A website is a great investment that is worth the best level of protection. This can only lead us to find out which SSL certificate is best.
Most of the time, many people assume that SSL certificates are only for huge websites and eCommerce businesses. However, whether you have a blog site, portfolio, and even more an eCommerce platform, you definitely need an SSL certificate.
How Does SSL Protect You?
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is like a digital signature from one computer to another computer. It protects sensitive data by encrypting it before it travels on the information super-highway and makes your site look trustworthy.
It is used for digitally securing data, file transfers, and credit card processing as required by PCI.
The use of SSL certificates is mandatory for all websites as stipulated by Google and even more eCommerce sites that process sensitive personal information.
There are various levels of validation that you can opt for. They are important in finding out which SSL is best for you. Let us have an in-depth look at these.
Levels of SSL Certificate
These levels of validation dictate the visual hints your website has to prove that it is secure. They include:
- Domain Validated (DV)SSL certificate – this one provides basic protection without showing any visual evidence and is not attached to your company. these are perfect for website owners who do not collect personal information.
- Organisational Validated (OV)Certificates. – they provide basic business verification for organizations that request an SSL certificate at a fair price. Some of these organizations are e-commerce or media companies.
- Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate. – it validates the legal existence of the company, the physical location, and other contact details. Tells users that they are verified, and they are in the right place. You can validate the existence of the certificate by left-clicking on the address bar and you’ll see the drop bar and for the EV you can find the certificate and who certifies it
Therefore, as a website owner, you need to find out which SSL certificate is best suited for the type of website you run. We have gathered useful pointers for you to guide you in identifying a suitable SSL certificate. Read on till the end to also discover some of the best SSL providers you can consider.
Factors to consider before purchasing an SSL certificate
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Choose a suitable type of SSL certificate.
You need to find out from the following types which SSL is best for you. These are:
- Single domain certificates – these are perfect for those who want to cover only one domain. It is a good option for blogs and small businesses.
- Multi-domain certificates – they allow you to manage multiple domains under a single certificate. Different SSL providers have their customized limits for the number of domains. In this case, you will need to research to find a provider whose pricing and several domains are favorable for you.
- Wildcard certificates – these are almost similar to single domains since they cover a single domain, but the twist is in the fact that they cover unlimited subdomains on a single level.
- Multi-domain Wildcard certificates – they allow you to manage several domains as well as multi-level subdomains under one certificate.
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Know the difference between Dedicated SSL and Shared SSL.
Dedicated means that you pay for it and fully own it while Shared is convenient and free but there is a lot of security concerns that lower the customer experience for your visitors.
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Availability of a warranty.
Different validation levels have varying warranty amounts, for example, domain validation certificates can carry a warranty that is up to $20,000 while the extended validation can carry a warranty of up to $1.75 million. The warranty is meant to cover any damages caused by certificate authority-related errors that have the potential of bringing down your company.
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Know the level of encryption that is needed for your site.
For example, an eCommerce site, or any other site that processes credit card information will require a minimum of 128-bit encryption. Anything higher than that would be better but anything lower would be considered insecure.
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Decide if the brand name matters.
There are many branded SSLs out there and you can easily buy one from your eCommerce provider but if you are selling expensive items or anything that involves a high level of security you can look for a branded SSL that is more trustable, like GeoTrust, AskSSL, or VeriSign.
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Know the installation process details.
This is regardless of whether you get your SSL certificate from your eCommerce provider or another source. You need to know the steps on how it will be installed on your site to stay up and running.
The Best SSL Certificates To Consider
Finally, we are at the place where you determine which SSL certificate is best for you. However, this does not disqualify the others. It only means that it is what is most suitable for your website or application.
Protip: Narrowing down your selection solely based on pricing can lead to frustration. The best way is to choose several SSL certificates that have the features you are looking for and then select the one that is within your budget range.
You can find a summary of some of the best SSL certificates in subdomains in the table below alongside their basic features and prices. Also, you can click here to explore more packages like the ones highlighted below.
| SSL Certificate | Features | Pricing |
| AskSSL Starter |
|
$3.99 |
| Unlimited Free SSL |
|
$0.00 |
| Multi-Domain SSL |
|
$16.99 |
| Wild Card Domain SSL |
|
$49.99 |
| Ask SSL EV SAN |
|
$150 |
| AskSSL EV |
|
$69 |
| Rapid SSL |
|
$12.60 |
| Comodo PositiveSSL Wildcard |
|
$99.40 |
| GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium |
|
$67.20 |
In Conclusion
In the quest to find out which SSL is best we have been able to see that it is a decision highly dependent on the type of website one runs. The most important part is that you don’t go without installing one of the aforementioned certificates from as low as zero dollars to keep your site secure and trustable.
