, or you’re looking to add fax functionality to your existing printer and scanner setup, you don’t need to spend a lot. If you’re looking for a solid printer/scanner/fax machine, you’ll need to shell out a little extra.

Mid-range: You can expect to encounter all-in-ones (fax machines that also print and scan) of varying quality for between $100 and $399. As you spend more, you’ll get additional features like WiFi support, as well as qualitative upgrades – expensive all-in-ones can scan at high resolutions, speed up faxes with auto-dialing, and even offer laser printing. If you need a fax machine that will last several years and consistently produce high-quality output, plan on looking at the higher end of the range.

Expensive: Fax machines that are part of large all-in-one devices – network laser printers that are built to be used by an entire office – cost between $400 and $700. Models in this price range are heavy but also include every possible feature you’d need, ranging from color copying to email-to-fax services. If you need a fax machine for a small- to medium-size business, or you simply need an all-in-one that does everything in perfect quality, it will be expensive.

Tips

  • If you need to fax a double-sided document, you might need to send each side as a separate fax. Most fax machines don’t support double-sided faxing, so if you have a document that has print on both sides, you’ll likely need to fax one side and then the other in order for both sides to reach the recipient.

  • If you don’t already have a place to put a fax machine, you might need to buy a printer stand. Most fax machines are pretty bulky and take up a decent amount of room, so as you’re shopping, note the measurements of various models and make sure you have enough room in your computer space.

  • If you need to send a fax to a phone number with an extension, include the extension when dialing on your fax machine. Most fax machines are able to understand and work with additional numbers on a phone number, including country codes, area codes, and phone extensions. Whenever you’re entering a fax number into your fax machine, be sure to include everything you can to ensure it reaches the proper destination.
Content Image
Fax machines can get damaged from power outages and electrical surges. Always keep your fax machine plugged into a surge protector.

FAQ

Q. How long does it take to send a fax?

A. Several factors impact how long it takes to send a fax. It depends on how fast of a connection the two machines have, as well as the length of the fax itself. In general, it takes about 30 seconds to one minute to fax a single page.

Q. Can I send a fax with a fax machine if I don’t have a landline?

A. No. Fax machines depend on traditional telephone landlines to transmit pages and have historically had problems when used with VoIP lines. While you might find accounts of individual users getting fax machines to work with VoIP lines, widespread compatibility isn’t there yet.

Q. Can I send a fax directly from my computer to a fax machine?

A. Yes, depending on the model. Some high-end fax machines (typically all-in-one printer/scanner/fax machines) feature WiFi, which lets you send documents directly from a computer or mobile device to the fax machine for faxing. If this is a must-have feature for you, make sure the model you buy supports WiFi.

Our Top Picks