{"id":4194,"date":"2018-05-04T04:09:58","date_gmt":"2018-05-04T12:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cheapsslsecurity.com\/blog\/?p=4194"},"modified":"2021-01-26T07:31:21","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T15:31:21","slug":"free-ssl-vs-paid-ssl-certificates-why-pay-for-ssl-certificate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cheapsslsecurity.com\/blog\/free-ssl-vs-paid-ssl-certificates-why-pay-for-ssl-certificate\/","title":{"rendered":"Free SSL vs. Paid SSL Certificates: Why Pay for SSL?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Should you go for a free SSL certificate or a paid one? Here\u2019s the answer<\/h2>\n

You want to get an SSL certificate, and you have good reasons for it. You even have a few ideas in your mind. But you’re confused. You’re probably scratching your head thinking about \u2018free SSL certificates vs. paid SSL certificates.’ And you must have a lot of questions on your mind. After all, why pay for an SSL certificate when you can get it for free, right?<\/p>\n

Well, you\u2019re right. There\u2019s no need to shell out your hard-earned money if it doesn\u2019t make any difference whatsoever.<\/p>\n

But you know what? It does.<\/p>\n

The entire world would be using free SSL certs if there wasn\u2019t any difference between free SSL certificates and the paid ones. But, as you already know, this isn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n

\"free<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the difference between free ssl and paid ssl<\/span><\/strong>? Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n

What are free SSL certificates?<\/h2>\n

Note: <\/strong>To understand the fundamental difference between free and paid SSL certificates, you must be familiar with the term \u2018certificate authority.\u2019 If you\u2019re not, we suggest you have a look at this Wikipedia page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Free SSL certificates come free as they\u2019re issued by non-profit certificate authorities. Let’s Encrypt, a leading non-profit CA provides SSL\/TLS certificates for free. Their purpose is to encrypt the entire web to the extent that HTTPS becomes the norm.<\/p>\n

Sounds great, doesn’t it? It is.<\/p>\n

But it wouldn\u2019t be free if there wasn\u2019t a catch. In this case, there are many.<\/p>\n

Free SSL certificates vs. Paid SSL certificates: The Differences<\/h2>\n

SSL Certificate Lifespan<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The first and the most striking difference between both is regarding their certificate validity period. The maximum period for which you can issue a paid SSL certificate is two years. After every two years, you must reissue your certificate.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the lifespan of free SSL certs is 90 days. So, you must renew your free SSL cert every 90 days.<\/p>\n

SSL Certificate Options\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Paid SSL certificates come in many different sizes and shapes, each belonging to different validation level and serving a unique purpose. For example, domain validated (DV) SSL certificates are the most basic type of SSL while extended validation (EV) SSL certs\u2014the most sought-after SSL certs\u2014enable the green address bar, but you must go through a rigorous vetting process to get one. There are other types of SSL certificates that can help you secure multiple domains and subdomains<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the contrary, free SSL certs come with domain validation (DV) option only. So, if you want to display your organization name in the green address bar or display it in certificate details or even want to issue one cert for many; free SSL won\u2019t work. It\u2019s worth noting that Let\u2019s Encrypt has recently started issuing Wildcard SSL certificates. You can protect your sub-domains with it. However, the 90-day limitation will be applied here as well.<\/p>\n

Technical Support<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The entire SSL process\u2014starting from the CSR generation to SSL installation\u2014can be a tricky business, especially if you aren\u2019t familiar with it. And even if you have years of experience, you could still lose your way. That\u2019s why having the right tech support is highly recommended.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s obvious that the non-profit certificate authorities are short on resources and that\u2019s why they cannot provide any support whatsoever. On the contrary, the commercial CAs and their SSL resellers must provide technical support to their customers.<\/p>\n

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Shop Thawte SSL Certificates<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Needless to say, this is a major plus point in favor of commercial CAs and paid SSL certificates.<\/p>\n

Warranty<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This might be a hypothetical point for some and real for others, but no matter what side you’re on, you just can’t deny this. Paid SSL certificates feature a substantial amount of warranty in case something goes wrong at CA\u2019s end. Although there haven\u2019t been many such cases till date, it could happen. Once again, zero points to free SSL certs.<\/p>\n

Green Bar, Trust Signs & Identity Verification<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some of you may want the green bar in front of your URL to showcase your company\u2019s identity and consequently, establish customer trust and confidence. To do so, you\u2019ll need an EV SSL certificate<\/a>. You\u2019re only given an EV SSL cert once you successfully undergo an intensive validation process.<\/p>\n

\"EV<\/p>\n

Free SSL certificate authorities have no method, workforce or infrastructure to validate your details. That’s why they can’t provide EV certs, and you can’t have that green bar or the trust signs.<\/p>\n

Free SSL Certificates vs. Paid SSL Certificates: The Conclusion<\/h2>\n

By now, you probably know which SSL certificate to go for. If you’re good with the pitfalls of free SSL certs, you’d have gone with free SSL certs, and if you’re not, you need a paid SSL. But where can you buy a cheap SSL from a reputed certificate authority? You\u2019re at the perfect place.<\/p>\n

We at CheapSSLSecurity.com, are partners to leading certificate authorities such as Symantec, DigiCert, Comodo, GeoTrust, Thawte, and RapidSSL. As we buy certificates in bulk, we can offer them at unbelievable prices. We even offer you our low-price guarantee<\/a>. Under this, you just need to give us the URL of a website that is selling the same certificate at a lower price than us. Once you do it, we’ll offer you a coupon code that will take the price down so that you can buy the cert at the lowest possible price. Sounds fair? We bet it does.<\/p>\n

Not bragging but we have THE cheapest range of SSL certificates. So, if you\u2019re looking to protect your website at the lowest possible price, have a good look at our SSL product page<\/a>. To see what our customers have been saying about us, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We hope this post helped you get a clear idea about the difference between free SSL and paid SSL.<\/p>\n

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