Best SSL Certificates

Review & Comparison, Last Update August 21, 2024
If you would like to secure access to your website, including potential credit card transactions, data transfer, and logins, there's no better way to do it than to acquire an SSL certificate. ...Read more ...Read less
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BEST 2024
PROS
CONS
OUR VERDICT
Application
Types of Certificates
Type of Billing
Customer Service
Warranty
 
PROS

Regardless of which one of the offers you opt for, you will receive a certificate that is compatible with all major browsers, protects unlimited servers, not to mention the unlimited free reissues and an up to USD 1 million liability protection. The 2048-bit encryption is the industry's strongest and most reliable encryption technology.

CONS

You might face some difficulties trying to install it on Parallels Plesk Panel, cPanel, or Microsoft IIS.

OUR VERDICT

GoDaddy SSL Certificates is the sort of product that is all about safety and security. It is certainly not the cheapest option out there, but it is the price you ought to be willing to pay if security is the number one priority for you and you couldn't possibly afford a breach of confidentiality.

detailed parameters
Application

Personal Websites, Businesses, E-commerce

Types of Certificates

Protect one website, UCC/SAN SSL, Wildcard SSL

Type of Billing

Monthly

Customer Service

24/7 SmartLine support

Warranty

30-day money back guarantee

PROS

At a ridiculously low price of 9 bucks per year, the PositiveSSL will be able to provide you with a domain validation and an up to 256-bit encryption. The whole thing can be issued in less than 15 minutes. The company offers a variety of additional services like domain registry, web hosting, or domain migration.

CONS

It takes some time for the certificate to activate after you purchase it. 

OUR VERDICT

Namecheap is one of those websites that you could easily recommend to just about anybody looking to secure online communications between his website and a browser, thanks to a substantial number of different solutions and packages that you'll be able to find on their site.

detailed parameters
Application

Personal Websites, Businesses, E-commerce

Types of Certificates

PositiveSSL, EssentialSSL, InstantSSL, PositiveSSL Multi-Domain, InstantSSL Pro, EsentialSSL Wildcard, EV SSL, PositiveSSL Wildcard, PremiumSSL, Unified Communications, Multi-Domain SSL, EV Multi-Domain SSL, PremiumSSL Wildcard

Type of Billing

Yearly

Customer Service

Detailed support database, Support center, Web chat

Warranty

Refund for 15 days

PROS

The interface of the website is about as user-friendly as it gets. In addition to your standard certificate that offers protection for a single domain name, you will receive a Quick SSL Premium from Geotrust powered by Symantec: a worldwide leader in online security that isn't just the world's largest SSL provider but is also known for their remarkable additional services like a daily malware scan.

CONS

The site doesn't have a database. 

OUR VERDICT

If you're looking for a website that will guide you through the world of online security protocols, 1&1 SSL Certificates is arguably your best bet out there. Despite the user-friendly design of their site, the company offers some fairly sophisticated solutions.

detailed parameters
Application

Personal Websites, Businesses, E-commerce

Types of Certificates

Domain Validation SSL, Organization Validation SSL, Extended Validation SSL

Type of Billing

Yearly

Customer Service

24/7 email and phone support

Warranty

30-day money back guarantee

PROS

Their basic offer known as the Domain Validated SSL will provide you with an HTTPS protocol in the address bar and a Comodo seal of trust, which is a graphic representation that the site and the user data are protected. The absolute majority of experienced users know to look for a website with a seal like that, which is why it is so important to have one if you wish to build an online following or to grow your clientele.

CONS

Only two different kinds of certificates. 

OUR VERDICT

Domain.com offers what could very well be described as the best SSL certificate services for those customers that would like to gain the trust of their visitors, all while making sure that both the website and the aforementioned visitors feel as comfortable and protected as possible.

detailed parameters
Application

Personal Websites, Businesses, E-commerce, Blogs

Types of Certificates

Domain Validated SSL, Extended Validated SSL

Type of Billing

Yearly

Customer Service

365/24x7 live support

Warranty

Contact seller

PROS

if an SSL certificate is not the only thing you're looking for, the company offers employee ID solutions, credential lifecycle management, derived PIV/CAC credentials and a variety of different features that could help both governmental and non-governmental organizations. An EWS bundle implements daily malware scans of up to 500 Web pages a day and also monitors your corporate IT reputation with Search Engine Blacklisting and Spam Monitoring.

CONS

The process of registration could be less time-consuming. 

OUR VERDICT

Entrust Datacard SSL Certificates isn't one of those services targeted towards people that are just getting started in the world of online communications. This is a website for corporations and individuals that know what they're doing and would like to receive a complete set of security protocols available on the market.

detailed parameters
Application

Personal Websites, Businesses, E-commerce

Types of Certificates

EV Multi-Domain SSL, Advantage SSL, Standard SSL, UC Multi-Domain SSL, Wildcard SSL, Private SSL, Certificate Management, Certificate Discovery

Type of Billing

Yearly

Customer Service

Knowledge base, Phone support

Warranty

Contact seller

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GoDaddy SSL Certificates

The Titan of the Industry

To those potential customers that are more or less unfamiliar with the world of online protocols, the intricacies of domains, and all of the things that allow their favorite website to operate the way they do, the name GoDaddy will likely ring no bells. However, the people that possess a sufficient amount of knowledge on these subjects probably don't need us to sell them on this website. The reason for that is quite simple - the aforementioned website is in charge of the world's largest cloud platform that offers their services to small, independent clients. And if you don't feel like taking our word for it, you might want to listen to anyone of their 17 million customers worldwide or to take a look at one of the 75 million domain names under the company's management. As you would imagine, there are quite a few reasons so many people believe in putting their trust in the company's services and while we will dive deeper into some of those reasons, the underlying theme of all of them would be that people at GoDaddy simply believe in going the extra mile for each and every one of their customers, no matter how small their business may be.

Review of GoDaddy SSL Certificates

2048-Bit Encryption

At the end of the day, SSL certificate's entire purpose is to ensure that a website will be safe and secure for its visitors, which is exactly why a company like GoDaddy wouldn't be able to become as big as it is without first making sure that its product is capable of protecting the website and its users from just about any possible threat in terms of security. And, suffice it to say, they have been able to achieve that goal.

Once you acquire a GoDaddy SSL certificate, even the one that is designed to protect a single website, you receive access to a strong SHA-2 and a 2048-bit encryption, which is the industry's strongest and most reliable encryption technology that makes sure to protect every piece of data transmitting from a browser to a web server and is known to be virtually uncrackable. On top of that, you will also receive a McAfee SECURE trustmark that scans and certifies your website and an HTTPS protocol in the address bar, which is important since the majority of browsers mandate an HTTPS-connection for websites that have intake forms, meaning that if you don't have one, your visitors will be presented with a Not Secure warning message every time they visit your website, effectively discouraging them from doing so.

GoDaddy SSL Certificates in the use

A Liability Protection of up to $1 Million

As you would imagine, an SSL certificate that is designed to protect a single website is not the only thing GoDaddy has in stores for their customers. For instance, a UCC/SAN SSL will grant you the opportunity to secure multiple domain names as well as multiple hostnames within a single domain name. With the help of this package, you will be able to protect up to 5 websites at a standard rate and up to one hundred websites at a fairly affordable additional cost. Then there's the Wildcard SSL that, as some people may already be aware of, establishes a secure connection to your primary domain and an unlimited number of its subdomains. And if you happen to deal with E-commerce, you might want to consider an Extended Validation SSL certificate since the latter will provide you with a high-visibility green address bar that will make just about any visitor feel protected from any potential threat to their sensitive information. By the way, regardless of which one of these offers you opt for, you will receive a certificate that is compatible with all major browsers, protects unlimited servers, not to mention the unlimited free reissues and an up to USD 1 million liability protection.

In conclusion, GoDaddy SSL Certificates is the sort of product that is all about safety and security. It is certainly not the cheapest option out there, but it is the price you ought to be willing to pay if security is the number one priority to you and you couldn't possibly afford a breach of confidentiality.

Detailed review of GoDaddy SSL Certificates

 

Namecheap SSL Certificates

It's All in the Name

Though the whole thing about certificates that work as digitally binding cryptographic keys would seem complicated to just about anybody that isn't professionally involved in any of those fields that deal with online protocols, most people tend to believe that all of these complexities do not involve them as customers that would simply like to secure their website. And while that isn't entirely wrong and the process of acquiring an SSL certificate can often seem rather simple to your average customer, that doesn't mean that the process doesn't involve any nuanced details or variables. For starters, not a whole lot of people are probably aware of the fact that these cryptographic protocols known as SSL certificates do not involve some set in stone architecture, with every website offering more or less the same deal. On the contrary, there are actually dozens of different variations of these protocols, with each and every single one of them tinkered to perfectly fit a specific type of website and the best example of these protocols can be found at Namecheap dot com.

Review of Namecheap SSL Certificates

Quite a Few Certificates

As we have mentioned earlier, the biggest reason so many clients choose to opt for a Namecheap SSL certificate is that the website offers a great variety of different protocols to fit their specific needs. Of course, Namecheap wouldn't be Namecheap if they didn't offer one of the most affordable options out there, with the so-called PositiveSSL being one of the most popular and inexpensive SSL certificates on the market. As you would imagine, this is an entry-level solution that, at a ridiculously low price of 9 bucks per year, will be able to provide you with a domain validation and an up to 256-bit encryption. This is an offer for those who would like to secure access to their personal website or a blog based on a single domain, and the whole thing can be issued in less than 15 minutes.

A Multi-Domain SSL, on the other hand, will be suitable for sizable organizations that deal with E-commerce, as well as for corporations, non-governmental organizations, and governmental websites. While the price for this multi-domain SSL certificate is obviously incomparable to the PositiveSSL, you will be able to receive a secure connection to up to one hundred different domains hosted on various servers. On top of that, this set of protocols ensures validation of the organization behind the website and will prove to be a perfect fit for business sites that, one way or the other, deal with an array of sensitive customer data. Other than these two, the website features about a dozen of additional offers, including but not limited to an SSL certificate for subdomain or a wildcard option for securing multiple sub-domains of a single domain.

Namecheap SSL Certificates in the use

Different Offers for Different Customers

Aside from a great variety of certificates, one of the best things about Namecheap is their customer service. Regardless of how much money you spend on their products, the website will provide you with an access to their support center that features a number of different helpful solutions, a detailed support database that will be able to help you in a variety of scenarios, and a web chat where one of their customer service representatives will be able to answer any of your questions. Finally, in case an SSL security certificate isn't the only thing you're looking for, there's a good chance that Namecheap will have you covered in that area as well, offering a variety of additional services like domain registry, web hosting, or domain migration.

All in all, Namecheap is one of those websites that you could easily recommend to just about anybody looking to secure communications between his website and a browser thanks to a substantial number of different solutions and packages that you'll be able to find on their site.

Detailed review of Namecheap SSL Certificates

 

1&1 IONOS SSL Certificates

User-Friendly Interface

Taking into the account all of the complexities of the matter that the majority of customers would prefer not to deal with, one of the biggest challenges and one of the most important obstacles to overcome for those companies that work with SSL certificates has been always to figure out the most optimal way of providing their customers with what they need. With that said, we were always under the impression that the best way to go about it was to create a website with the sort of intuitive and user-friendly interface that even some of the least tech-savvy customers would be able to navigate with effortless ease. A place online that is simple enough for just about anybody to figure out yet complex enough to provide the majority of customers with a set of security protocols to fit their specific purposes. And that is precisely why we chose 1&1 SSL Certificates as one of our best picks, a website that will prove to be simple enough to navigate regardless of your experience on the subject, with just the right variety of offers to satisfy the majority of the clients without overwhelming them with a slew of complicated and often impractical options.

Review of 1&1 IONOS SSL Certificates

Geotrust from Symantec

As we have previously mentioned, one of the best things about 1&1 SSL Certificates is how easy their website's design is for an average user to figure out. Once you enter the site, all you have to do is click the Web Security link near the top right corner and choose SSL certificates. With that out of the way, all that's left for you to do is to take your pick. If you'd like to receive a regular SSL security certificate, the only thing it'll take is 10 bucks a year and somewhere around 15 minutes of your time. In addition to your standard certificate that offers protection for a single domain name, you will receive a Quick SSL Premium from Geotrust, a technology that is powered by Symantec: a worldwide leader in online security that isn't just the world's largest SSL provider but is also known for their remarkable additional services like a daily malware scan. On top of all of that, you'll get a standard 256-bit SSL encryption, a $500,000 loss coverage, and an address bar display with an HTTPS protocol and a green icon next to that protocol.

Finally, if a cheap wildcard SSL is what you're looking for, 1&1 SSL Certificates is as good of a place to start as any of them. For less than $30 per year, in addition to all of the aforementioned benefits, you will acquire protection for one domain and an unlimited number of subdomains, which is quite an offer if you compare it to the ones from 1&1 competitors.

1&1 IONOS SSL Certificates in the use

Get Your Money's Worth

Now, that was just a part of the offers that were compiled for your average user looking to secure his private website or an online blog. But don't think for a second that 1&1 certificates have nothing to offer to bigger corporate clients. Their organization validation and extended validation packages cover just about everything we described earlier, but the loss coverage rate is increased twofold and the list of features includes an anti-phishing protection and a real-time scanning technology, both of which will make your security system just about as unhackable as possible.

Having said all of that, if you still end up feeling like you didn't get your money's worth from their services, the company guarantees to give all of it back during any of the first 30 days, essentially providing you with a free SSL certificate in the worst case scenario. So, if you're looking for a website that will guide you through the world of online security protocols, 1&1 SSL Certificates is your best bet. Despite the user-friendly design of their site, the company offers fairly sophisticated solutions.

Detailed review of 1&1 IONOS SSL Certificates

 

Domain.com SSL Certificates

A World Built on Trust

The world of online communications might seem like a place devoid of human connection, the world of ones and zeros where numbers determine the rules and most people have to play by those rules. Of course, that is certainly one way to look at it. On the other hand, the Internet has provided us with the opportunity to have endless conversations with millions of interesting and remarkable people all over the world with next to no delay in the process. And despite all of those rules, this is a world that, not dissimilar to the one outside our windows, is built on trust. Meaning that, if you happen to own a large website that deals in E-commerce or a small personal Internet page where you can share whatever it is that interests and inspires you with all kinds of different individuals, you have to trust these people enough to allow them access to your website and they have to trust you in return with all kinds of their private information. And in the world that is built on trust, Domain.com SSL Certificates is one of the few places that will help website owners cement that trust.

Review of Domain.com SSL Certificates

24/7 Support

Now, before we delve deeper into some of the advantages that should help us convince you this is a website worthy of your trust, there are a couple of things we have to get off our chest first. First of all, this isn't one of those services that will be able to satisfy just about any customer out there given that the number of offers is fairly limited. On top of that, the website supports only yearly payments, which is something that certain people may find inconvenient. Nevertheless, if you're dissatisfied with their services, you could always contact the company in order to ask for a refund. Though we wouldn't recommend betting on the latter since very few customers end up feeling disappointed with Domain.com SSL Certificates. Aside from what they're able to offer in terms of online security, one of the biggest selling points of this website is their phone support customer service that will connect you with one of their experts any time of the day and any day of the week.

Domain.com SSL Certificates in the use

Never Skimp on Security

With all of that out of the way, it is finally time to get to the heart of the matter. We did point out earlier that this is one of those websites you can depend on if you wish to gain the trust of your visitors and there are quite a few reasons as to why that is the case. First of all, even though the company is able to offer only two different variations of standard SSL certificates, that just means that both of them feature a much more thought-out structure compared to the majority of their competitors.

Their basic offer known as the Domain Validated SSL will provide you with an HTTPS protocol in the address bar and a Comodo seal of trust, which is a graphic representation that the site and the user data are protected. The absolute majority of experienced users know to look for a website with a seal like that, which is why it is so important to have one if you wish to build an online following or to grow your clientele. In addition to that, you will receive a $10,000 warranty that the customer's data will be safe and secure. Their second and last product, the Extended Validated SSL, will be able to offer all of the previously specified features, except that the warranty will be raised almost twentyfold up to a whopping $1,750,000. Furthermore, you will receive enhanced E-commerce conversion and a green "trust" visual bar that'll be able to show just about anyone that you mean business.

All things considered, Domain.com offers what could very well be described as the best SSL certificate services for those customers that would like to gain the trust of their visitors, all while making sure that both the website and the aforementioned visitors feel as comfortable and protected as possible.

Detailed review of Domain.com SSL Certificates

 

Entrust Datacard SSL Certificates

For Corporations and Organizations

Entrust Datacard is a company that incorporates a bit of a different approach compared to the majority of its competitors. While they do offer a fair share of different types of SSL certificates, none of their options quite cater to those individuals that are just getting started in the world of online communications and aren't looking to spend a substantial amount of money on security. On the other hand, people that run websites with a sizable following, corporations, and both governmental and non-governmental organizations will be able to appreciate just about everything that Entrust Datacard is capable of offering them in terms of SSL certificates and a variety of additional services.

Besides, the whole design and the interface of their website doesn't leave a lot to be desired as well and just about anybody will be able to find what he's looking for by putting in the tiniest bit of effort. And if you do happen to run into some sort of an obstacle, the site has a live chat that will instantly connect you with one of their customer representatives, a fairly comprehensible knowledge base, and a phone support for those that prefer an actual audible conversation.

Review of Entrust Datacard SSL Certificates

Enhanced Website Security Bundle

Speaking of SSL certificates, though the people behind Entrust Datacard do offer some orthodox solutions like a standard SSL for companies that includes the HTTPS protocol, the feature that discloses organization name in certificate details, and a protocol that will allow your website to avoid browser error messages, their most interesting and by far the most popular package is the EV Multi-Domain SSL. In addition to the aforementioned solutions, it will provide you with a green address bar visible in just about any popular browser out there, which will work as the best indicator to your customers that your website is safe and secure. Furthermore, you will also receive access to a comprehensive website security solution that will be able to locate and fix malware and other typical website vulnerabilities while protecting your site from being blacklisted. Finally, the package also includes an Enhanced Website Security Bundle, which is essentially a set of different solutions aimed towards delivering an additional layer of security. The said bundle implements daily malware scans of up to 500 Web pages a day and also monitors your corporate IT reputation with Search Engine Blacklisting and Spam Monitoring.

Entrust Datacard SSL Certificates in the use

A Complete Set of Protocols

While this may not be a secret to those individuals that know a thing or two about SSL certificates or just security protocols in general, we'd certainly be remiss not to mention that any SSL certificate that is set up in a correct manner will be able to boost your Google rankings. The reason for that is quite simple - since any SSL-protected website is far more secure than the one that doesn't feature a similar security protocol, Google tends to reward the former websites with a higher placement in their search rankings, especially when it comes to those sites that deal with E-commerce. And if an SSL certificate is not the only thing you're looking for, you might want to hold your horses before you go searching for a more appropriate website since Entrust Datacard also offers employee ID solutions, credential lifecycle management, derived PIV/CAC credentials and a variety of different features that, as we have pointed out earlier, could help both governmental and non-governmental organizations.

To sum it up, Entrust Datacard SSL Certificates isn't one of those services targeted towards people that are just getting started in the world of online communications. This is a website for corporations and individuals that know what they're doing and would like to receive a complete set of security protocols available on the market.

Detailed review of Entrust Datacard SSL Certificates

 

What Is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate is one of those terms that you would be hard-pressed to explain to somebody that doesn't possess an above average understanding of information technologies in general and website structure with various online protocols in particular. Nevertheless, if you're running your own website, sooner or later you will have to figure out how the whole thing works, especially given the sort of benefits it can offer you. To put it in simpler terms, an SSL certificate is a combination of tiny data files that are developed and installed for the purpose of digitally binding a cryptographic key to an organization’s details. Once the certificate is installed on a server, it provides a secure, encrypted way of communication between a website and an internet browser. Generally speaking, you will be able to find these certificates on websites that require end-users to share private information over the Internet like credit card details or passwords. Again, as a rule of thumb, these protocols are prevalent on payment pages, online forms, and login pages, with the latter including social networking sites and a plethora of homes to different online communities.

Of course, before you're able to install an SSL certificate, you will have to set up your own website. If you haven't done that yet, you might want to take a look at our review of the best domain registrars and website builders.

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Publish Date: 2018-03-20 19:45:40