How to Fax from a Computer

Can Windows or a Mac send a fax on their own?

Only with hardware almost nobody has. Windows still ships Windows Fax and Scan, but it needs a fax modem plugged into an analogue phone line. macOS removed its built-in fax printing years ago. On a modern laptop with no modem port and internet-based phone service, neither is a real option.

This trips people up constantly. "Windows Fax and Scan" appears in the Start menu, so it looks like faxing is a built-in feature. Open it without a modem and it has nothing to dial with. Unless you are sitting in front of a desktop with a genuine analogue line, treat the built-in tools as a dead end and move on to one of the three routes below.

What are the ways to fax from a computer?

Three: an online fax service in the browser, email-to-fax from your normal mail client, or a legacy fax modem attached to an analogue line. The first two work on any computer; the third needs hardware and copper.

1. An online fax service in your browser

This is the normal answer in 2026 and works identically on Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS, because the browser is the only requirement. You sign in, upload a PDF, type the number, send, and get a delivery status. You also get a fax number of your own, so people can fax you back — which none of the free one-off tools offer.

Published monthly prices as of July 2026: Fax.Plus $6.99 for 200 pages and one member, $27.99 for 1,000 pages and five members; iFax $12.49 for 200 pages (send only), $24.99 for 500 pages with send and receive; Documo $25 for 300 pages and one user, $150 for 2,500 pages and ten users. eFax hides its prices behind a plan-builder slider, and RingCentral publishes none — its fax page is a lead form. SRFax also keeps pricing behind its signup flow. Verified July 2026.

Read the page allowance and the member count together. A cheap plan that includes one user is a bad deal for a three-person office, because each extra seat is billed separately.

2. Email-to-fax

Many providers let you send by emailing the PDF as an attachment to an address built from the destination number. You never open a browser tab; you send an email. It is the fastest route when you already have the document attached to a message, and it works from any mail client on any computer.

The trade-off is visibility. Email-to-fax usually gives you a confirmation email rather than a live status page, and if the attachment format is wrong you find out by bounce.

3. A fax modem on an analogue line

A USB fax modem plus Windows Fax and Scan still works, and it is genuinely cheap if you already have a copper line. It fails on VoIP. Fax is an analogue protocol that depends on precise tone timing, and most internet phone service mangles it — which is why an office that "always faxed fine" starts failing after the phone system is upgraded. If your dial tone comes over the internet, skip this route.

How do you prepare a document on a computer for faxing?

• Export to PDF. Windows: Print → Microsoft Print to PDF. Mac: File → Print → PDF → Save as PDF. Google Docs: File → Download → PDF.
• Check it opens. Open the exported PDF and page through it. Faxes fail most often because the file was wrong, not the line.
• Black text, white background. A fax is one-bit black and white. Grey shading in form fields often turns to mud.
• Watch the page count. Every provider bills by the page. Delete the trailing blank page.
• Include the destination in full. For North America that means area code plus number; a "1" prefix is usually optional but never harmful.

Doing it with Me Fax Too Free beta

How do you fax from a computer with Me Fax Too?

Me Fax Too runs entirely in a browser, so any computer works — nothing to install, no modem, no phone line. There is no desktop app and no mobile app; the web app is the product.

1. Sign up
   Create the company account at /signup. One account covers the whole team — 10 users are included in the planned model, with extra users at $2.79 per user per month.
2. Activate the free beta
   Three months free, no credit card required, United States and Canada.
3. Choose your own fax number
   Numbers are not auto-assigned — you pick yours after activating. It is both your sender ID and the number people fax back to.
4. Attach a PDF and enter the destination number
   Me Fax Too sends PDFs only, so export first if your document is a Word file or a spreadsheet.
5. Send
   Pages come out of your company's shared page pool, which covers both outbound and inbound faxes. Unused pages up to 50 carry over at each monthly anniversary, with a 60-page accumulation cap.
6. Watch the delivery status
   Queued → sending → delivered or failed, live, in your fax history.

Email-to-Fax is available if you would rather send from your mail client than a browser tab. Two disclosures worth making before you sign up: company admins can see every fax on the company account, and Me Fax Too is not HIPAA compliant and does not sign BAAs. We also do not offer number porting — if you need to move an existing number, that is a conversation with Telnyx. Final pricing has not been set and will be announced before your three months end.

Frequently asked questions about faxing from a computer

Do I need a phone line to fax from my computer?

Not with an online fax service — it uses your internet connection and the provider's telephone network. You only need a line if you are using a fax modem.

Can I fax from a Mac?

Yes, through any online fax service in Safari or Chrome. macOS has no built-in fax feature any more.

Is Windows Fax and Scan still usable?

Yes, but only with a fax modem attached to an analogue phone line. It cannot send over the internet on its own.

Can I fax for free from a computer?

For a one-off, yes. FaxZero sends free to US and Canadian numbers, capped at 3 pages plus a cover page and 5 free faxes a day, with FaxZero branding on the cover. Verified July 2026. You cannot receive faxes free anywhere reputable.

How long does a fax take?

Roughly a minute for a short document, more if the receiving machine is busy and the call has to be retried. Page count and line quality drive the time, not your computer.

Can several people in my office fax from their own computers?

That depends on the plan. Many providers bill per user, so check the included member count. Me Fax Too is built around one shared company account with per-user roles and send permissions.

Related guides

• How to fax a PDF — the format that survives the trip, and how to prepare it.
• How to fax without a fax machine — options when you have no hardware at all.
• How to send a fax with Me Fax Too — the short product walkthrough.