FaxBurner and Faxio solve slightly different problems. FaxBurner's headline feature is a free fax number — useful when someone needs to fax you something and you have no machine. Faxio is built for the opposite direction: sending a fax quickly, with no account and no subscription.

That makes this less of a head-to-head than most comparisons. Plenty of people would sensibly use both. Here is how they line up, using FaxBurner's published pricing as of October 2026.

  • What FaxBurner's free plan really includes
  • Where each service is the better tool
  • What it costs once the free limits run out

Table of Contents

The comparison

FaxBurner details are from its public pricing page as of October 2026.

Faxio FaxBurner
Free option None 24-hour number; send 5 pages total; receive 25 pages/month
Paid entry $2.99 per fax (up to 10 pages) Professional: $14.95/month
Higher tiers 5 faxes $9.99; 15 faxes $24.99; Unlimited $14.99/month Premier: $24.95/month, 2,000 pages in and out
Paid number Via Android app plans Permanent toll-free number on paid plans
Countries 100+ United States and Canada
Account required No Yes (email, no credit card)
Apps Web + Android iPhone/iPad app; email and web on other devices
File types PDF (web) PDF, JPEG, PNG, photos
Email-to-fax No Yes
Failed fax Credit not consumed Not stated on pricing page

We make Faxio, so treat our column with suitable scepticism. The table shows clearly where FaxBurner leads: a genuinely free receiving number, an established iPhone app, image uploads, and email-to-fax.

FaxBurner's free plan, in detail

FaxBurner's free plan gives you:

  • A disposable fax number that lasts 24 hours.
  • 5 pages of sending, in total — not per day or per month.
  • 25 pages of receiving per month.
  • Email-to-fax and fax-to-email.

Sign-up takes an email address and no credit card. For the classic "the clinic needs to fax me my records" situation, this is excellent: get a number, give it to the sender, receive the PDF in your inbox, done. Nothing Faxio offers on the web competes with that, because faxio.app is a sending service.

The catch is the number's lifespan. Twenty-four hours is enough if the sender faxes promptly. It is not enough for a number you print on a form, give to a government office that processes mail weekly, or need again next month. Keeping a number means a paid plan, and FaxBurner notes that if you later cancel or downgrade, the number may become temporary again.

Sending: where the free allowance ends

FaxBurner's free sending allowance is 5 pages in total. A signed one-page authorisation fits; a 6-page medical form or a multi-page tax return does not. Once the allowance is used, more sending means moving to Professional at $14.95 a month (500 pages in and out) or Premier at $24.95 a month (2,000 pages).

For heavy users, those allowances are generous. For someone who needs to send a fax three or four times a year, $14.95 a month is a lot for capacity they will not use.

How often you send Faxio FaxBurner Professional (kept active)
One short fax, ever $2.99 Free (within 5 pages)
A few times a year ~$6–12 ~$179/year
Once a month ~$24–36 ~$179/year
Weekly, plus receiving Unlimited $14.99/mo; receiving via Android app ~$179/year, number included

At weekly volume with a need to receive on a permanent number, FaxBurner Professional is a fair deal. Below that, pay-per-fax costs far less.

Where FaxBurner is the better choice

  • Receiving one fax for free. The free 24-hour number is the best thing about FaxBurner, and nothing on the Faxio website matches it.
  • A very short send. If your whole document is 5 pages or fewer and you only need to send once, it is free.
  • iPhone users. FaxBurner has an established iPhone and iPad app with photo capture and stored signatures. Faxio has no iOS app; iPhone users send from the browser.
  • Faxing from email. Email-to-fax and fax-to-email work on every plan, including free.
  • Photos and images. FaxBurner accepts JPEG and PNG as well as PDF; the Faxio website takes PDFs.
  • A permanent toll-free number with high volume. Premier's 2,000 pages a month is a lot of fax for $24.95.

Where Faxio is the better choice

  • Faxing outside North America. FaxBurner supports the United States and Canada; Faxio delivers to 100+ countries.
  • No account. Upload a PDF at faxio.app/send, enter the number, pay $2.99. No email sign-up, no login to remember.
  • Documents longer than 5 pages, occasionally. A single Faxio credit covers up to 10 pages, without committing to a monthly plan.
  • Nothing to cancel. Credits are a one-time purchase and never expire. The only recurring option, Faxio Unlimited at $14.99/month, has to be chosen deliberately and cancels in one click.
  • Failed faxes are free. If the fax does not go through, the credit is not consumed, and busy lines are retried automatically. See why faxes fail for the usual causes.

Which should you pick

  • Someone needs to fax you something, once: FaxBurner's free number.
  • You need to send a short document (5 pages or fewer), once, and do not mind signing up: FaxBurner free.
  • You need to send now, without creating an account: Faxio — $2.99.
  • You need to fax a country other than the US or Canada: Faxio.
  • You send and receive every week and want a toll-free number: FaxBurner Professional or Premier.
  • You are on Android and need both sending and a receiving number: the Faxio Android app covers both — see faxing from Android.
  • You are on iPhone and only need to send: Faxio works in Safari with nothing to install — see how to fax from an iPhone.

A sensible combination for many people: FaxBurner's free number when you need to receive, Faxio when you need to send something longer or international. Send a fax for $2.99 →

For a broader look at no-cost options, see our honest guide to free fax apps and their limits.

Frequently asked questions

Is FaxBurner really free?

Yes, within limits. As of October 2026, FaxBurner's free plan gives you a disposable fax number that lasts 24 hours, lets you send 5 pages in total, and receive 25 pages a month. Sign-up needs an email address but no credit card.

How long does a FaxBurner free number last?

24 hours on the free plan. A paid plan — Professional at $14.95 a month or Premier at $24.95 a month as of October 2026 — makes the number permanent. FaxBurner says that if you cancel or downgrade, your number may become temporary again.

Can FaxBurner send international faxes?

FaxBurner states it supports faxing across the United States and Canada. If you need to fax another country, Faxio delivers to 100+ countries.

Is Faxio or FaxBurner better for receiving a fax?

For receiving a single fax for free, FaxBurner is better: its free 24-hour number and 25 received pages a month cost nothing. Faxio offers receiving only through its Android app plans; the Faxio website is for sending.

What happens after I use FaxBurner's 5 free pages?

The free plan's sending allowance is 5 pages in total. Beyond that you need a paid plan. If you only need to send occasionally, Faxio's $2.99 single fax (up to 10 pages, no account) is an alternative to subscribing.