DEV Community

Shanika Wickramasinghe
Shanika Wickramasinghe

Posted on • Originally published at blogaztec.com

Best SSL certificate providers

In the digital era nowadays, SSL certificates are needed to provide for security when transacting online. It is the method to verify webpages and domains to ensure that all the information and transactions are secure. However, you must pick a good SSL provider and make it easier for you, we have bought 10 providers that we think is worth considering.

1- Comodo SSL

Comodo SSL provides the highest level of encryption compared to other providers. Since it is automated online, there is no need for any paperwork and causes no delays as well. It costs around US$7.27 a year making it quite affordable too. It also has a 99.9% browser recognition and also provides an SSL certificate management tool. There are a PCI scanning and a trusted logo that helps for customer conversion too. Comodo also provides a ‘premium SSL’ solution that costs around US$56 for 4 years which also includes a 256 — bit encryption. ComodoSSL also provides a free site seal.

2 — DigiCert

DigiCert is not very affordable and costs around US $188 a year. It provides free SSL tools and unlimited reissues as well. You can also expect world-class customer service when dealing with DigiCert as they are very patient and can guide you through a step by step process. It has both strong encryption and high authentication along with other options like Wildcard SSL and multi-domain SSL. the user interface is very easy and its’ speed is one of the key highlights.

3- Entrust Datacard

Entrust Datacard has been around since 1994 and is one of the most trusted providers. It provides tools and resources to install SSL properly and can manage many certificates as well. Entrust Datacard also has a wide selection such as ID card printers, credit card printers and PKI as well. However, the SSL certificate is their best product. The standard SSL for one site costs around $174 whereas the wildcard SSL is $609 a year. It can cover an unlimited amount of servers and sub-domains.

4 — GeoTrust

GeoTrust provides services in three areas which are signing services, SSL certificates and enterprise services. Owned by Symantec, it price costs around US $87 a year and is the best place to secure your website as they have discount rates and a 30- day money-back guarantee as well. They also provide 256-bit encryption and a free site seal. The issuance speed is usually less than an hour which is acceptable.

5- GlobalSign

GlobalSign is another trusted provider found back in 1996. You can secure from a single website to multiple domains with this provider. Thus, it is very flexible and scalable. Apart from strong encryption, it also has added value features such as free SSL tools and PKI solutions as well. It also provides phishing detection, malware scans and comes with a 2048 bit SSL. however, unlike others, GlobalSign is not cheap and costs around $250 for a single site. GlobalSign also has a secure site seal so that clients or visitors have more confidence.

6 — GoDaddy

Using an SSL certificate from GoDaddy will show that your site is authentic and trustworthy. SSL certificates from GoDaddy provides a 128- bit encryption for standard and 256- bit encryption for a higher grade. The cost for a single site is usually $79 a year and a domain costs $370 a year. Using this domain, you get a McAfee secure seal and a 2048 encryption. Like others, GoDaddy also provides a 30- day money-back guarantee and unlimited free reissues. There is also 24/7 unlimited security support.

7 — Network Solutions

Just like GoDaddy, Network Solutions also provides other services apart from SSL certificates like e-commerce solutions. It gives a 256- bit encryption and ensures data is safe from the hands of hackers. It costs around $59.9 for a single site which is for two years. However, it doesn’t provide a lot of technical support if you are looking for such. All the SSL certificates with an ‘https’ and the closed padlock so that your site is seemingly secure and places confidence in users, particularly when transacting. The green address bar is only there in the extended version but the site seal is there in every version except the Xpress. They also provide 24/7 live support as well.

8 — RapidSSL

RapidSSL is a cheaper solution which costs around $17 a year for a single site. Although its cost is low, its provided by a leading certificate authority since it is a subsidiary of GeoTrust. It is also very fast, easy to install with a step by step guide and also provides 256-bit encryption. RapidSSL also provides its users with 24/7 web and mail support and also has a 30-day money-back guarantee like many other providers. Just like other providers, issuance speed is quite rapid and it also has a 99% browser support.

9 — SSL.com

provides everything from SSL, wildcard, UCC, SAN, and EV certificates as well. The basic SSL costs around $36 a year for one domain. The Enterprise EV UCC/SAN SSL is the highest that costs $320 a year which allows multiple domains, subdomains and a green bar which ensures confidence.

However, the basic is also worth as it trusted with almost 99% of the browsers and has a 2048 bit SHAA 2 encryption. They have a strong customer service with a 24/7 chat, email, and phone support. The prices are affordable as well and also gives free lifetime certificate reissues.

10 — Thawte

is another solid option if you are thinking of getting an SSL certificate. It is a global SSL provider with a history of 17 years. Thus, it is surely a reliable platform. The cheapest certificate costs around $47. It comes with a 21-day free trial and also has a Thawte site seal logo. It has 99% browser compatibility and has a 256- bit encryption. They also have a support team via chat, phone or email which is very reliable. There is also a NetSure warranty for all the SSL plans and are also compatible with Internationalized domain names.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, SSL certificates are essential to ensure encryption and authentication. Most providers have similar features but it varies a little. Having a certificate will ensure that your site is reliable, safe and secure. However, choosing the right provider depends on your requirements and needs. Thus, go through this article and choose the provider that you think is the perfect choice for you!

Top comments (0)