Loading...Nowadays, every website needs an SSL certificate. Google saw to that with one of its browser updates last year. In 2019, if you’re still serving your website via HTTP, your users are seeing “Not Secure” next to your URL in their address bar.
That’s not a good look.
And that’s probably why you’re here. The Google decree has caused a massive influx of website owners to consider SSL/TLS for the first time in their sites’ lives. And two of the best certificate authorities (CAs) out there — especially for websites buying their first SSL certificates — are Comodo and GoDaddy. But how do you choose between Comodo SSL vs GoDaddy SSL certificates for your site?
So, let’s start by discussing SSL/TLS in general. Then, we’ll get into two of the top CAs in the world — Comodo SSL vs GoDaddy SSL — and which one might be right for you.
A Quick Briefer on SSL/TLS (Regardless of Whether It’s Comodo SSL vs GoDaddy)
SSL/TLS is a working example of public key infrastructure (PKI). Websites, browsers and certificate authorities use certificates to authenticate clients and servers. Certificate authorities are highly regulated entities that are trusted to issue SSL/TLS certificates. When a website purchases or requests a certificate, the CA validates them to ensure the certificate is being issued to a legitimate party.
There are three levels of validation, and they all assert different amounts of identity.
- Domain Validation – Simply confirms the identity of the server
- Organization Validation – Populates the certificate details with verified organization information
- Extended Validation – Lists verified organization information in the certificate, activates the EV name bar
The EV name bar displays your organization’s name a locality beside the URL in the address bar — exactly where it would say “Not Secure” if you DIDN’T have a certificate.
Once a certificate has been acquired, it can be installed on the server hosting the website and it essentially provided a mechanism for your website and its users to securely exchange encryption keys, which can be used to communicate securely for the duration of the session.
There are several different types of certificates in terms of deployment:
- Single Domain SSL — Available in DV, OV and EV; secures one website
- SAN / Multi-Domain / UCC SSL — Available in DV, OV and EV; secures up to 250 different websites
- Wildcard SSL Certificates — Available in DV and OV; secures on domain and all its first-level subdomains
- Multi-Domain Wildcards — Available in DV and OV; secures up to 250 different domains and all their first-level subdomains or works as a multi-level Wildcard
To truly compare SSL certificates from Comodo SSL vs GoDaddy, it’s important to know a bit about each of the companies first.
Who is Comodo?
Comodo CA is actually Sectigo now, but it’s one of the oldest — and the industry’s largest — certificate authority. It’s issued hundreds of millions of digital certificates in that time. In 2017, Comodo CA split off from Comodo Group, which is responsible for its highly popular antivirus and cWatch products, and rebranded following its acquisition by Francisco Partners. It’s on the cutting edge of the digital certificate and PKI industry, and has been expanding into IoT security recently.
Pros of Comodo SSL:
- Lower costs for SSL certificates with prices starting at $5.88/year
- Dozens of different product offerings designed for every conceivable use case
- 24/7 support via phone or live chat
- The most cost-friendly CA in the industry
- Each multi-domain certificate covers up to 250 domains
- Available certificate management platform for larger companies
- Certificates include site vulnerability and PCI compliance scanning
- Includes Comodo CA/Sectigo Secure Site Seal
- Warranties up to $2,000,000
- A 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons of Comodo SSL:
- Wait times for EV can sometimes take days
Purchase Comodo SSL Certificates & Save Up to 88%
We offer the best discount on all types of Comodo SSL Certificates. It includes Comodo Wildcard SSL, EV SSL, Multi-Domain SAN/UCC SSL, and Code Signing Certificates.
Who is GoDaddy?
GoDaddy is one of the world’s largest web hosting providers. It’s come a long way since its click-baity Superbowl commercials starring Danica Patrick. Now, it’s considered one of the top web companies in the world. A while back, to improve its hosting offerings, GoDaddy got into the CA business and has since grown into one of the top five or six CAs in the world in the years.
Pros of GoDaddy SSL:
- 24/7 support via live chat
- Very reasonably priced compared to other CAs
- Multi-domain certificates cover five sites, with up to 100 available by the SAN
- Warranties up to $1,000,000
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons of GoDaddy SSL:
- Users have reported problems after installation
- Tech support received lots of negative reviews
- Price goes up upon renewal
- No additional scanning included
Comodo SSL vs GoDaddy — Who Offers Better Security?
This is a push in terms of pure security benefits. SSL/TLS certificates all facilitate the same level of encryption, regardless of who issued it or what level of validation was performed. In fact, your certificate really doesn’t impact encryption strength at all — that’s all a function of the server and client’s collective capabilities. Your website will not be any more secure with GoDaddy over Comodo, or vice versa — at least not from an SSL/TLS standpoint. Comodo’s complimentary scanning gives it a slight edge overall, though.
The Verdict: Comodo SSL
GoDaddy is a really great option if you’re using GoDaddy for your hosting. Its CA has literally been designed to integrate with its hosting. For everyone else though, Comodo SSL has the edge. It’s got better pricing, better add-ons, a better reputation, and its certificates play nicely with all servers and hosting arrangements.
That’s not to put down GoDaddy — it’s more a testament to Comodo CA/Sectigo’s experience as the world’s foremost CA.
