![1 Star 1 Star](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
![2 Stars 2 Stars](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
![3 Stars 3 Stars](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
![4 Stars 4 Stars](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
![5 Stars 5 Stars](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
To ensure secure connections between users and websites, organizations prioritize using SSL certificates, as it’s pretty evident that a website secured with an SSL certificate assures visitors that it’s safe to use.
When it comes to obtaining SSL certs, there’s often a debate about whether to opt for free or paid ones. Both of these have a comparable encryption level and make HTTPS available for websites.
Now, if the purpose is justifying with free SSL Certificates, why would somebody opt for paid ones? Well, we’ll explain the reason and difference between free and paid SSL in this blog.
Let’s begin!
SSL (Security Sockets Layer), TSL (Transport Layer Security), or digital certificates are the foundation of a secure internet.
How?
Previously, websites used Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to transfer data over the Internet, but this method is not secure and vulnerable to breaches. But now, things have changed, and sites use Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). It is an extension of HTTP that uses SSL or TLS encryption.
When an individual visits a website that uses HTTPS, TLS first verifies the website’s server identity and encrypts the connection to prevent hackers from stealing any data transmitted between the browser and the site.
Now, SSL certs are divided into different categories, but these are of three types, namely:
Below are some of the key differences between free and paid SSL/TLS certificates.
In short, the certificate is yours, and you have full control over it.
Below are some of the certificate authorities that offer free SSL certs.
Let’s Encrypt is the most famous and recognized name when it comes to brands offering free SSL certs. It is a free, automated, and open certificate authority (CA) service offered by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG).
SSL certificates can be obtained from their website at no cost. The best part is that renewal is also free after the certificate expires.
As the name suggests, SSL For Free offers free SSL certificates within minutes. They are widely trusted and have delivered more than 3,000,000+ free certs.
Last but not least, Cloudflare provides free SSL / TLS certs that can be deployed in less than 5 minutes. Some of the world’s biggest brands, like IBM and Loreal, trust Cloudflare.
Some of the disadvantages of Free SSL certificates are explained below.
Can you imagine when your website can be hacked?
Of course, no one wants to imagine such a scenario, but let’s be practical: this can happen to anyone out there.
In fact, almost 30k websites are hacked globally on a daily basis. If you buy a free SSL certificate, your website will not be protected from such attacks. So, all we want to say is, choose wisely!
The next disadvantage of free SSL certs is the limitation on their renewal and installation.
If you renew the SSL cert manually using the on-demand renewal feature, then you’ll be limited to 5 attempts per week for renewing a single website.
On the contrary, if you request multiple SSL certificate installations for one website, then be cautious, as you might get blocked. This limits to 50 attempts per week for one domain name.
Free SSL certificate providers offer very limited customer support and do not offer the same level of financial backing as paid alternatives. Also, if your website’s SSL certs get compromised, your customers will not trust you, and they’ll choose different alternatives.
With that being said above, free SSL certs last from only one to three months. This means you or your team will be responsible for renewing the SSL Certificate every one to three months. If, in any case, you forgot to do so, your website will be flagged as “not secure” and show your visitors the below warning.
There is a saying that faster isn’t always better, and the same applies here as well.
No doubt, free SSL certificates get issued in minutes, but they only support domain validation, which is the least secure version.
If you own a website that collects customers’ personal and sensitive information, using DV certificates will put their data at risk.
Paid SSL certificates offer numerous advantages, as explained below.
This is one of the greatest advantages of a paid SSL certificate, i.e., the liability or warranty it offers to guard your company against data breaches. This warranty can go up to $1,000,000, which is alone more than enough to justify the cost of a paid SSL cert.
Unlike free SSL certificates, which only support domain validation, paid SSL certificates support both organization and extended validation, which is particularly beneficial for websites that collect users’ personal data.
Whether you want to scale up your business operations or implement new security protocols, paid SSL/TLS certificates offer the scalability options needed to meet your specific requirements. Also, you can easily get new certificates, renew the previous ones, or revoke the compromised certs.
When you invest in buying an SSL/TLS certificate, you gain access to comprehensive customer support from the respective Certificate Authority (CA). Their team of experts will help you with all your queries, from installation and configuration to troubleshooting.
Paid SSL/TLS certificates meet industry standards and regulations, such as GDPR and PCI-DSS, to ensure your website remains compliant with relevant laws and guidelines.
Here’s how free SSL certificates can affect your brand value.
Below are some of the trusted CAs (Certificate Authorities) that offer paid SSL certificates.
Comodo provides a variety of SSL certificates, including DV, OV, and EV SSL certificates, at the best prices.
They offer the best SSL certificate options to meet different business needs. Sectigo has over 700000+ customers and is trusted by Fortune 1000 companies.
GeoTrust, also a DigiCert brand, offers SSL certificates with different validation levels and features, suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.
DigiCert is a leading CA that provides premium SSL certificates with advanced security features, including OV and EV SSL certificates, as well as wildcard and multi-domain certificates.
GlobalSign offers DV, OV, and EV SSL certificates with features like SHA-2 encryption, ECC support, and strong security protocols.
No matter if you run a small, medium, or large business in any sector, the security of your website can’t be compromised in the worst-case scenario. When buying SSL certificates, “you’ll get what you pay for!”
With free SSL certs, you can save money, but the benefit will be short-term. But if you get paid SSL certs from Certera, you can enjoy lifetime benefits and peace of mind that your website is secure.
Certificate | Price |
---|---|
DV SSL Certificates | Starts at Just $3.99/Yr |
Multi-Domain (SAN) Certificates | Starts at Just $9.99/Yr |
Wildcard SSL Certificates | Starts at Just $39.99/Yr |
OV SSL Certificates | Starts at Just $26.99/Yr |
EV SSL Certificates | Starts at Just $60.99/Yr |