By: Matt | Last updated February 20, 2019 
We live in a digital era, in which internet has replaced a lot of the old, traditional ways of communication and not only. Faxing is a good example in that regard. Conventional faxing is less and less used, as virtual faxing has taken the telecommunication world by storm.
What is virtual faxing?
There are a plethora of terms used to describe internet faxing: digital, virtual, online and others. They all describe the same technology: online faxing is the action of sending faxes over the internet, instead of using landline telephony. Online faxing allows you to send various types of text and images, from txt, docx, pdf, to jpeg, png and more.
In order to send a fax over the internet you need to sign up for an online fax service. Read more on how to send/receive faxes using the internet.
Advantages of digital faxing
- It is less expensive than conventional faxing, because it doesn’t require a fax machine, paper, ink toners and so on. Everything is done via the internet
- It is versatile. You can send faxes from a conventional fax machine, to a conventional fax machine, to/from a computer or a mobile device. You can also send and receive faxes from any location in the world, as long as you can connect to the internet
- It is less harmful to the environment. Conventional faxing requires a lot of paper, which means a lot of trees have to be cut to produce it. Online faxing eliminates that need, because it is a paperless technology
- It helps you save space. You don’t need to keep files over files and you don’t have to occupy your desk/office with bulky fax machines
Nextiva vFax – Is it a good option to consider?
Nextiva offers more than just online fax services. In fact, this company is primarily known for its VoIP (voice over the internet) services. The company is headquartered in Arizona and it has more than 12 years of experience in the communication industry.
In addition to VoIP services, Nextiva also offers internet fax services through its vFax brand.
Available plans
Nextiva has 3 plans: Single User, Small Business and Business Pro.
The Single User plan is priced at $8.95/month if you choose to be billed monthly and $4.95/month if you opt for annual billing. The package includes 500 pages per month.
The Small Business plan is priced at $17.95/month with monthly billing and $12.95/month with annual billing. It includes 1000 pages per month.
The most expensive plan offered by vFax is Business Pro which is billed at $34.95/month with monthly and $29.95/month with annual billing. It includes 3000 pages/month.
Features
Nextiva vFax allows you to port your old number easily and you can get a toll free or a US and Canada number. No international numbers are available.
Nextiva vFax lets you send faxes using your conventional fax machine, but you have to purchase their Nextiva Fax Bridge, for a one-time $150 fee.
Nextiva vFax keeps your faxes saved in the cloud for a period of 6 months.
All the major browsers are supported (Chrome, Safari, etc.) as well as all the common file formats (around 20 formats), including doc, PDF, txt, xml, html, rtf, jpeg, gif, png, TIFF and more.
This service comes with a free 30-day trial so you can actually test it before subscribing to one of their plans.
Nextiva vFax is secure: it uses 256-bit encryption and password protection.
And now on the ‘cons’ of Nextiva vFax, we can only think of two: the fact that it doesn’t have a mobile app and the fact that they don’t offer international numbers. Other than that, it is definitely an affordable, user-friendly and reliable online fax service.
