Facing Off: AlphaSSL Wildcard vs Comodo Wildcard SSL

In this competition between two popular wildcard SSL certificates, which will come out on top?

(Cue our announcer-style voice.) In a battle for the heavyweight title of the best wildcard SSL certificate, we have two competitors. In corner one, our first contender is an AlphaSSL wildcard certificate. In the other corner is our second competitor, Comodo SSL wildcard certificate. Which type of wildcard will be victorious and why?

Battle of the Wildcards: AlphaSSL Wildcard vs Comodo SSL Wildcard

Find out as we put AlphaSSL wildcard vs Comodo wildcard SSL certificates to the test. But, first, we’ll briefly cover what a wildcard SSL certificate is and how it differs from other types of SSL certificates.

What is a Wildcard SSL Certificate and What Sets It Apart from Other SSL Certificates?

Traditionally, a wildcard SSL certificate is a single certificate that can be used to secure an unlimited number of subdomains for a single domain (including both the “WWW” and non-“WWW” versions of the domain). So, for example, if you purchase and install a wildcard SSL certificate on your server, it means that you can secure both the domain.com and www.domain.com versions of your site, as well as all of its other first-level subdomains.

But, how does a wildcard SSL certificate differ from single-domain and multi-domain SSL certificates? We’ll look at the number of domains and subdomains each certificate covers and what level of validation each offers.

• Single Domain SSL Certificate. A single-domain SSL certificate can secure only one domain (both “WWW” and non-“WWW” versions) or one subdomain. This type of certificate is available in DV, OV, and EV levels of validation.
• Wildcard SSL Certificate. A wildcard SSL certificate secures both the domain.com and www.domain.com versions of your site, as well as an unlimited number of subdomains. This type of certificate can only be issued at the domain validation (DV) or organization validation (OV) levels.
• Multi-Domain SSL Certificate. A multi-domain wildcard SSL certificate has the same functionality of a wildcard SSL certificate with the benefit of being able to secure multiple domains — upwards of 250 per certificate (depending on the issuing certificate authority). If anyone tries to sell you an extended validation (EV) wildcard certificate, kick ‘em in the shins and run the other way because they’re trying to swindle you. Why do we say that? Because the CA/Browser Forum (CA/B Forum) expressly prohibits the issuance of EV wildcard SSL certificates because of the dangers they’d pose.

Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take an in-depth look at the two competitors.

Competitor One: GlobalSign AlphaSSL Wildcard

AlphaSSL is one of the types of SSL certificates that are issued by the certificate authority (CA) GlobalSign. Starting at $149 per year, each AlphaSSL wildcard certificate comes out swinging with a variety of benefits, including rapid issuance.

Let’s drill down to understand the advantages and disadvantages of using an AlphaSSL wildcard certificate from Global Sign.

What AlphaSSL Wildcards Offer

AlphaSSL wildcard certificates come with:

• 3 minutes or less issuance time
• Domain validation
• Unlimited server licenses
• The ability to purchase up two years of certificates
• 2048-bit signature strength
• 256-bit encryption
• 24/7 online ordering
• 9% of web and mobile browser compatibility
• A clickable site seal
• A 7-day refund policy

While all of this sounds great, how does it compare to a Comodo wildcard SSL certificate from CheapSSLsecurity.com?

Competitor Two: Comodo Wildcard SSL

Comodo CA, powered by Sectigo, is one of the industry’s most popular certificate authorities. Known for their quality, Comodo wildcard SSL certificates are available in many wildcard options, including:

• Comodo PositiveSSL wildcard,
• Comodo EssentialSSL wildcard,
• Comodo PremiumSSL wildcard,
• Comodo SSL wildcard,
• Sectigo SSL wildcard, and
• Sectigo OV SSL wildcard.

Comodo PositiveSSL Wildcard Certificate

For this article, the Comodo PositiveSSL wildcard certificate will serve as our example. Starting at $52.95 per year, this certificate packs a punch by allowing you to bundle multiple years together — up to four years — when a Comodo wildcard SSL certificate is purchased from CheapSSLsecurity.com.

This type of Comodo SSL wildcard certificates come with:

• Certificate issuance within 5 minutes
• Domain validation
• 2048-bit signature strength
• 256-bit encryption
• Unlimited reissuance
• 47/7 online ordering
• A $10,000 warranty
• 9% of web and mobile browser compatibility
• Comodo secured site seal
• 15-day money back guarantee

 

A Side-by-Side Comparison of AlphaSSL vs Comodo PositiveSSL Wildcard

Features/Benefits	Comodo SSL	AlphaSSL
	Comodo PositiveSSL Wildcard	AlphaSSL Wildcard
Validation Level	DV SSL	DV SSL
Maximum License Period	Up to 5 years	Up to 2 years
Certificate Issuance	Within minutes	Within 3 minutes
Domains Secured	Primary domain: WWW and non-WWW versions, as well as all subdomains.	Primary domain: WWW and non-WWW versions, as well as all subdomains.
SSL Encryption	256-bit strength	256-bit strength
Trust Seal	Comodo secured site seal	AlphaSSL Seal
Certificate Reissuance	Unlimited
Server Licenses	Unlimited	Unlimited
Web & Mobile Browser	99.9% compatibility	99% compatibility
CA Warranty	$10,000
Refund Policy	15 days	7 days
Encryption Key	2048-bit length	2048-bit length
Buy Now	Shop Certificates

 

Putting these two certificates side by side shows a clear winner. With a Comodo SSL wildcard from CheapSSLsecurity.com, you can get:

• Bundle your certificate purchase for up to 4 years
• A $10,000 CA-backed warranty
• A 15-day refund

Get your Comodo PositiveSSL wildcard SSL certificate: