Easy CGI Web Hosting Review

When we first viewed Easy CGI's website, we were uncertain about the level of service we would receive, as their template style design suggested to us that this web host might do just the bare minimum. Fortunately, we couldn't have been more wrong in this assumption, as Easy CGI proved to be a reliable host with an outstanding custom control panel for complete account management.

Signup Process - Easy CGI Web Hosting

Signup Process Score: 95

Signing up for web hosting with Easy CGI is a very easy task. The company clearly showcases the features of its different hosting plans, enabling the user to quickly make an appropriate decision about which account to sign up for.

At no point in the signup process did Easy CGI attempt oversell additional features, and they conveniently track the users progress through the signup procedure at the left of the screen. Four simple steps, and our account was established with an email on the way to our inbox describing how to manage our hosting account.

Quality of Services - Easy CGI Web Hosting

Services Score: 98

Easy CGI offers affordable shared, virtual dedicated, and dedicated Windows web hosting accounts, as well as colocation services. For our we review, we purchased Easy CGI's most basic shared hosting account (the Advanced Package).

From both a speed and reliability standpoint, our Easy CGI account performed exceptionally well. We experienced no downtime and always noted prompt response from the server, even when processing complex tasks.

Easy CGI's services score is given a boost because of their exceptional custom control panel which allows a user to manage every aspect of his website with just a few clicks. This exceptional tool makes the process of getting a website up and running quite simple.

We were thrilled with the level of performance of our Easy CGI account and believe their offerings to be an outstanding value for the price.

Billing Evaluation - Easy CGI Web Hosting

Billing Score: 96

Billing is an area where Easy CGI sets itself apart from many competitors. As expected, Easy CGI's advertised price matched that which was billed to our credit card - a fundamental requirement to score well in this area. What added points to Easy CGI's scoring was an oddity that we actually found particularly beneficial:

Easy CGI sets all accounts to bill on the first of the month, pro-rating a partial month of service for the initial billing amount. At first, these seemed a bit strange, but we realized the benefit of this approach very quickly, as it reduces the need to recall various renewal dates should one decide to cancel services.

Easy CGI also scores extra points in the billing category by completely automating the billing process from their control panel. It is a simple procedure to click in and update credit cards, upgrade or downgrade hosting services, cancel out specific domains, or terminate an account all together. This automation is especially valuable in that it saves users from needlessly calling support to make these modifications.

Support - Easy CGI Web Hosting

Support Score: 86

Support is the one area where Easy CGI could have performed substantially better.

On two occasions when we attempted to call technical support, we were prompted to leave a message after holding for an operator. The good news is that our calls were returned both times, and the support person was able to quickly resolve our hypothetical problems. The bad news is that it's incredibly inconvenient to wait for technical support to call back. It would be far preferable for Easy CGI to prompt the person on hold with the option to leave a message or continue holding.

Beyond the fact that our messages were promptly returned, Easy CGI benefits in the support category because we never encountered a problem that would have actually merited a call to technical support. Our hosting account performed as expected in every area, and did not malfunction once. As a result, we deem their level of support to be adequate for most, but the extreme novice may benefit from a web host with more robust live technical support.