With Google Chrome browser now labeling all websites using HTTP encryption as “not secure”, installing SSL and implementing HTTPS on your website is no longer an option.
Sites without SSL tend to be bumped down the search ranking ladders, so if you haven’t already – it’s way past time.
If you haven’t made the switch to HTTPS and would like to learn more, this article is for you. It will also help first-time SSL users gain an overview with a comparison of 10 popular Certificate Authorities.
Secured Socket Layer (SSL) is the technology that makes sure data between two machines (in our case – a browser and a server) is transmitted securely in an encrypted connection (HTTPS).
An SSL Certificate is a digital certificate that confirms the identity of a website.
To implement SSL on your website, you will need to get an SSL Certificate from a SSL Certificate Provider, aka. Certification Authority.
The following diagram shows how data is transferred through an SSL connection.
The use of an SSL Certificate on a website is usually indicated by a padlock icon on web browsers and the website address will show HTTPS. In some cases, a green address bar is shown.
If a SSL certificate is not recognized by the browser (or it does not pass certain checks), the browser will display a warning to the visitor.
Learn more about SSL certificates and HTTPS setup here.
There are plenty of Certificate Authorities (CA) that you can go for securing an SSL certificate on your website. The 10 providers that we’ve listed below are the places that we recommend due to their business track record and pricing.
SSL.com is a top rated certificate authority (see BBB rating A+ here) that was founded back in 2002. They offer a wide range of digital certificates such as SSL/TLS server certificates, document signing code signing, and S/MIME email certificates.
Being a leading authority in the industry, SSL.com offers a number of features for its users, such as 256-bit SHA2 https AES encryption, free site seal, 24/7 support, and free unlimited certificate reissues during the lifetime of the certificate.
NameCheap offers the full gamut of SSL certificates so you’ll find something there no matter what your requirements or budget. Standard Domain Validation certificates (Positive SSL) start from $8.88 per year, but there are also premium certificates that go for up to $169 per year.
The SSL Store was founded in 2009. The company partnered with some of the biggest Certification Authorities (CAs) and offer a wide range of website security solutions. CAs in The SSL Store's partners list include: Symantec, RapidSSL, Thawte, Sectigo (Comodo), as well as GeoTrust.
Standard Domain Validation certificates (Positive SSL) start from $14.95 per year (RapidSSL), but there are also Organization Validated and Extrended Validation certificates that go for up to $2,600 per year.
While GoDaddy is more known for being a domain registrar with aggressive discounts for its first-time customers, they also offer SSL certification services. Their SSL certificates are often issued online within minutes and come with a 256-bit encryption.
Founded in 1996 and based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA, GlobalSign is one of the more popular SSL Certificate Authority in the market.
GlobalSign established themselves as a well-reputed identity service company by providing cloud-based PKI solutions to business who wants their website to have secure connections, conduct safe e-commerce transactions, and perfect content delivery to its users and customers.
Benefits:
Certificate type & Pricing:
The company motto for DigiCert is “Your success is built on trust”. This should give you a good idea of how seriously they take security. With a primary focus on SSL innovation, DigiCert aims to be the trusted security partner for all avenues of industry and commerce.
DigiCert was also the founding member of the CA/Browser Forum, and it's one of the few authorities involves in developing new SSL technology. The SSL certificates that they provide are OV Certificates, EV Certificates, and even DV Certificates for smaller businesses or websites.
Benefits:
Certificate type & Pricing:
Thawte has been known for providing affordable SSL certificates as well as 17 years of reliability. They offer a comprehensive list of SSL products which includes EV, OV, DV, SGC, Wildcard, and even SAN SSL certificates.
As a low-cost SSL certificate provider, Thawte SSL plans are priced reasonably with their cheapest going for $149 per year which includes a number of features such as 256-bit encryption. There is an option available to add Wildcard to the plan with additional charges.
Benefits:
Certificate type & Pricing:
At GeoTrust, you can opt for a number of SSL certificates which include True BusinessID with EV, True BusinessID, True BusinessID Wildcard, and QuickSSL premium. Among them all, True BusinessID with EV is the recommended SSL certificate with the highest assurance and warranty at a competitive price.
Startups and small business would find GeoTrust pricings attractive, plus they offer a number of features such as 256-bit encryptions, extended validation, warranty ranging from $100,000 to $1.5 million, 99% browsers compatibility, and unlimited customer support.
Benefits:
Certificate type & Pricing:
Entrust considers themselves as a forward-thinking company that provides security in a wide breadth of diverse industries. They provide security solutions for those in need of transactional security, secure mobile authentication, and of course, SSL certificates.
Entrust offers EV and OV SSL certificates with prices starting at $174 per year.
Benefits:
Certificate type & Pricing:
Established in 1979 and headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA, Network Solutions have constantly evolved their SSL services throughout the years and continues to provide the lowest priced SSL certificates for users.
Especially when it comes to multi-year term SSL certificates, Network Solutions offers some of the more affordable pricing in the market. For example, their nsProtect Secure Express will only set you back $59.99 for a 2-year term. In comparison, GoDaddy offers similar services that cost $74.49 per year.
Benefits:
Certificate type a& Pricing:
There are a number of ways you can get protected an SSL certificate and implement HTTPS to your websites. These include using a free one by Let's Encrypt, making use of Cloudflare's automatic SSL coverage, or even buying one depending on your requirements.
To make sure that your SSL purchase process goes smoothly, we recommend that you get the following things ready.
There are three types of SSL certificate – Domain Validated (DV), Organizational Validated (OV), and Extended Validated (EV).
Despite the types of validation, all the certificates are having the same levels of data encryption. The only difference is the assurance about the identity of the business behind the website. You can compare the costs and features of different types of SSL certificates at SSL.com.
Here are examples of different types of validation.
When you are buying buy an SSL certificate, you need to choose the number of domains you want to secure.
There are three levels of certifications: Single, Wildcard, and Multi-Domain.
Here's the summarized pricing table for the 10 SSL certificate providers listed above.
| SSL Provider | Single Domain, DV | Highest Level | Learn More & Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSL.com | $36.75/year | $319.20/year | Click Here |
| Namecheap | $7.88/year | $167.50/year | Click Here |
| TheSSLStore | $14.95/year | $4,540.79/year | Click Here |
| GoDaddy | $79.99/year | $369.99/year | Click Here |
| GlobalSign | $249.00/year | $939.00/year | Click Here |
| DigiCert | $399.00/year | $2,785/year | Click Here |
| Thawte | $199.00/year | $299.00/year | Click Here |
| GeoTrust | $149.00/year | $745.00/year | Click Here |
| Entrust | $174.00/year | $609.00/year | Click Here |
| Network Solutions | $59.99/year | $579.00/year | Click Here |
A cheap SSL offers the same security as the expensive ones. So in most cases, there is no need to opt for a “branded”SSL certificate – which be expensive.
The only time that you should really consider purchasing an expensive SSL certificate is if you’re a big eCommerce company that’s looking to perform transactions on a device that uses its own proprietary software.
Larger businesses should also opt for a “branded” SSL certificate as part of your due diligence process. The reason for this is that the companies issuing these certificates often have reputable track records which might be necessary for selection justification.
The primary reason for using an SSL certificate is to make sure the data sent across the Internet become encrypted. So, everyone else can't read the information except for the server you are sending the information to. This can prevent hackers and cyber-thieves from stealing your data.
The SSL certificate prices vary depending on the type of certificate and the number of domains you want to protect. A dedicated SSL certificate for a single domain starts at $7.88 per year. A wildcard SSL certificate that protects unlimited sub-domains starts at $72.88 per year. You can compare the costs and features of different SSL certificates here.
Yes, it's recommended to have an SSL certificate for your website. Search engines now label websites without SSL as “Non-secure” websites and that might impact your ranking. Also, having an SSL certificate can earn your visitors' trust because the visitors know their data is secure.
It's recommended to install an SSL certificate for your online store even though it's not compulsory. SSL certificate encrypts customer data, sensitive information, payment details, etc and keeps it protected during transfer. Besides securing the website, by installing an SSL certificate, it helps to gain customers' trust and encourage them for safe and secure online shopping.
There's no difference in security between a free SSL certificate and a paid SSL certificate. The major differences between both are in terms of the type of certificate, level of validation, support and warranty. For instance, free SSL certificates only come with Domain Validation (DV) and no warranty. On the other hand, a paid SSL certificate covers everything you required.
This is where different pricing also comes into play with SSL certificates. Warranties on paid SSL certificates can differ vastly – from as low as a few thousand dollars up to two million dollars (As far as we know, only DigiCert goes this high).
If you are running a small website or a blog, a DV certificate is good enough. If your website conducts financial transactions, it's best to go for an EV certificate that turns the address bar to green.
Yes, there's no risk of using a free SSL certificate. However, a free SSL certificate does have some shortcomings such as limited period, only offers domain validated, no support from the company, and no warranty. If you are running an online store, a free SSL certificate might not be a suitable choice.
