Retarus vs iFax: Which Online Fax Service Wins?

Introduction

In this digital age, the days of bulky fax machines, separate phone lines, and endless retries are quickly fading away. Faxing the old way, transmission of documents via PSTN line from one machine to another, is steadily being replaced by cloud-based secure fax platforms.

For businesses in the modern era, particularly ones that operate in a regulated industry such as healthcare, legal, finance, and logistics, the case is clear: you need a fax solution that’s flexible, mobile-ready, integration-friendly, and most importantly, compliant with global data privacy regulations like HIPAA and GDPR.

Enter two major players: Retarus and iFax. Both provide enterprise-class digital faxing solutions that are reliable among the most reputable companies worldwide, yet they cater to different user types and have a totally different pricing model, better usability experience, as well as automation and integration possibilities. In this blog, we’re going to do a deep dive and look at Retarus vs iFax, and at the end, introduce you to a better solution, Emitrr (an all-in-one secure platform that combines faxing, AI automation, and unified communication tools).

By the time you finish reading, you will be clear on which service is a better fit for your business, and you’ll understand why Emitrr might provide a smarter, modern HIPAA-compliant communication stack.

Key Takeaways

Here are the key takeaways from our Retarus vs iFax comparison, unpacked in full detail:

Which Service is Best for SMBs vs Large Enterprises?

iFax app is designed for small and medium businesses (SMBs) and professionals who want a mobile-friendly, cost-effective online fax. And Retarus, meanwhile, is intended for large enterprises that have global faxing requirements and are dealing with compliance pressures, high traffic, and need an integration into corporate systems.

Price Comparison: Which One is Cost-Effective?

iFax app offers simple monthly plans at very low prices, making it cost-effective for SMBs. Retarus fax does not publicly disclose its pricing standard and is usually a bit more expensive than normal enterprise SaaS (custom quotes).

Ease of Use and Mobile Accessibility Overview:

iFax boasts a strong set of mobile applications (iOS, Android, web) and a user-friendly interface. Retarus is more complicated (it’s designed to be deployed within enterprise IT) and does not have a dedicated mobile app.

Security and HIPAA-Compliance Comparison

Both offer to be HIPAA compliant, but with Retarus, you get more robust enterprise-grade controls, global data center presence, and very stringent certifications (GDPR, ISO). iFax app meets HIPAA for SMB/healthcare use, but has fewer deep enterprise controls.

Integration Flexibility and Automation

Retarus does it better, custom integration & middleware, high volume Windows/MAC fax print driver automation, SMTP/ FTP integration, API options, data centre redundancy. iFax brings support for cloud storage and all the ease of mobile, but has less advanced enterprise workflow automations.

Why Emitrr Comes Out the Best All-Around Alternative

Emitrr combines the strengths of both, mobile-friendliness, integrations, as well as HIPAA compliance – and adds voice/SMS/review & automation power in a single tool, making it a better option.

What is Retarus Fax?

Overview:

Retarus is an international cloud fax and enterprise communications provider with its headquarters in Munich, Germany, and has been part of the market since 1992. Unlike many of the latest online fax offerings, Retarus fax has always served the enterprise, working on mission-critical secure email and SMS for many of its customers in Europe, as well as electronic data interchange and high-volume mailshot services.

Organizations in regulated industries, like healthcare and finance, to logistics and government, rely on Retarus’ services because the company has demonstrated that it offers best-in-class security, global reach, and guaranteed delivery. It is popular for its great scalability, strong security model, and its worldwide data compliance conformance. Retarus fax is perfectly suited for large companies that have requirements for complex fax routing options, redundant data centers across the globe, and integration with old legacy systems.

Retarus Features:

• Enterprise Cloud Fax: Send and receive faxes over a reliable, high-performance cloud infrastructure with success-based routing.
• Worldwide Fax Infrastructure: It runs a number of data centers globally that are fully redundant and allow compliance from anywhere in the world.
• API and SMTP Fax Integration: Offers easy-to-develop APIs and standard SMTP interfaces for tight integration with business applications such as ERP and CRM.
• Email-to-Fax and Fax-to-Email: Basic feature to integrate email clients with the fax network securely.
• High Volume Scalability: Engineered to accommodate high volumes of faxes per month and scale up or down without degradation in call completion, essential for Retarus enterprise fax.
• Redundant Archive and Audit Logs: Provides safe long-term storage of every transaction that needs to be written, and a provable chain of evidentiary custody, required for compliance.
• Encryption (TLS, AES): Ensures end-to-end security for sensitive documents.
• Custom Sender ID and Tracking: Advanced tracking and real-time reporting through a single portal for complete visibility of communications.

Retarus Pros:

• Highly Secure and Enterprise Compliant: One of Retarus’s core competencies is a strong global regulatory compliance profile, including Retarus HIPAA compliance, GDPR, ISO, and SOC 2 Type II assurance.
• Worldwide Scalability and Redundancy: Delivers a highly reliable and available platform through its own global infrastructure with an SLA of 99.99%.
• Customer Success Management: Customized support and consulting for complicated implementation and migration.
• Flexible API Integrations: It offers the technical, deep tools you need when integrating complex business processes and serves as a Retarus competitor for iFax at scale.

Retarus Cons:

• Too Complicated for Small Business: Setup and configuration are IT-focused, so it’s heavy-handed overkill for SMB.
• No Transparent Pricing: Retarus’ pricing is quote-based, so smaller groups won’t have a clue as to what costs will be unless they decide to get in touch with the sales team, which can often put smaller firms off.
• No Mobile App Support: As we’ve discovered that iFax (or services like it) depend on email-to-fax or web portals, there’s no special, intuitive iFax mobile fax-style app, which doesn’t provide the best user experience for remote workforces.
• Onboarding Can Be Lengthy: The integration process and compliance requirements are intense, as a longer-term term.

Retarus Pricing:

• It is an enterprise-grade service provider, so we cannot find out the exact cost of Retarus services; however, it is not publicly available.
• Model: Per month, Faxage is customized based on attributes such as monthly fax volume (sometimes per batch or page), required integrations to other systems like a SAP connector, physical location of data (residency), and enterprise security requirements.
• Cost- Starting at: Initial cost is an unknown, as employers must pay a premium due to “enterprise” service (estimated starting price $50 – $75/month per fax line for mid-tier volume), which bears no resemblance to basic subscription models.

Retarus Integrations:

Microsoft 365 and Exchange, SAP and other ERP systems, Salesforce and other major CRMs, Google Workspace, Custom API, and SMTP-based connections

Retarus Ratings:

4.5/5

Retarus Reviews:

“In a few words: The service works fine. It’s easy to maintain and nearly self-explanatory. Our users are very pleased with Retarus.”

“I really do not have any complaints about this software.”

Source: Capterra

What is iFax?

Overview:

iFax was founded in 2008. It was one of the first iPhone-based online fax solutions and also became an early success story in this niche. It is focused on a user base comprising healthcare, legal, and SMB users who need simplicity, mobility, and economics. iFax has built its reputation on excellent iFax mobile faxing capabilities, allowing businesses to send, receive, sign, and store faxes securely from any device.

It’s also cross-platform on iOS, Android, macOS, and even web, offering modern remote teams’ high accessibility. The service strikes a nice blend between basic faxing functionality and the security requirements you’d expect, such as HIPAA compliance.

iFax Features:

• Fax via Email, Mobile or Desktop: The ability to send & receive fax with the iFax dedicated fax app for your phone, desktop, and tablet.
• Branded Fax Templates: Allows for the creation of professional, custom cover pages to maintain brand identity.
• eSignature Feature: Designed to allow the digital signing of documents before sending, helping to facilitate workflows.
• Auto Send Scheduling: The User can schedule message transmissions to specific times.
• Cloud Storage Sync: Cloud integration with popular cloud storage services so that you can have access anywhere you go.
• Outcome Reports: Fax receipt reports and audit trails of successful transmissions.
• Multi-User Management: Features designed for team collaboration, managing several users under one account, and more.

iFax Pros:

• HIPAA Compliant: It has the right protocols and can give you a BAA with higher-tier plans to safely transmit sensitive documents.
• User-Friendly Mobile Faxing: iFax is the easiest, cost-effective way to send and receive faxes from your iOS device.
• iFax Pricing: Unlike other providers, iFax pricing is totally transparent and easy to understand, with no hidden costs or surprise charges, offering users competitive rates for its tiered subscriptions and pay-per-transmission models suitable for SMBs.
• Great Cloud Storage Integrations: iFax provides seamless integration with the world’s largest cloud storage solutions, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive, so you can now easily pull documents from any of your favourite storage service providers.

iFax Cons:

• Limited Enterprise-Class Automation: Not as comprehensive, deep, and custom workflow automation and system-level API integration as Retarus features/assets.
• Few Sync Delays: A very few users said they experienced some small delays while syncing faxes to cloud storage.
• No Fancy Analytics Dashboard: The reporting is limited to confirmation logs - not deep admin or usage analytics. For high-volume corporate reporting, this makes it not as ideal an iFax alternative to Retarus cloud fax.

iFax Pricing:

iFax pricing is easy to understand (monthly subscription based on general industry rates):

• Basic: $8.33/month
• Plus: $16.67/month
• Professional: $25.00/month
• Enterprise: Custom iFax cost for customers sending high volumes and having special features and SLA requirements.

iFax Integrations:

iFax integrations are based on document sources: Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Outlook, and Gmail (for email-to-fax).

iFax Ratings:

4.8/5

iFax Reviews:

“Great service! I could fax documents uploaded to my Google Drive easily thanks to iFax. The application is user-friendly with easy functionality. I will recommend this to anyone who wants to fax online.”

“Signing up and sending a fax was super quick and easy … From start to end, fax was only a 5-minute process. Great for someone who is super busy and does not have time to click around trying to upload and send a document.”

Source: Capterra

Key Differences Between Retarus and iFax

Below is the detailed comparison of Retarus vs iFax:

Scale

Retarus cloud fax is designed for large enterprises, global business units, high-volume faxing, multi-national deployments, and deep IT integrations. iFax is primarily targeted at small businesses (SMBs), solo professionals, and mobile users seeking a straightforward, low-cost online fax service.

Compliance

Both offer HIPAA compliant faxing (for healthcare) and GDPR compliant (for operations in Europe). But Retarus cloud fax has more enterprise-level controls available (data-centre location, global redundancy, ISO certification) than iFax, which is more consumer/SMB centric.

Pricing

iFax cost is openly published. They offer monthly pricing tiers and is generally more affordable for smaller teams. Retarus quotes custom pricing, which often results in a high cost, especially for small businesses.

Integrations

Retarus cloud fax also provides integration with enterprise systems (SAP, Salesforce, custom APIs, SMTP, EDI). iFax includes integrations with cloud storage and some mobile apps, but it does not focus as much on corporate-system automation.

Mobile Access

In terms of mobile and app-based access (Android, iOS, macOS), iFax does very well. Retarus is missing the true mobile-first app experience to some extent and tends to shift more toward IT/enterprise deployment out of the box.

Automation

Retarus delivers workflow automation, high-volume routing, API/SMTP/EDI integration, and enterprise workflow capabilities. iFax has scheduling and mobile capabilities, though not as sophisticated automation or big-scale capabilities.

Ease of Use

iFax is plug-and-play; you can be up and running in minutes for mobile or small business. Retarus usually needs a little bit of onboarding, configuration, and integration setup, perfect for the enterprise , but could be more complicated for small teams.

Key Similarities Between Retarus and iFax

Despite their differences in scale, the fundamental service is the same:

Cloud Fax Services

Both eliminate the need for traditional fax machines and phone lines.

Conformance

Both services are compliant, adhering to the highest security standards, including HIPAA & GDPR.

Email Faxing

Both provide solid fax-to-email and email-to-fax functionality for ease of use.

Trackability

Both have basic audit trails and delivery receipts so you can trace at least some elements of the sending process.

Criteria	Retarus	iFax	Emitrr (Recommended)
Primary Focus	Enterprise cloud fax & messaging for large orgs	Mobile-first online fax for SMBs & professionals	All-in-one fax + SMS + VoIP + reviews + AI automation for healthcare, legal & SMBs
Best For	Large enterprises with complex workflows	Small businesses and solo professionals	SMBs, clinics, legal firms, and growing enterprises wanting unified communication
Pricing Transparency	Custom quotes only, no public pricing	Clear monthly tiers (Basic/Plus/Pro)	Transparent, mid-range plans (Standard/Professional + custom enterprise)
Value for Money	High cost, justified mainly for very large orgs	Good value for basic faxing	Best overall value: multi-channel + automation at SMB-friendly pricing
Ease of Use	Requires IT setup & onboarding	Very easy, plug-and-play	Modern, intuitive UI; easy like iFax but with more power under the hood
Mobile & Remote Access	No dedicated mobile app; browser/enterprise use	Strong iOS/Android apps; mobile-first	Web + mobile-friendly workflows; SMS & call workflows ideal for remote teams
Fax Capabilities	Enterprise cloud fax, high-volume, routing	Online fax via apps, email, desktop	Inbound/outbound fax, broadcast fax, multi-recipient, large files (up to 30MB)
Multi-Channel Comms	Fax, email, some messaging	Primarily fax	Fax + two-way SMS + calls + review requests in one platform
Automation Level	Advanced enterprise routing & API workflows	Basic: scheduling, cloud sync	AI-driven workflows, automated responses, triggers, and deep CRM/EHR integrations
Integrations	SAP, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, custom APIs	Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, email	Salesforce, HubSpot, QuickBooks, AthenaHealth, Denticon, Zapier, Mailchimp & more
HIPAA & GDPR Compliance	Enterprise-grade, ISO-backed, strong controls	HIPAA compliant for SMB/healthcare	HIPAA & GDPR compliant, purpose-built for healthcare & regulated teams
Scalability	Excellent for global, high-volume enterprises	Good for small to medium usage	Scales from small clinics to multi-location practices without enterprise complexity
Reporting & Analytics	Strong enterprise reporting	Limited, basic tracking	Growing reporting suite + practical, action-oriented insights
Team Collaboration	Designed for large, distributed teams	Multi-user support in higher plans	Team inboxes, shared workflows, and role-based access across fax, SMS & calls
Support & Onboarding	Enterprise support, but heavier onboarding	Standard app support	High-touch onboarding, 24/7 support, healthcare-savvy success team
Learning Curve	Steeper, IT-driven	Very low	Low learning curve like iFax, but with room to grow into powerful automations

When to Use Retarus?

Select Retarus if one or more of the characteristics listed below apply to your enterprise:

Ideal for Global Enterprises

You are an enterprise with heavy global faxing, multiple offices in various countries, or high-volume document workflows.

Built for Regulated Industries

You work in financial, healthcare, logistics, or government sectors where you have security and/or compliance mandates (HIPAA, GDPR, ISO) with data residency requirements.

Deep Integration for Corporate Systems

You need to connect with big corp SAP, EDI, SF, and want custom workflow/routing/redundancy/audit.

Enterprise-Level Support & SLAs

Your company needs enterprise support, contract SLAs, dedicated customer success, and carrier-grade infrastructure.

High Scalability Over Cost

You’re willing to bear higher cost, longer onboarding, and perhaps some IT complexity in exchange for scalability and control.

When to Use iFax?

Select iFax if your business fits one or more of the following descriptions:

For SMBs With Modest Faxing Needs

You’re an SMB that has modest faxing requirements and just want to get a balance between cost and simplicity.

Best for Mobile-First Faxing

You also want mobile-first faxing so that remote teams, professionals on the go, or even your smartphone/tablet-using workforce can all have easy access.

HIPAA-Compliant for Healthcare & Legal

You work in healthcare or law and need something HIPAA compliant for your online faxes, but do not require the ultra-high-volume enterprise is routing.

Prioritizes Simplicity & Speed

You are looking for simplicity, speed, and low pricing above full enterprise customization and integration.

Transparent Pricing & Low IT Overhead

You like upfront pricing, month-to-month plans, and low IT/configuration requirements.

Administrative Controls Comparison

Both support multiple users from the same number to manage fax, with the added benefit of more granular administrative controls for Retarus.

Emitrr: The Best Retarus and iFax Alternative

Overview:

Emitrr is the complete multi-channel customer communication, engagement, and cloud fax all-in-one platform tailored for healthcare, legal & SMB (small-to-midsize business) super performers. It’s our top pick and the best solution for businesses seeking something beyond just a dedicated fax service.

Emitrr seamlessly integrates encrypted, HIPAA & GDPR compliant faxing with effective engagement tools: bidirectional SMS, voice calling, and AI automation all of which comes under one secure dashboard. If you’re looking for a Retarus alternative to iFax, and vice versa, then there’s no better modern, single-platform replacement for legacy communication channels.

Emitrr Features:

• Inbound Outbound Faxing: Send, receive, and manage faxes in the cloud without requiring hard copy or physical fax machines or telephone lines. That means faster delivery, improved reliability , and anywhere access from any device.
• Fax-to-Email Routing: You can convert your incoming fax into digital files and send it to your email account. This saves you from handling faxes by hand, cuts back on delays, and ensures all faxed communication is neatly searchable and stored in a single location.
• Scheduled Faxing & Broadcast Faxing: Schedule documents to be sent at specific times, so you can share information during off-hours or when it’s most convenient. You can use broadcast faxing to send out a single fax to numerous recipients at the same time, which is great for announcements, updates, and bulk notifications.
• Mass Transmission, Big File Receiver: Send fax to multiple contacts in one go, no need to send fax manually. Emitrr also supports up to 30MB file size, which means that you can fax high-quality documents, multi-page files, and detailed reports with no effort.
• Custom Cover Pages: Print a professional impression with custom, pre-printed cover pages that include your company logo and contact information. This aids in keeping the message consistent and building your brand.
• Two-Way SMS & Calls: Instantly engage in conversations via text or voice using the same number used for faxing, consolidating all incoming and outgoing communications with clients.
• AI Workflow Automation: Auto-respond to new messages, prompt tasks (such as appointment reminders or follow-up surveys), and automate intake flows.
• HIPAA & GDPR Compliant: Full security across all modes of communication (fax, text, and voice).

Emitrr Pros:

• All-In-One Platform: Merges fax, text, calls, and customer review tools under one roof, minimizing vendors.
• HIPAA-Compliant and Secure: All confidential client communications are tracked and securely stored under a single BAA.
• Intuitive UI: Get started quickly with an intuitive, modern user experience your team can adopt.
• 24/7 Customer Support: It’s difficult to find a customer support team as attentive and responsive as the one at Cloudflare, which is not the case with most enterprise tools that provide (sometimes) technical-only support.
• Cost-Effective Solution: It is available for compact prices, meaning even a small- to medium-sized business can easily afford to implement it, and can grow with requirements from their Retarus corporate faxing.

Emitrr Cons:

• Some advanced reporting functionalities are under development as our platform is constantly evolving.

Emitrr Pricing:

• Affordable Plans: Starts at around $30/month per user.
• Value for Money: Replaces multiple tools, so you’re saving by not paying for separate texting or review platforms.
• No Contracts: Month-to-month plans available with free demos and trials. 
• Scales Easily: Plans grow with your team, offering more messages, features, and support as your business expands.

Emitrr Integrations:

Emitrr’s value is in its potential to connect with the systems that power how business works today:

• CRMs: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier
• EHR/PMS: QuickBooks, AthenaHealth, Mailchimp, Denticon (for healthcare and accounting)

Emitrr Ratings:

4.8/5 

Emitrr Reviews:

“Very positive from our first meeting to the most recent questions we had. Pros: They are such easy people to work with, the pricing is great, and the product works seamlessly for us.” 

“Emitrr was very easy to implement, the support team is excellent, and we’ve had no issues getting the system going. Emitrr saves our recruitment team a lot of time in communicating with potential candidates.”

Source: Capterra

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

In the battle of Retarus vs iFax, the decision is highly dependent on your company’s size, complexity, and requirements. Of course, Retarus is explicitly designed for large enterprises with global reach, high compliance requirements, and heavy-duty routing needs. In the meantime, iFax is more suitable for SMBs and professionals who prefer simplicity, mobile accessibility, and affordability.

But if you want the best of both worlds, a modern, HIPAA-compliant platform that has cloud faxing and unified communication (SMS, voice, reviews, automation) included in it, then Emitrr is definitely the smarter choice. With its competitive pricing plus a powerful set of competitive features, Emitrr is indeed a great option to Retarus and iFax. Book a demo today