Let’s be honest. If your company is still using fax machines, it’s like keeping a flip phone when everyone else has moved to smartphones. Fax was great… in the 1980s. But today, it’s outdated, inefficient, and costing you more than you realize.

So, why are you still faxing? Maybe it feels familiar, or maybe you just haven’t found a good alternative. Either way, it’s time for a reality check. Here are 12 solid reasons why you should finally ditch the fax machine—and what you should use instead.

1. Fax Machines Are Costly (More Than You Think!)

You might not even notice how much faxing is costing your business, but let’s break it down:

• Machine Costs – A decent fax machine isn’t cheap.
• Paper & Ink – Faxes eat up loads of paper and ink, both of which cost money.
• Phone Lines – You need a dedicated landline, which means paying for an extra phone bill every month.
• Maintenance & Repairs – When (not if) your fax machine breaks, you’ll need to fix or replace it.

Now, multiply these costs over time, and you’ll realize you could be saving a lot by switching to a digital solution.

2. Faxing Is Painfully Slow

Ever stood by a fax machine, waiting for it to send a document? Feels like watching paint dry, doesn’t it?

• Sending a fax takes several minutes. In comparison, emails or digital signatures take seconds.
• Busy signals happen. If the receiver’s fax machine is in use, you have to wait and try again.
• Faxes fail often. Pages get lost, transmission errors occur, and you end up wasting time resending.

Your business needs speed, and faxing is just too slow.

3. Poor Security: Faxes Aren’t as Safe as You Think

People think faxing is safe, but it’s actually a security risk:

• Documents can be picked up by the wrong person. Ever sent a confidential fax and had it sit on the machine for hours?
• Fax lines can be hacked. It’s rare, but it happens. Older tech is easier to exploit.
• No encryption. Unlike modern digital signing solutions, faxes don’t protect sensitive data during transmission.

If security matters to your company, it’s time to move on from fax.

4. Environmental Disaster: So Much Paper Waste

Fax machines waste an insane amount of paper. Think about it:

• Every single fax needs to be printed.
• Many pages are just cover sheets or junk faxes that go straight to the trash.
• Toner and ink cartridges create unnecessary waste.

Switching to a digital solution can save trees, reduce waste, and make your company more eco-friendly.

5. Faxing Wastes Office Space

Let’s be real—fax machines take up way too much space in the office.

• A bulky machine needs a dedicated table or corner.
• You need extra storage for paper, toner, and repair tools.
• If your team is remote, keeping a physical fax machine makes zero sense.

Wouldn’t it be better to reclaim that space for something useful?

6. It’s Not Remote-Friendly (And That’s a Big Problem Today)

With remote work becoming the norm, faxing is totally impractical.

• Employees need to be physically present to send or receive faxes.
• No one wants to drive to the office just to send a document.
• It’s impossible to integrate with modern cloud-based workflows.

A digital solution like BoloSign lets your team sign and send documents from anywhere, at any time. No office trips are required!

7. Lack of Integration With Modern Tools

Businesses today use Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, CRM systems, and tons of other modern tools. Guess what doesn’t integrate with any of them? Fax.

• No automation.
• No cloud storage.
• No digital workflows.

This means extra manual work every time you need to handle a faxed document. A digital signing tool like BoloSign integrates smoothly with your existing tools, making work easier.

8. Faxes Have No Tracking or Audit Trails

With emails and digital signatures, you get a clear history of when a document was sent, opened, and signed.

With fax? Nothing.

• You have no idea who picked up the fax.
• There’s no way to confirm it was received unless you call and ask.
• If a dispute happens, you don’t have a digital proof of signing.

That’s a legal nightmare waiting to happen.

9. Fax Numbers Are an Extra Hassle

To send a fax, you need the exact fax number. No autofill, no suggestions—just a long, manual process that’s easy to mess up.

• Dial one wrong digit? Your fax is sent to the wrong business.
• Need to update numbers? Good luck tracking them all.

It’s way simpler to send an email or use a digital signing tool where contact info is stored and verified.

10. Customers & Partners Expect Modern Solutions

Think about it—do your clients and partners really want to fax? Probably not.

• Most businesses prefer digital communication over fax.
• Faxing makes your company look outdated.
• If customers find it inconvenient, they might take their business elsewhere.

Adopting BoloSign shows you’re modern, efficient, and easy to work with.

11. You’re Wasting Money on IT Support & Maintenance

Fax machines break. A lot.

• Paper jams.
• Connection issues.
• Hardware failures.

Every time something goes wrong, your IT team has to waste time fixing outdated tech instead of focusing on real problems.

Wouldn’t it be better to eliminate fax machines entirely?

12. There Are Better Ways to Verify Signatures

Many companies still use faxes to send contracts that need signatures. But faxing isn’t secure, trackable, or convenient.

• You can’t verify if a document was tampered with.
• Signatures might not be legally binding.
• Clients have to print, sign, scan, and resend, which is annoying.

With BoloSign, electronic signatures are legally valid, encrypted, and instant.

Disadvantages of Using Fax Machines in 2024

1. High Operational Costs

Faxing might seem like a cheap option, but when you add up the costs of machines, paper, ink, phone lines, and maintenance, it quickly becomes expensive.

2. Time-Consuming Process

Sending and receiving faxes takes way longer than digital methods. You have to print, scan, dial, wait for transmission and sometimes resend due to failures.

3. Security Risks & Data Breaches

Faxes aren't encrypted, making them vulnerable to interception. A misplaced document sitting on a fax machine can easily be accessed by unauthorized people.

4. Lack of Mobility & Remote Access

Fax machines require physical presence. In a world where remote work is the norm, faxing is completely impractical for modern businesses.

5. Environmental Impact & Paper Waste

Faxing wastes tons of paper, ink, and electricity, making it harmful to the environment. Digital alternatives significantly reduce carbon footprints.

6. No Integration With Modern Business Tools

Unlike email, eSignature software, or cloud storage, fax machines don’t integrate with CRM platforms, project management tools, or cloud services.

7. No Reliable Tracking or Audit Trails

Faxing offers no way to track document status, leading to lost faxes, duplicate transmissions, and zero proof of delivery.

8. Frequent Technical Issues & Maintenance Needs

Paper jams, toner issues, transmission errors—fax machines are prone to breakdowns, requiring IT support and increasing downtime.

9. Limited Scalability for Growing Businesses

As companies expand, handling faxed documents becomes a bottleneck, slowing down processes and making document management chaotic.

10. Difficult to Store and Retrieve Documents

Faxed documents are stored as physical copies, making it hard to search, categorize, and retrieve them compared to digital records.

11. Outdated Technology That is Phasing Out

Fax machines are becoming obsolete, with fewer manufacturers and service providers supporting them. It’s only a matter of time before they disappear entirely.

12. Not Preferred by Modern Customers & Partners

Clients and business partners expect fast, digital transactions, not slow, outdated fax-based communication. Sticking with fax could hurt your company’s image.

There’s a Better Alternative: Digital Signing with BoloSign

You don’t need fax machines anymore—digital solutions exist, and they’re way better.

Why BoloSign Is the Best Fax Alternative

1. 100% Paperless & Eco-Friendly

BoloSign completely eliminates the need for paper, ink, and printing. This helps businesses reduce waste, cut down on unnecessary expenses, and contribute to a greener planet.

2. Secure & Legally Binding eSignatures

Unlike fax, which can be intercepted or misplaced, BoloSign offers bank-level encryption and legally compliant electronic signatures, ensuring your documents are always safe.

3. Instant Document Delivery

No more waiting for busy fax lines or dealing with failed transmissions. With BoloSign, documents are delivered instantly, making transactions faster and more efficient.

4. Remote Access Anytime, Anywhere

Fax machines require physical presence, but BoloSign allows you to sign and send documents from any device, anywhere in the world—perfect for remote work.

5. Seamless Integration With Modern Business Tools

BoloSign integrates with cloud storage (Google Drive, HubSpot), CRM software, and business apps, unlike fax, which is completely outdated and disconnected.

6. Easy Tracking & Audit Trails

With fax, you never know if your document was received. BoloSign provides real-time tracking, email notifications, and a detailed audit trail for complete transparency.

7. No More Costly Maintenance & Repairs

Forget about fax machines breaking down or paying for paper, toner, and dedicated phone lines. BoloSign is cloud-based, requiring zero hardware maintenance.

8. Multi-User Access & Team Collaboration

BoloSign allows multiple team members to collaborate on documents, add comments, and track signature status—something fax machines can’t do.

9. Faster Contract Signing & Business Deals

Faxing slows down the signing process. With BoloSign, clients, vendors, and partners can sign contracts instantly, closing deals faster and improving workflow efficiency.

10. Increased Compliance & Regulatory Support

BoloSign ensures compliance with global eSignature laws like ESIGN, UETA, and GDPR, making documents legally binding in any industry.

11. Mobile-Friendly & Works on Any Device

Unlike fax, which ties you to a machine, BoloSign lets you sign documents from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, making it ideal for on-the-go professionals.

12. Saves Time & Boosts Productivity

No need to manually print, scan, and send documents. BoloSign automates the entire process, helping businesses save hours of work every week.

Conclusion:

Fax had its time, but that time is long gone. Holding onto old tech slows your business down, costs you money, and makes your workflow more frustrating than it needs to be.

With a solution like BoloSign, you can ditch fax for good and make your document process seamless, secure, and modern.

So, what’s stopping you? Try BoloSign today and bring your business into the future!